Library

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:

Apr 23, 2012  I just noticed that my Library folder is missing from my home folder. I have the one on my hard drive but not in the home folder. I did a search for it and cannot find it. I went into Time Machine and found it way back in November of 2011.it did not show up after that. Jan 12, 2020  Launch Terminal, located in /Applications/Utilities. Enter the following command at the Terminal prompt: Press Return. Once the command executes, you can quit Terminal. The Library folder will now be visible in the Finder. Should you ever wish to set the Library folder back. Access Hidden Library Menu Option On Mac. 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. Next, click on the Go option in the top menu-bar of your Mac. While you are still on the Go option, press and hold the Option. May 30, 2019  Despite the fact that Apple keeps the Mac Library folder hidden from users, it’s good to learn how to show the Library folder on Mac. You may need to access the Library folder when you need to clear cache, remove the app’s leftovers, edit preference files manually, etc.

  • 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.

Reset permissions

Dec 12, 2016  And remember, the system level /Library folder is different from the user level /Library. How to Access User Library in MacOS Mojave, macOS Catalina, and MacOS Sierra. If you don’t need to constantly show the /Library folder on the Mac, you can just.

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

  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:

Library Folder Disappeared Mac Pro

  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.