How To Edit Something In User Library Folder On Mac Rating: 5,8/10 6317 votes

The Library Menu item is hidden by default on Macs, to prevent the possibility of inexperienced users deleting important files in the Library Folder. In this article, you will find different methods to reveal the hidden Library Menu and access the Library Folder on your Mac.

Access Library Folder On Mac

The Library Folder on your Mac contains Preference Files, Caches, and Application Support Data.

Change permissions for files, folders, or disks on Mac. Permission settings determine who can view and alter files on the computer. You change permission settings at the bottom of the Info window for a file, folder, or disk in the Finder. But in Mavericks and Yosemite, Apple has made the task much more convenient, providing an easily accessible setting for toggling the visibility of your user-level Library folder. Here’s how to. Sep 27, 2016  Open Finder, or just click on the desktop. Then click “Go” in the menu bar, and select “Go to Folder”. You can also skip all this clicking by pressing Command+Shift+G on your keyboard to access the Go to Folder menu. Type /Library in the box and hit Enter. Aug 03, 2017 Hi all, while doing some summer cleaning, I noticed a huge Library folder in my User part, a whooping 85GB one. Considering I have a 256GB SSD, it's taking up quite the space. The 'small' stuff is Safari as 1,3GB and Mail with 9GB, what do you think these are? Then I have Caches for 15GB.

While regular Mac users may not find the need to access the Hidden Library Folder, advanced Mac users will at times come across the need to access files inside the Library Folder for troubleshooting and other purposes.

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  • By default, the User Library folder is hidden in Mac OS 10.7 and above. We'll cover a few different methods to easily access this hidden folder. The User Library is home to many 'under the hood' files and folders that correspond to the various Apps and system processes in your computer.
  • Nov 09, 2012  The Library folder under each account user name (the /Library) is, by default, invisible in Lion and Mountain Lion versions of OS X. It is the folder that stores settings and information for various apps, among other things, and is the one that we will be revealing in this tutorial.

One example of the need to access the Library Folder on Mac would be to rebuild the Database Files in the Library Folder, in order to fix Launchpad related issues like Apps Missing From Launchpad or deleted Apps showing up in the Launchpad.

Before going ahead with the steps to Access the Hidden Library Folder on your Mac, you need to be aware that ~/Library Folder contains important Data and Files related to Mac User Accounts.

Hence, make sure that you are accessing the Library Folder for a good reason and you do know as to what you are trying to achieve.

Access Hidden Library Menu Option On Mac

Follow the steps below to access the Hidden Library Menu option on your Mac.

1. Left-click your mouse anywhere on the screen of your Mac. This will reveal the Go Option in the top menu bar of your Mac. You can also click on the Finder Icon in the Dock of your Mac to activate the Go Option.

2. Next, click on the Go option in the top menu-bar of your Mac.

3. While you are still on the Go option, press and hold the Option key on your Mac and then click on the Library option that appears when you press down the Option Key.

Note: Press the Alt Key in case you are using a Windows keyboard with your Mac.

4. Clicking on the Library Menu option will take you straight to the Library Folder on your Mac.

Access Library Folder On Mac Using “Go to Folder” Option

Another way to access the Library Folder on your Mac is by using the Folder Option on your Mac.

1. Left-click your mouse anywhere on the screen of your Mac to reveal the Go Option in the top menu bar. You can also click on the Finder Icon in the Dock of your Mac to activate the Go option.

2. Next, click on the Go option from the top menu-bar on your Mac and then click on Go to Folder… option in the drop-down menu (See image below).

3. In the search window that appears, type ~/Library, and click on the Go button.

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Change photo library location mac. This will immediately take you to the Library Folder on your Mac.

Permanently Unhide the Library Menu Option On Mac

You can permanently unhide the Library Menu Option in the top-menu bar on your Mac by using the Terminal Command. The process is reversible and you can easily go back to the default hidden Library Menu Setting by using the Terminal command once again.

1. Click on the Finder icon in the dock of your Mac to activate the Go option in the top Menu bar of your Mac.

2. Next, click on the Go option in the top menu-bar and then click on the Utilities option in the drop-down menu.

3. On the Utilities window, open the Terminal App by clicking on it.

4. Next, type chflags nohidden ~/Library/ and Press the Enter key to submit your command for execution.

Once the command is executed, you will see the Library Option clearly visible and permanently unhidden in the top menu-bar of your Mac.

As mentioned above, you can always go back to the default hidden Library option on your Mac by executing a simple command in the Command Prompt Window.

1. To hide the Library option, type chflags hidden ~/Library/ in the Command prompt window (See image below)

2. After typing the Command, hit the Enter key on the Keyboard of your Mac to execute this Command.

Once the Command is executed, you will see the Library Menu option becoming hidden.

Your home folder contains many files and folders that apps on your Mac have permission to read or modify. If you use Get Info or other methods to change those permissions, you could experience issues such as these:

  • Changes that you make in System Preferences aren't saved after you quit System Preferences.
  • Changes that you make to the Dock aren't saved after you log out of your user account.
  • Windows that were open the last time you logged out or quit an app (before you changed permissions) open again after you log in or open the app.
  • You're asked for an administrator name and password when moving certain items in the home folder.
  • You repeatedly get a message that macOS needs to repair your Library to run applications.
  • When saving changes to an item, you get a message that the file is locked or you don't have permission to save.
  • Preview, TextEdit, or other sandboxed apps unexpectedly quit when opened.
  • You get an alert that the startup disk has no more space available for application memory.
  • Activity Monitor shows that Safari or SafariDAVClient is using a large amount of system resources.
  • Your Mac performs slowly.
  • iTunes says that your device cannot be synced.
  • Photos and videos that you import into Photos or iPhoto don't appear within the app, but do appear in Finder. Or your library needs to be updated or reselected each time you open Photos or iPhoto.

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Reset permissions

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If the issue started after changing the permissions of items in your home folder , use these steps to reset permissions.

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  1. Turn on or restart your Mac, then immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R to start up from macOS Recovery.
  2. You might be prompted to enter a password, such as a firmware password or the password of a user who is an administrator of this Mac. Enter the requested password to continue.
  3. When you see the macOS Utilities window, choose Utilities > Terminal from the menu bar.
  4. Type repairHomePermissions in the Terminal window, then press Return. The Repair Home app opens.
  5. Select your user account, click Next, then enter your administrator password. Click Next unlock the volume and begin resetting permissions on your home directory.
  6. When done, click Exit to return to the macOS Utilities window.
  7. Select Reinstall macOS, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall macOS.

If the issue persists

If resetting permissions doesn't resolve the issue:

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  1. Make sure that you have a backup of your Mac, then erase your startup disk.
  2. When done, reinstall macOS.
  3. After installation completes and your Mac restarts to the setup assistant, create a new user account using a different name than the one you were using before. Any difference in spelling is enough.
  4. If you made a Time Machine backup, use Migration Assistant to restore all your files from the backup.
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