Can not change file permissions to read & write

Hello,

I cam having trouble changing the file permissions of a file on my Macbook Pro. I am trying to change a file that is read only in the Mafia II (Game) data folder to read and write. I right click, go to "get info" and see it is fully locked (When i enter administrative privileges it still won't unlock).

I heard you can do this with the terminal forcefully but I do not know the correct command.

Can someone help me on this?

The file is obviously read only for a reason. Why do you need to make it read and write?

Because I am trying to put a replacement file in. I can not back the original file up. The reason it is locked is that Feral Interactive (Company that ported the game) does not want someone to accidentally mess it up. I know what I am doing though.

If you know what you're doing, create a Root account and do it from there. See the following Apple KB article: LINK

Ok, but will this work if the folder is data

chmod -R 0777 /Michael/Library/Application Support/Feral Interactive/data/

P.S. Will root access work if it is in my home folder?

My method didn't work, I will try what you did. Thanks for your help!

Let us know.... Logging on as Root should work. I've done that myself on occasion with stubborn files. I always keep a Root account on my Macs for that very reason.

Unfortunately it did not work and is still in read only. I tried unlocking it but it said you can only read and is completely locked even after entering administrative rights.

A few things:

1. If you have elevated privileges (root), you can do anything. If it's still read only afterwards, something is changing the permissions back.

2. 777 permissions are the last set of permissions you want to try from a security standpoint. Try something a little more sane like 660 or better yet 755.

3. The command you executed won't work because that path doesn't make any sense. Try the following:
Start there and let us know how it goes.

How would it look like if the path was Macintosh HD/Mafia2Data/Data/sds_en/gui/

It would look like the following: However, I very much doubt that the game is creating folders at the root level.

What instructions are you reading and what are you trying to accomplish?

chmod -R 755 ~Applications/Mafia II Director's Cut/Contents/Resources/Mafia2Data/Data/sds_en/gui did not work

Just to make sure, if Mafia2Data is a disk image, does this mean anything or does it act the same as a folder?

Computermichael said:

chmod -R 755 ~Applications/Mafia II Director's Cut/Contents/Resources/Mafia2Data/Data/sds_en/gui did not work

Click to expand...

That's not a valid directory - replace the "~" with a "/".

Computermichael said:

Just to make sure, if Mafia2Data is a disk image, does this mean anything or does it act the same as a folder?

Click to expand...

Absolutely. Disk images are mounted to /Volumes. Why are you running content from a disk image? Try installing it first.

Bump

Unfortunately 2k games decided to put the Data of the Game on a disk image instead of a folder. It is installed except it is on a disc image.

No application would expect you to have a disk image mounted to make use of content. You must have to copy the data folder somewhere.

What instructions are you reading? I'm having a difficult time understanding why 2K made the installation so difficult.

I will reword it better. The creators decided to put the data in a disk image for some reason. After downloading the software, the disk image was not meant to be touched and was in the Package Contents of the program. Attempting to move the disk image out will cause the game to not run. Therefore the only way I know of to change it to read and write would be to modify the disk image.

In other word's, the disk image is not the kind you get when installing a program but is instead a more rare kind that 2K used to put the data the game uses on.

Hope this helps

If the image is not meant to be manipulated, why are you trying to modify it? I'm having a difficult time trying to understand what it is that you're doing and why.

Because I would like to change a file so that it enables something that is disabled in normal means. Would copying all of the data onto a new one with the same name, deleting the old disk image and moving the new one in its original place work?

I am copying the disk image at this moment. I have changed the convert options to make it Read/Write and not Encrypted.