ID 2018 opening files as read only

[In Color Design]

-ID 2018

-Mac OS High sierra 10.13.4

-2 Imacs (one 2012, one 2017)

-external hard drive connected (USB) to 1 iMac where the files in question are located. The other iMac accesses the files over a network via wired ethernet.

Randomly, ID files open as read only on one or the other iMac.

Renaming the files seem to make them accessible again for a short time, sometimes a long time. Renamed files open read only again even on the iMac that renamed the file and is connected directly to the hard drive where the files are located.

[Mike Witherell]

How is your file sharing set up? What protocols?

[In Color Design]

Not too technical with networking, but here's what I think you're asking for:

Everything is set to automatic in the network prefs.

Configure IPV4=Using DHCP.

Sharing is on.

I've even gone as far as setting all the involved folders to "shared folder" in the get info panel for the folders.

I should add one thing to my previous post: this appears to have started when we introduced a new router to our set up.

I also just performed the following test:

1. shut down both iMacs.

2. power off router for 30 seconds.

3. turn router back on.

4. power up iMacs.

I can now open the same file that was opening as read only (which prompted this thread).

[Mike Witherell]

Also, how is your external drive formatted? It should be "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" or EXFAT.

[In Color Design]

yes, "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)"

[Mike Witherell]

When in doubt, reboot everything!

[In Color Design]

Yeah, but rebooting every 30 minutes (or less) is not an option.

Here's another twist.

The read only problem came back and I started wondering if it was related to Bridge freezing up (frequently). So I clicked off bridge and clicked back on bridge to activate it again. Then I simply renamed the file in bridge (added a 1 to the file name) and double-clicked and the file opened fine, no read only.

This tells me it's probably not a network issue? (thoughts?)

This may be related to the bridge issue. On both iMacs bridge just stops responding quite frequently until we click off and click back on bridge. I wonder if, when the file is saved when bridge is in this state, it causes the problem?

[Mike Witherell]

this appears to have started when we introduced a new router to our set up

The problem might be the new router. What kind is it?

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

It sounds like you have four pieces of equipment: the new router, 2 iMacs, and the USB external drive that's wired to one of the iMacs.

Some software and//or hardware  is required to control access to the USB external drive, setting the protocols and allowing workstations to access the files. Often called "permissions" that allow a person (login and password) or computer (different login and password) to grab a file. If the permissions aren't set high enough, they prevent "writing" to a file, and make it read only.

Given that this is an elementary setup, the permissions could have been set on the iMac. Also could be controlled by the router via its "Access Control" software settings.

Do you remember where/when/how you set the settings of your router? If so, go back and see what is set there as to who can access the files and what their login/password should be.

Another reason why files become read-only is when the permissions aren't released after the file is no longer being viewed. Remember, only one person can have "write" permissions to a file, but many people can have "read" permissions to it at the same time. Sometimes systems hang and don't release the write permissions once the file is closed by someone.

Suggestion: if this a work-releated mini-server setup, I encourage you to set up a real NAS (network attached storage). DiskStation by Synology is one of the better brands. For a few hundred bucks, it's a small box that sits on a shelf and has all the software you need to set security, permissions, logins, passwords, etc. All computers can access the NAS via the network.

[ChrisJones3344]

we use Adobe extensively and we still have File lock issues, it even says Read-Only.  And we use Synology Diskstation.  We connect using SMB3 and no connecting by AFP.  We set users permissions and we still have issues.  We have been using the Synology NAS for about 3 years and this is the issue we had from the beginning.