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Renaming attachments not working

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:15 am
by tonywatkins
I've noticed that I have a number of attachment called things like 'Anonymous 580.pdf", "Internet source 343.pdf", "ContentServer 678.pdf", etc. I realise that this is a result of me importing something that I didn't want renamed, then importing something else without remembering to change the setting in the import window back to rename. I know it doesn’t much matter, but I'd rather the files were names correctly, so I decided to find the reference for each in Bookends and use 'rename attachment' from the attachment gear menu to update them.

However, when I do so, it doesn't work. I've now been through this for half a dozen or so files. For example, I've just tried to rename an attachment this way, and Bookends correctly suggested that it should be renamed as "Nightingale and Cromby 2002". What happens though is that Bookends then displays in the attachment preview pane "Can't find file Nightingale and Cromby 2002.pdf". When I look in the Bookends attachment folder, this file still has its original name. If I rename it manually, I have to enter my password to give permission (the attachments are in the Bookends iCloud folder). Once I've done so, Bookends will display the attachment correctly (once I've gone off the reference and back on again to refresh it). Bookends seems to be just updating its pointer to the attachment file, but not the attachment itself.

This has never happened before yesterday, though it's a little while since I last renamed an attachment from within Bookends. Any suggestions, please?

Re: Renaming attachments not working

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:26 am
by tonywatkins
I've just realised why I need to enter my password: I recently started using Path Finder in place of Finder, and I presume a third-party app displaying files from ~/Library/Mobile Documents/ is not allowed to rename without being given permission?

But I doubt that Path Finder would prevent the renaming of an attachment from within Bookends would it?

(Incidentally, Path Finder wouldn't even show the existence of the Bookends folder in iCloud Drive. I had to navigate to it in ~/Library/Mobile Documents/ and add it to my favourites.)

Re: Renaming attachments not working

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 6:42 am
by tonywatkins
I spoke too soon. Having just closed Path Finder and tried to rename another attachment, the same thing happened. I still had to authenticate when renaming the file manually in Finder, but I could at least use the fingerprint reader.

Re: Renaming attachments not working

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:37 am
by Jon
This sounds like permissions problems on your Mac, something that Bookends can't do anything about. You might try giving Bookends Full Disk Access in System Preferences and see if that helps.

Jon
Sonny Software

Re: Renaming attachments not working

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:07 am
by tonywatkins
Bookends already had full disk access. I revoked it and added it back again, but that made no difference. I have repaired disk permissions as well, which also has made no difference. I will need to do a full reinstall of OSX in the next few weeks, so I won't bother investigating this much further.

Re: Renaming attachments not working

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 11:09 am
by Jon
OK. If it still happens once you do, try moving the attachments folder out of iCloud Drive (and resetting the location in preferences) and see if that makes a difference.

Jon
Sonny Software