OS X 10.9.3 Bug Hides '/Users' Folder for Some Users [Updated]

Apple yesterday released OS X 10.9.3 with support for 4K displays, contact and calendar syncing improvements, and more. Many (but not all) users are, however, experiencing a bug in the update that hides the /Users folder.

The /Users folder is a top-level folder that contains the home folder and personal files for each user on a Mac. It's not clear why only some OS X users lose access to the /Users folder, but the inability to browse this folder could be problematic for some Mac owners affected by the glitch.

A range of solutions for the bug have been suggested with varying degrees of complexity, with perhaps the simplest noted by Kirk McElhearn and Chris Breen of Macworld:

Launch Terminal (/Applications/Utilities), enter "sudo chflags nohidden /Users", and press the Return key. You’ll be prompted for your user password. Enter it, press Return again, and the Users folder will be visible as it once was.

This solution is not, however, a permanent one, as the issue will reappear if the machine is restarted and the fix will need to be applied again.

Breen goes on to outline a more permanent solution that involves creating an AppleScript for running the Terminal command and saving it as an application to run at login.

users-folder-main
Another recommendation comes from The Loop's Dave Mark, who suggests creating an alias for the folder that will remain accessible even with the folder itself hidden.

For a more permanent solution, [after manually navigating to the hidden folder] control-click on the /Users folder and select Make Alias from the contextual menu that appears. Though the /Users folder will become hidden again when you close your Finder window, the alias will stick around.

For many users, the bug will not have a significant impact on their Mac usage, as they can still access their own home folders through shortcuts in the Finder sidebar. Consequently, some users who are not inconvenienced by the bug may prefer to simply wait for Apple to address it in a future update.

Update 10:30 AM PT: As noted by MacObserver, the issue may be caused by a combination of iTunes 11.2 and Find My Mac rather than OS X 10.9.3. The site tested each update released yesterday and found the /Users and /Users/Shared folders only disappeared after iTunes 11.2 was installed on a Mac with Find My Mac enabled.

Related Forum: OS X Mavericks

Top Rated Comments

mojolicious Avatar
128 months ago
It would be nice to hear something from Apple, would it not?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nunyabinez Avatar
128 months ago
HD on the desktop.
Wow. That's really old-school. Virtually pointless at this point. Very easy to get to in any case. Anybody who would ever have actual need to access it, would know how to do it in less than 1 second. Meanwhile, it's kept out of way of less knowledgable users who could muck it up.
(same with Library)

I bow in the shadow of your obvious superiority. You are so awesome. I wish I could be like you.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alexandr Avatar
128 months ago
Pretty. first they hide the library folder, now this.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fmaxwell Avatar
128 months ago
Mmmm, attractive...

Image (http://i.imgur.com/yHPr6uu.jpg)

It's a list of directories, subdirectories, and files on a computer. It's not supposed to be pretty, princess.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghall Avatar
128 months ago
I suspect (hope) some utility developer such as Onyx, Cocktail, TinkerTool, MacPilot, etc., will soon have a setting/preference to (re)enable the showing of one's Users Folder (to include the proper Permissions so that it is available after restart). Or, perhaps a small freeware app/script...

Or is that just wishful thinking?

It's a bug! They're not intentionally hiding the Users folder, why would they do that but keep the System folder unhidden? Use some basic logic people.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nunyabinez Avatar
128 months ago
One suggestion is that people were deleting the folder and borking their machine, so Apple was hiding it to prevent that. However, I find that highly unlikely. I think it is some strange glitch. There are many reasons to have that folder visible.

However, I am always baffled at how Macs are configured out of the box. I always spend the first few minutes on a new machine putting an alias of the documents folder, apps folder, downloads folder and utilities folder on the dock so that I can get to stuff quickly. And I always show my HD on the desktop. The standard setup makes me feel like they don't want me to get to anything.

One thing I have noticed is how much variety there is among Mac users in how they access various things. I always think my way is the only way and then I get on someone else's Mac and things are all different, but it works for them.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...