macOS: Prevent Overwriting Files by Locking Them

Macworld recently shared an article explaining the difference between Locked files and other file permissions. By locking a file, it’s possible to stop your system from overwriting files, if you have a few that need to remain unchanged.

[Review: Using Commander One as a Mac Finder Replacement]

Stop Overwriting Files with a Lock

If you choose Get Info on a particular file you can lock it.

Image of Get Info. Check the box next to Locked to stop apps from overwriting files.

  1. Select a file and press Command (⌘) + I, or go to File > Get Info from the menu bar.
  2. Check the box next to Locked.

This will prevent apps from overwriting the file. Additionally, if you accidentally delete the file, it will stay in Trash because macOS can’t empty the Trash if it has a locked file inside. Keep in mind thought that if you sync these files with iCloud Drive, the “locked” property doesn’t get transferred.

[macOS: How to Quickly View Hidden Files and Folders in Finder]

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.