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Apple releases quick iTunes 11.2.1 bug fix to address hidden Users folder

Screen Shot 2014-05-16 at 11.20.28 PM

Apple released a minor bug fix for iTunes 11.2.1 tonight following yesterday’s release of iTunes 11.2 alongside OS X 10.9.3. The release notes echo yesterday’s updated features, but installing the update does indeed fix the hidden “/Users” folder many users were experiencing.

Apple has since shared the following explanation:

“Available for: Mac OS X v10.6.8 or later

Impact: A local user can compromise other local user accounts

Description: Upon each reboot, the permissions for the /Users and /Users/Shared directories would be set to world-writable, allowing modification of these directories. This issue was addressed with improved permission handling. For information on the general content of iTunes 11.2.1, see http://support.apple.com/kb/TS5434.”

I’ve tested tonight’s update on two machines with hidden Users folders and both became visible immediately after the update without requiring a reboot.

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Comments

  1. I don’t understand how an update to an application can affect the file system like that…

    • iTunes probably isn’t just another application. It’s probably integrated into the OS itself and thats why it can cause issues… but strange yes.

    • lkernan - 10 years ago

      I’m betting they wanted to hide a folder under the users folder and made a typo

    • Olivetti - 10 years ago

      There can be run preflight and/or postflight scripts in update packages, which could cause (and correcting) such problems.

    • William Robinson - 10 years ago

      But it wasn’t the iTunes update that caused the Users folder to be invisible, it was the 10.9.3 update. Why attach the fix to a 250MB download when a smaller patch could have done the job?

      • Edison Wrzosek - 10 years ago

        Wrong, it was the iTunes update, as multiple people on the forums that reported the problem had installed iTunes 11.2. Those who only installed OSX 10.9.3 without iTunes were unaffected.

  2. Avenged110 - 10 years ago

    Wow, that x.x.1 update even upgraded you to a Retina Display…

  3. Flurve Sageo - 10 years ago

    Yeah, I just saw the update, I only went over to 11.2 yesterday and I was shouting out expletives; I am mobile at the moment so no decent BB access, but I read its just a fix not a full load, and downloaded it, I was watching my users folder because 1) I noticed it had disappeared and 2) I read this article…needless to say, I actually saw the users folder magically reappear…What is it with Apple these days?

    • dcj001 - 10 years ago

      “What is it with Apple these days?”

      A software update made the Users folder disappear. Anyone who needs access to this folder should have known how to access it.

      Shortly thereafter, Apple resolved the issue.

      Do you always totally lose your composure when non-issues occur?

Author

Avatar for Zac Hall Zac Hall

Zac covers Apple news, hosts the 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcast, and created SpaceExplored.com.