Apple fixes hidden '/Users' folder bug introduced in OS X 10.9.3 with iTunes update
AppleInsider Staff
Apple on Friday released a minor version update to its iTunes content management software for Mac, bringing a fix for the recently discovered bug introduced in OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 that inadvertently hides the "/Users" folder.
Apple's iTunes 11.2.1 carries the same release notes as version iTunes 11.2, which was released on Thursday alongside the latest OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 maintenance update.
Not listed among the modifications, version 11.2.1 contains a fix for a bug discovered in the Mac operating system that hides the system's "/Users" folder at the top level of an affected machine's hard drive.
The issue is easily solved with the routine Terminal command sudo chflags nohidden /Users, while a less permanent fix can be had by using the following method:
- Open a Finder window and select the "Go" menu, then choose "Go to Folder"
- Once the dialog appears, type "/Users" (without quotes) and click the "Go" button
- Control-click on the "/Users" folder and select "Make Alias"
In either case, the new iTunes 11.2.1 release appears to patch the bug for users experiencing the issue. The latest iTunes version can be downloaded for free via Software Update. No restart is required for the change to occur, suggesting the update automatically modifies the sudo command.
Wesley Hilliard
William Gallagher
Andrew Orr
Malcolm Owen
29 Comments
/Users is still hidden after this update on my server. Rebooting afterward had no apparent effect either.
So I downloaded the .dmg from Apple and "manually" installed a second time. That fixed it.
How absolutely intriguing that Apple could turn around a bug fix within 24 hours of the initial release of iTunes 11.2! This tells me two things. First, the bug was an easy fix. Second, Apple is clearly committed to iTunes and Mac OS X functioning as they should. And while this is gratifying, I must admit my frustration with Apple not fixing bugs like the memory leak in Aperture 3.5.1 that have persisted for months. We're talking about an issue critical to the workflow of many photography professionals. Many have left Aperture because this bug triggers kernel panics and crashes. And we haven't heard a word from Apple, notwithstanding extensive threads in Apple's support forum. I guess it's all a matter of what Apple considers a priority.
The issue is easily solved with the routine Terminal command
sudo chflags nohidden /Users, while a less permanent fix can be had by using the following method:Yet again AI gets this wrong.
The chflags workaround is removed at every reboot.
The alias/symlink workaround is persistent through reboots.
It is best if AI readers do not read this site for technical information, but simply for rumors and gossip.
I can confirm that the iTunes 11.2.1 update fixes the /Users and /Users/Shared folders issue. Both are now visible again.
Yet again AI gets this wrong.
The chflags workaround is removed at every reboot.
The alias/symlink workaround is persistent through reboots.
It is best if AI readers do not read this site for technical information, but simply for rumors and gossip.
What’s the point? The just released update to iTunes fixes the issue.