Set File Permissions On Any File

Hey guys, this is Mac Heads 101. This is a video on how to set file permissions on any file through Finder. First of all, you want to click the file you want to set the file permissions on and then press Apple + I. This file info screen will come up; it'll have the info for your file.

Um, then you can open up sharing options. Now let me explain what file permissions are. They basically say what user is allowed to do what with this file. A user can read, read/write, read/execute, and write. Um, so what we want to do is uncheck or unlock this by clicking the lock. Then you want to log in.

So, okay, so now I've done that. Now you see here's something—it says Mac Heads on along, which is my user, can read and write. Staff can read only, everyone can read only. Say I don't want everyone to be able to read this file. What I want to do is take this and say no access. So now everyone won't have any access.

I can say read and write so that everyone can read and write to this file, but I don't want them to, so I'll say no access. Staff— the only options are read only and read and write. That means that anyone who works for Apple can read all your files; you don't want this happening. You can click staff and then click the minus button just to delete staff.

In Mac Heads 101, you can set read/write and read only. I've just made my user not be able to read or write to this file, so if I do this and I try to save, it will say this file is locked. That's because I'm not allowed to write to it. I don't have the permissions.

Okay, so what we want to do is click add, and this is to make another user get access to this file. Say we want my user, Alex Nichol, to be able to edit this file too. What you want to do is add and then select the user. I'll just select Alex Nichol. So now I'm sharing this file with Alex Nichol.

I've set Alex so he can read only, and I'll first of all set myself to read and write, and I'll set Alex to read and write. So now both me and Alex can edit the file. Say I want him to only be able to read. Okay, so now Alex is the only one who can read, and I can read and write.

So, um, this is cool; this is how to set file permissions basically. So, um, you've set these file permissions through Terminal. You won't be able to edit this file; no way can you edit this file unless you boot into single user mode or you know the root password.

Root, I will remind you, can edit any file or access any file or do anything with any file. So this is just a way to secure your files, and maybe your administrator, your network administrator, might be in here. If you work for a company, you can just delete him; he doesn't need to read all your files.

So, um, thank you for watching Mac Heads 101. Subscribe and goodbye.