Ligthroom Classic and CC Permission Issues on macOS Sonoma

[turisma]

I have a weird issue with both Lightroom and Lightroom Classic.

Lightroom seems to have permission-related issues on macOS Sonoma.

I last used Lightrooms in December or early January, and it was ok. Suddenly, it's broken.

- Lightroom Classic sees any catalog (even backups stored in NAS) as corrupted

- I can't create a new catalog in a default location (~user/Pictures/)

- I can create a new catalog outside a default location, and then it works

- Sometimes the error says simply that Lightroom has no access to (~user/Pictures) - even if it has all needed permissions in macOS settings and even extra ones, I would say 🙂

- A 2-hour-long remote session with an Adobe technician didn't help solve that problem

- Lightroom CC stopped showing my photos stored in the cloud

- Add Photos button is disabled in Lightroom CC

I tried to clean my Mac manually using AppCleaner / CleanMyMac, but nothing helped.

I also ran a script to fix some permissions but had no luck here.

Now it's even worse - I installed the whole Adobe CC from scratch (again), and Lightroom displays an internal error as it can't save the library file. I managed to change the path, but no luck again (press ESC when the error dialog appears – clicking the button will close the whole app).

 

 

 

 

 

[GoldingD]

• The hard drive you want to place that catalog in, is that the internal drive that came with your MacBook, or an external drive?
• If an external drive, what make/model?
• If an External drive, and you look at it's properties (information), anything odd?

[JohanElzenga]

@GoldingD It's the internal hard disk.

[turisma]

It's an internal default drive in my MacBook.

[JohanElzenga]

Looks like your Pictures folder may have the wrong permissions. Lightroom can have 'full disk access', but that does not mean it can override such permissions. Select your Pictures folder and then type Cmd-i. Make a screenshot of the dialog and post it here.

BTW: Lightroom Classic cannot run with a catalog on a NAS, so the fact that the backup on the NAS does not work is as expected.

[turisma]

Yes, that's what I've learned already 😞

As for the catalog on NAS, I know - I use it to store my RAW files and backups of the catalog in case something happens to my MacBook.

What I meant in my original post was that I copied a backup from NAS and then tried to open it from the Pictures folder.

[turisma]

 

[turisma]

Update: I gave "read & write" permission to everyone, myself, and the administrator - it didn't help. LR still can't access this folder.

[JohanElzenga]

Update: I gave "read & write" permission to everyone, myself, and the administrator - it didn't help. LR still can't access this folder.

By @turisma

If you try that, then don't forget to use the 'Apply to all enclosed items' menu I described in my other post. Only changing the permissions of the folder itself won't work.

[turisma]

After all those trials, I feel like there is a mess. I need to use Lightroom this weekend, so I'm preparing to install a clean macOS Sonoma, and I will try to use a backup through Time Machine.

Before that, I will create a new macOS user to see if that issue is connected to my account or a global problem.

However, it might happen again in the future with any updates, so I'm looking for the answers and not closing this subject 🙂 I see that others have similar issues.

[JohanElzenga]

Trying if Lightroom Classic works in another user account is always a good idea. Your Pictures folder has the correct permissions, but it is possible that some subfolders don't. Try this. Click on the padlock and fill in your Mac password to get access to the permissions. Then click on the three dots and choose 'Apply to enclosed items'. That will ensure that all folders inside the Pictures folder have these same permissions.

[turisma]

I did that - it didn't help. Sorry that I didn't mention that in the comment.

[JohanElzenga]

Well, then I am out of ideas too. Maybe reinstalling MacOS will indeed solve this. You could run Lightroom Classic with its catalog in another folder (there is no law that says you must use the Pictures folder), but Lightroom is hard-wired to store its library in the Pictures folder, so if you want to use that too, then you don't have a choice and must solve this one way or another.

[turisma]

Update: I created a tester user with admin rights, which works like magic. Both Lightrooms Classic and CC are opening with no issues. LR Classic opens any catalog from the Pictures folder with no problem.

So, is there a way to fix my main account? Probably, it's something with permissions. I have tried Disk Utility a few times and the option to fix permissions in the CleanMyMac app. Nothing helped.

Is anyone from Adobe or Apple here? 🙂

[Jao vdL]

You really do not want to use apps like clean my Mac. They do more damage than good. I've had to fix several friends and family machines messed up by these cleaner apps. It would be very hard to help fix your user account from a distance like this since so many things could be wrong. I would just create a new one and migrate files to it and delete the old account.

[turisma]

Since I use macOS, I never used a similar tool – only on Windows machines. However, I never experienced anything terrible after using them. It's not the tool but the user that can misuse it.

However, I used it only as a last resort, so I don't think it worsened the situation.

Also, I guess there are too many factors for anyone to help without seeing the system remotely or in person.

Clean installation is the best choice for me, I reckon.