Error -54 can infrequently seem while you edit your Apple Tune Library in your Mac. Here is tips on how to get previous the problem and again to taking note of your song.
Should you use Apple’s Tune app on macOS, you’ll have encountered error -54 sometimes. This mistake can happen based on a number of movements in Tune:
- When including or doing away with recordsdata on your Tune Library
- When including or modifying document metadata in Get Information home windows in Tune
- When syncing your Tune Library to iOS units
Within the first two instances, error -54 is sort of at all times associated with permissions mistakes at the recordsdata or folders in your Mac’s garage instrument. This may come with permissions on recordsdata themselves or on their containing folders.
Actually, the -54 error is without doubt one of the oldest mistakes within the Macintosh filesystem relationship again many years as first documented in Apple’s guide Inside of Macintosh: Information:
permErr = -54, /*permissions error (on document open)*/
This can be a basic document permission error which means an operation on a document or folder could not be finished as a result of filesystem permissions are fighting it.
As an example, in Tune, when you drag recordsdata or folders containing recordsdata from the Finder into the Apple Tune app’s primary window, you’ll have noticed error -54 crop up. The similar error can occur infrequently if you choose recordsdata in Tune’s primary window after which hit the Delete key or make a selection “Delete from Library” from Tune’s contextual popup menu by means of Keep watch over-clicking on an merchandise.
Get Information
You might also have noticed error -54 when you choose a document in Tune’s primary window and take a look at to edit its metadata by the use of the Get Information window:
Tune’s Get Information window for modifying document metadata.
That is most often the similar factor as above: locked recordsdata, folders, or permissions mistakes on the ones pieces within the filesystem.
To mend either one of the above mistakes, you’ll be able to wish to substitute the permissions within the Finder. Then you definitely return to Tune and upload or take away your recordsdata or re-open the Get Information window and edit the recordsdata’ metadata once more.
Tune’s Get Information metadata editor window.
To take action in Tune, Keep watch over-click or right-click the pieces whose permissions you wish to have to mend, then make a selection “Display in Finder” from the context popup menu. macOS will transfer to Finder and disclose the recordsdata you decided on.
Subsequent, make a selection a number of of the printed recordsdata in Finder, then Keep watch over-click on them and make a selection “Get Information from the Finder’s popup menu. This opens the Finder’s Get Information window.
Make a choice “Get Information” from the Finder popup menu.
If it’s not already proven within the Get Information window, flip the small arrow to the left of the Sharing & Permissions phase on the backside to show the permissions pane.
A small lock icon seems on the backside of this pane, within the decrease appropriate nook. Click on it and input your admin password to free up the permissions pane:
Sharing & Permissions pane in Finder’s Get Information window.
Now substitute the highest merchandise (“Me”) to Learn & Write by means of clicking at the most sensible line below the “Privilege” label. Shut the Get Information window. You’ll be able to repeat those steps on each and every document, or on a folder containing pieces in Finder.
You’ll be able to inform if a folder is locked or lacks write permissions by means of opening the folder and having a look within the lower-left nook for the pencil icon with a slash via it. If you are now not appearing a folder’s Toolbar then the pencil icon would possibly seem within the window’s higher appropriate or decrease appropriate nook.
The locked folder icon in Finder.
Now you’ll be able to return to the Apple Tune app and take a look at your operation once more. Notice in relation to modifying document metadata in Get Information home windows in Tune you’ll have to near any open Get Information home windows and re-open them for the permissions adjustments to take impact.
Syncing
From time to time you may even see the similar -54 error while you attempt to sync your Tune Library to an iOS instrument. That is most often within the type of an error reminiscent of:
“The iPhone [device name] can’t be synced. An unknown error happened (-54).”
This will also be brought about by means of the similar permissions mistakes as above, or different issues reminiscent of the objective instrument being complete, a nasty USB cable or volatile cable connection, or different issues. Apple technote HT205597 additionally says this may occur in case your Apple Tune folder comprises recordsdata in numerous places inside of the Tune folder on disk.
On this case, you’ll be able to wish to surrender Apple Tune, consolidate your recordsdata on your Apple Tune folder, then open Apple Tune and take a look at once more. You could wish to take away and re-add the entire pieces in Tune prior to you do that.
By way of default Apple Tune shops recordsdata within the person’s /Tune/Media folder – however this location will also be modified in Apple Tune’s Settings window.
Backup and repair
Should you nonetheless can not get to the bottom of error -54 after attempting the entire above, there may be one latch ditch resolution: again up all of your Tune folder, delete it out of your Mac, and re-add all its content material to Apple Tune.
To take action, again up your person’s Tune folder from the Tune folder to an exterior garage instrument, delete all the Tune folder, restart your Mac, then run the Apple Tune app once more. This forces Tune to create a brand new Tune folder within the person folder with proper permissions.
After all, replica the contents of your backed-up Tune folder into the newly created Tune folder within the person folder, then open the Apple Tune app and re-add all of your content material.
In case your backed-up content material nonetheless has permissions locks on it, make sure you free up the whole thing first the usage of the stairs above prior to copying the recordsdata again on your Mac’s person Tune folder.
Complicated: substitute document permissions in Terminal
Clearly, when you’ve got a large number of Tune content material, resetting each and every document or folder’s document permissions in Finder Get Information home windows will also be reasonably time-consuming. One choice is to make use of Terminal to batch-change document and folder permissions.
Be warned: converting document permissions in Terminal is robust and in case you are now not cautious you’ll be able to injury the instrument in your Mac and even delete recordsdata unwittingly.
To bulk-change document permissions in Terminal you utilize the chmod and chgrp instructions.
chmod is brief for substitute document modes and chgrp is brief for substitute staff. You’ll be able to learn extra about tips on how to use each in Terminal by means of typing guy adopted by means of an area, adopted by means of both command title, after which urgent Go back in your keyboard.
To make use of chmod or chgrp you’ll be able to wish to find out about UNIX document and staff permissions which we may not get into right here.
Suffice it to mention each and every document or folder in UNIX has an proprietor, a gaggle, and 3 units of permissions: proprietor, staff, and everybody or “international” permissions.
In Terminal, when you sort ls -l and press Go back whilst in any folder, Terminal will checklist all recordsdata and folders and their permissions within the Terminal window:
Checklist the usage of ls -l to checklist folder contents in macOS’s Terminal app.
At the a long way left are the 3 units of permissions for each and every merchandise in a folder: proprietor, staff, and everybody. If an merchandise has a “d” to the a long way left it way it is a listing as an alternative of a document or alias.
Permissions on each and every merchandise for each and every of the 3 sorts will also be any aggregate of “rwx” which means that “learn, “write”, or “execute”. There are 3 units of them indexed, so as in Terminal for the 3 sorts discussed above.
If any of those permissions shows a “-” it implies that permission is grew to become off.
The use of the chmod and chgrp instructions you’ll be able to substitute those units of permissions in Terminal. Those are successfully the similar permissions as proven within the Sharing & Permissions pane in Finder Get Information home windows.
You’ll be able to additionally use the ls command with out the -l flag to show a folder’s record in Terminal with simply the thing names with out the entire permissions information.
Error -54 is largely a document permission error within the filesystem and by means of the usage of quite a lot of way to reset the permissions you must be capable to get to the bottom of it with out an excessive amount of hassle.
