# My Documents folder has disappeared.



## djeans (Dec 10, 2001)

Can anybody help me figure out what has happened?

My documents folder has disappeared, but i know it is still there. I can navigate to it thru the terminal. I can even open it via the terminal, but once i close the window, it is gone again in the finder. If i change it to Column view while i have it open,it shows it as greyed out in my home directory.

I have looked at the permissions, and they are set to give me rwx on the folder and everything in it.

I have run fsck, and found no problems.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

djeans


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## simX (Dec 10, 2001)

Sounds like somehow you made it invisible.

If you download Apple's ResEdit (version 2.1.3, available at versiontracker.com/macos ), you should be able to fix it.  Yes I know it is a Classic application, but it's the most reliable file info editing software available.  Just download it, open it, choose "Get File/Folder Info" from the File menu, find your Documents folder (it lists all invisible folders as well), and uncheck the "Invisible" checkbox near the bottom of the window.  Then close the window, save changes, quit ResEdit, and force relaunch the Finder, using command-option-escape.

After you do this, you should be able to see your Documents folder again.


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## djeans (Dec 10, 2001)

I dont know how i made the folder invisible without trying, but that was it. Thanks for the help. I was starting to get frustrated.

thanks again.


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## simX (Dec 11, 2001)

Now you know why www.macosx.com rocks!


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## pjohnston (Dec 18, 2007)

I have had this same problem although I know how to fix it I don't know what causes it.  Sometimes it is gone when I start up.  Is there any known reason for the Documents folder making itself invisible?  I can't imagine I have "accidentally" made this folder invisible on several different occasions.


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## AJRose (Dec 18, 2007)

I have the same problem. Unfortunately ResEdit won't run in Leopard I've discovered so I have no idea how to fix the problem. Any ideas anyone?


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## pjohnston (Dec 19, 2007)

I created an applescript to make it visible.  Copy the below lines into the script editor, compile it and then run it.  I don't know if it works in Leopard but I don't see why it wouldn't.  It will change the invisible bit and relaunch the finder.  You should see the folder then.

tell application "System Events"
	set visible of folder "~/Documents/" to true
end tell

tell application "Finder" to quit
delay 1
tell application "Finder" to launch


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## chevy (Dec 19, 2007)

You probably have a program that has this effect. Maybe an old program that is not compatible with your current version of MacOS X.


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## AJRose (Dec 19, 2007)

The AppleScript worked a treat. Thanks very much. It even gave me a reason to work our how to open AppleScript for the first time.


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## ksdean (Dec 20, 2007)

My public folder has been missing for months and your applescript did the trick. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!


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## Dan36124 (Jun 29, 2008)

Hey can someone help me? I'm on OS 10.4.9 (Running protools so I don't want to upgrade beyond that yet).....I had a DOCUMENTS folder full of files....Tonight I turn on the machine and the shortcut on the sidebar is gone and the whole folder (when I navigate to it) appears EMPTY. I ran the INVISIBLE script thing from earlier in this thread...Unfortunately that didn't do anything. Still not there. I got no clue what's goin on! Anybody have any other ideas?? (I've been on 10.4.9 for months now just in case anybody was going to ask...haven't done anything out of the ordinary at all in the last few days as far as I can remember!)


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