InDesign CC Start-up Error: "...lack sufficient permissions to access the preferences folders"

[creatorii]

InDesign CC

Having successfully installed many CC apps on my Mac Pro Desktop, I proceeded to do the same on my laptop. However, after two attempts at uninstalling and re-downloading both InDesign CC and the Creative Cloud Desktop. When starting up InDesign, I repeatedly get this error message: "Error: Unable to launch Adobe InDesign as you lack sufficient permissions to access the preferences folders. Ensure that you have appropriate permissions and then restart Adobe InDesign." and can go no further.

I can find no instruction on how to do this, or reference to anyone else getting this error.

MacBook Pro

17-inch, Late 2011

Processor  2.5 GHz Intel Core i7

Memory  8 GB 1333 MHz DDR3

Graphics  AMD Radeon HD 6770M 1024 MB

Software  Mac OS X Lion 10.7.5

[Guest]

I love you. If it wasn't for you, it still wouldn't have worked for me. Thank you so much that you mentioned the cache folder option!

[mwillems]

Simple enough: http://www.speedlighter.ca/2016/03/23/huge-adobe-bug/

What astonishes me is that Adobe allows a fatal (no startup!) bug to continue. WOW.

[TTippens]

Thank you for posting this, I have avoided using In Design for the past 1.5 years, now thanks to you I have it working again!

Appreciate it & Adobe, please fix!

[kaylynnk]

This is kind of ridiculous Adobe, users should not have to go through all of that just to have an app work. Please fix asap. Thanks Creatorii for the post!

[djulius92]

Try holding CTRL + SHIFT + ALT while simultaneously opening the program. This will reset all of your permissions and put everything back to default. Note:  It may erase all previous preferences and settings.

[paulocarneirodg]

Problem solved, thank you a lot = )

[lizs91478452]

Thank you!!!!

[k8slotover]

Thanks so much for posting that. I followed the instructions and it worked

[colinl61324947]

Helped a lot thank you!

[toddk_nexon]

Came here looking for a solution and conclusion did not work for me. After more investigation it seems my computer was not applying the correct preferences to enclosing folders. When I applied the changes and viewed the enclosed folder it didn't have the correct permissions. I then tried this: Resolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder - Apple Support and it seems to have resolved my issues. YMMV

[gary_london]

Nothing above worked for me until I tried the Apple Support thing mentioned here by toddk_nexon. Now it works. Thanks a million!!!

(iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch 2017, 3.4GHz Intel Core i5, 16GB 2400MHz DDR4, OS 10.13.2 High Sierra)

[deblaferty]

After trying all of the other fixes listed here, without success, this Home + Terminal permissions fix did fix my issue. Thank you.

Resolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder - Apple Support

[claudias13192174]

Everything else failed for me but this worked!!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!  

[Ethantrey]

Thanks for sharing! This is what worked for me even after trying the above options.

[wh1chkraft]

@toddk_nexon -- your suggestion worked for me after the previous few methods didn't solve my issue.  Thanks a million!

[jiajiajiayin]

thank you!!! this solved my problem, i've tried the main answer's methods didn't work for me.

[gcc120]

Thank you, toddk_nexon! I was getting an error applying Adobe-recommended permissions to folders, but resetting as described on the Apple page worked.

[MadH3AD]

Thank you very. That worked finally.

[Andreamayhirji]

This worked for me, thanks for posting the link to the apple support page.

toddk_nexon​, you're a real hero!

[bethanyp60707146]

It was only the Apple Support fixes that worked for me. Found the rest time consuming and useless. Glad they worked for some, though. I find it appalling that Adobe hasn't fixed this bug yet, though.

Resolve issues caused by changing the permissions of items in your home folder - Apple Support

[Warren Heaton]

Thank you for having shared this!  The error came up after changing Creative Cloud accounts and the "Answered" instructions changed what could have been a very long delay into a 15 minutes delay.

-Warren

[paKOBRA]

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/kb/preferences-folder-read-only-issue.html

The above link sorted me out - windows based. The trick is to create the folders even if they don't exist. Or if you unwittingly deleted them by following other's advice. I replaced the lowest folder first and it worked immediately after that. For language I just used "english" and it worked.

I hope you find this out sooner than I did. Spent a good afternoon uninstalling and reinstalling Indesign.