04-09-2004, 01:13 PM

Hey. I just got my powerbook last night, and I've been playing with it since.

I have been browsing on this forum for about a month now but never bothered to register, but now that I have registered, I have a very important query.

This might sound stupid, but how can I cut and paste a file? I have file X in directory DIR. Now when I select X and click edit, it doesnt have an option to cut, just copy. What I have been doing since last night is copying files and pasting them. This takes quite a bit of time. I was wondering if it is possible to "move" files instead of duplicating them. The files are read and write (not read only).

Another query is that when I copy back all my backed up files from CDs to the hard drive, they are copied as 'read-only'. I want to change the attributes to 'Read and Write' - basically full access. When i right click the file and select 'Get Info' I can change the files attributes. But I have to do this INDIVDUALLY for all files. :eek: Meaning I can't change a folder to 'Read and Write' and expect all the files inside it to change attributes similarly. Why is this?

Please help me! I am finding MAC pretty cool but these little things are starting to annoy me!!! :mad:

Thanks for reading.

04-09-2004, 01:30 PM

Cut and paste: command C to copy command V to paste. If you are new to Mac and don't use Mac Janitor:
repair permissions. After every software update, and about every 2 weeks: close all apps and log totally off. Log on, go in Finder, Applications. Utilities, Disk Utility. After the message -getting disk information- select volume (below the hard drive name -upper left corner). Just highlight it. Now look to the lower two things are there near the middle, verify permissions, repair permissions. Click repair permissions. Also make sure you run cron tasks Finder, Applications. Utilities Terminal type (switching to root - superuser) sudo sh /etc/daily > this needs to be done /weekly (instead of daily) and monthly. again with all apps closed.
Setting permissions for disks, folders, and files
To control access to your important information, Mac OS X automatically sets permissions for disks, folders, and files. You can change these permissions for an item using the Info window in the Finder.
Mac OS X provides distinct permissions for three types of users:

The "owner" of the item, which is usually the name of the person who created the item, or yourself
Any member of the group assigned to the item by Mac OS X
Any other user with access to the computer

There are four levels of permission:
Read & Write allows a user to open the item to see its contents and change it.
Read Only allows a user to open the item to see its contents, but not change the contents or copy them.
Write Only makes a folder into a drop box. Users can copy items to the drop box, but cannot open the item to see its contents. Only the owner of the drop box can open the drop box to take items out of it.
No Access blocks all access to the item so that users can't open the item, change its contents, or copy its contents.

Select the item you want to set permissions for, then choose File > Get Info and click Ownership & Permissions, if necessary.
Choose a permission for yourself from the pop-up menu. If the menu is dimmed, you don't have permissions to change this setting.
To change permissions for the owner, group, or others, click Detail. If necessary, click the lock icon and, when prompted, enter the name and password of an administrator user of your computer.
Choose permissions for each type of user from the Access pop-up menus.

The pop-up menu at the top of the Ownership & Permissions pane tells you the access privileges you have for the selected item. If you are the owner, you can use this menu to change your access privileges.

If you want to apply the same permissions to every item contained in the selected folder or disk, click "Apply to enclosed items". You can find more answers like this in Open Finder - select Mac Help from the top menu bar More Mac keyboard commands: http://www.macinstein.com/commandkey.cfm

04-09-2004, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by witeshark

If you want to apply the same permissions to every item contained in the selected folder or disk, click "Apply to enclosed items".

That "Apply to enclosed items" was the thing I was after. Cheers mate!!


ps- still trying to understand what the first bit was.... I will figure it out eventually though :cool:

04-09-2004, 03:44 PM

If you mean from the directory/folder on down. Then you will have to change it at the command line, using the terminal application.

04-09-2004, 08:57 PM

If you just click and drag, files will move.

But here's something cool, if you hold down the 'option' key while you click and drag, Mac will copy instead... =)

04-09-2004, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Seeker

If you just click and drag, files will move.

But here's something cool, if you hold down the 'option' key while you click and drag, Mac will copy instead... =)

My concern is moving files, and not copying them... and clicking and dragging doesn't work on a mac :confused:
What essentially happens is that I click the folder, drag it to another folder. When I release the mouse button, the folder just drops back into the original folder

Anyone got a clue whats going on? How do u guys move files? I've done that repair permissions bit suggested earlier. It still doesnt work.

04-10-2004, 05:11 PM

Finally I found it on the Apple Support Site. Cut and Paste is actually Command + Drag and drop. Similarly Copy and Paste is Option + Drag and drop (as mentioned by Seeker earlier). Woohoo!!

04-10-2004, 08:39 PM

mmz odd I tried command + drag and drop doesn't work for me

whereas just simple drag and drop moves files...

oh well glad tt it works for you now =)

maybe remember to update your software too?

04-10-2004, 09:30 PM

When you just-plain-drag a file the OD decides what to do - as I understand it, if the 2 locations are on the same drive, the file is moved; if they're on different drives, it copies. (This is the same as Windows, by the way.)

04-11-2004, 03:08 AM

Yeah, I was playing around with all these commands earlier. If you want to copy and paste within the same folder, just click, hit option, drag, and release clicker (still holding option). Otherwise just click and drag to cut and paste.

04-11-2004, 09:31 AM

Nice!