Ask Different (Apple)
Q&A for power users of Apple hardware and software
Latest Questions
1
votes
1
answers
494
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How to unzip XCode.xip downloads? Archive Utility gets stuck at the end
I've downloaded the 7.68 GB Xcode_14.2.xip file from http://developer.apple.com/downloads onto a 60 GB USB drive. I double-clicked it to expand it using macOS' built-in Archive Utility. However, both times I've tried this process so far, Archive Utility gets stuck after the bar is full: [
It takes a couple hours at most to reach this point, but then it remains frozen like this for more than 12 hours.
According to [Archive Utility has stopped working](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4381241?sortBy=best) and [Archive Utility freezes when trying to unzip a zip file](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4386915?sortBy=best) I wanted to try deleting com.apple.archiveutility.plist, but neither ~/Library/Preferences nor /Library/Preferences include such a file for me. I'm on macOS Monterey.
I've also tried running Disk Utility's First Aid on the Thumb drive as another answer suggested, but "The Volume Thumb drive appears to be OK".
Apart from installing a third party unarchiver, how might I be able to expand that Xcode xip file?
It takes a couple hours at most to reach this point, but then it remains frozen like this for more than 12 hours.
According to [Archive Utility has stopped working](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4381241?sortBy=best) and [Archive Utility freezes when trying to unzip a zip file](https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4386915?sortBy=best) I wanted to try deleting com.apple.archiveutility.plist, but neither ~/Library/Preferences nor /Library/Preferences include such a file for me. I'm on macOS Monterey.
I've also tried running Disk Utility's First Aid on the Thumb drive as another answer suggested, but "The Volume Thumb drive appears to be OK".
Apart from installing a third party unarchiver, how might I be able to expand that Xcode xip file?
user150109
Feb 16, 2024, 02:45 AM
• Last activity: Jun 20, 2025, 08:03 PM
1
votes
1
answers
1756
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How do I use Mac Mail as a searchable archive of past emails and delete emails on Gmail?
Can I use Mac Mail.app as a searchable archive of emails stored locally? How can I set this up? I use Gmail as my primary email and interface. I'm out of space. I have mac Mail.app linked with Gmail, so all my messages are there but I don't use that as an interface. I want to archive the messages in...
Can I use Mac Mail.app as a searchable archive of emails stored locally? How can I set this up?
I use Gmail as my primary email and interface. I'm out of space. I have mac Mail.app linked with Gmail, so all my messages are there but I don't use that as an interface. I want to archive the messages in Mac Mail as one or multiple year files in a way that they remain searchable and then remove them from Google to free up space, without removing them from my Mac Mail archives. In the event I needed to search a message from say 2010, I'd like to be able to open up Mac Mail and search there if it is no longer on the Gmail server.
How would you set this up please? Sincere thanks for any ideas.
Aubrey
(113 rep)
Jan 19, 2021, 11:16 AM
• Last activity: May 8, 2025, 11:23 PM
86
votes
6
answers
150947
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Compress without .DS_Store and __MACOSX
When I compress a folder or file by right click menu of Mac OS X, the archived file contains **.DS_Store** and **__MACOSX** folders. Because I share the archived file online for download, Windows users mistakenly trying to search the file in **__MACOSX** folder. I need to have a cleaner archive opti...
When I compress a folder or file by right click menu of Mac OS X, the archived file contains **.DS_Store** and **__MACOSX** folders. Because I share the archived file online for download, Windows users mistakenly trying to search the file in **__MACOSX** folder.
I need to have a cleaner archive option. I do not want to include **.DS_Store** and **__MACOSX** folder, but only the file or folder into the archive file.
All I found is [**CleanArchiver**](http://www.sopht.jp/en/cleanarchiver/) but it is GUI application. It really takes time and I have lots of files to compress. I am looking for a solution by context menu if possible.
Is there any solution that you can recommend for clean compressing?
John Bernard
(973 rep)
May 25, 2016, 04:32 PM
• Last activity: Feb 25, 2025, 08:35 AM
1
votes
0
answers
581
views
How do I export Apple Health data?
Though there are are some [old answers here][1] about how this was once accomplished, it's not clear what the current procedure for exporting Apple Health data is, and though there [is indeed an export option][2] in the Health app, this generates an empty file (after taking about 5 minutes). How do...
Though there are are some old answers here about how this was once accomplished, it's not clear what the current procedure for exporting Apple Health data is, and though there is indeed an export option in the Health app, this generates an empty file (after taking about 5 minutes).
How do I export Apple Health data?
orome
(12163 rep)
Dec 3, 2017, 01:56 PM
• Last activity: Feb 9, 2025, 10:44 AM
0
votes
0
answers
50
views
Can't sync iPhone iOS Mail archive folder with macOS Mail archive folder
I'm using the latest versions macOS 15 Sequoia and iOS 18. The iPhone iOS Mail archive folder won't sync with the macOS Mail archive folder. The archive folder was outside the inbox in macOS Mail, so I set the preferences to a folder (called My Real Archive) inside de Inbox folder. Mail now shows it...
I'm using the latest versions macOS 15 Sequoia and iOS 18.
The iPhone iOS Mail archive folder won't sync with the macOS Mail archive folder. The archive folder was outside the inbox in macOS Mail, so I set the preferences to a folder (called My Real Archive) inside de Inbox folder. Mail now shows it with the name 'Archief' (because of Dutch localisation, I guess) and special symbol.
However, iOS Mail preferences sees two Archive folders (not 'Archief' despite also Dutch localisation) and no matter which one I pick, it is never the same as macOS Mail uses.
What knowledge am I missing? Been struggling with this many times before, never really got to the bottom of it. Would be very thankful.
laptopleon
(73 rep)
Jan 8, 2025, 10:26 PM
-1
votes
1
answers
93
views
Recovering old package from Macports - archived somewhere?
I was in the process of working through how to get the local web-server version of Joplin 3 (based on the mobile version) compiled on macOS 10.13 High Sierra (because the GUI absolutely will not, being dependent on features that didn't exist until later OS versions), and writing up a detailed tutori...
I was in the process of working through how to get the local web-server version of Joplin 3 (based on the mobile version) compiled on macOS 10.13 High Sierra (because the GUI absolutely will not, being dependent on features that didn't exist until later OS versions), and writing up a detailed tutorial on the process. The only way to do this is with Node.js 21, because 22 and later are inoperable on macOS 10.13. Can't use Homebrew for this. MacPorts handily provided Node 21 and the ICU 74 it depends on.
Then I needed to reinstall Node 21 for some reason or other (stopped running due to some library being upgraded and the old one removed). THIS VERY WEEK, MacPorts decided to delete Node 21 from its offerings, right out from under me, and forces an upgrade to 22, which won't compile on my OS. So, all this work for nothing.
Is there some repo somewhere with older MacPorts packages that they no longer want to provide support for? It seems unlikely to me that the package I need has disappeared off the entire Internet forever.
Trying to do something like
sudo port upgrade --enforce-variants nodejs21@21.7.3 fails; it just forcibly tries to install @22.whatever anyway.
S. McCandlish
(337 rep)
Dec 27, 2024, 09:06 AM
• Last activity: Dec 27, 2024, 04:40 PM
3
votes
3
answers
14689
views
Download Entire iMessage History with One Person as Plain Text
I am doing some archiving after a loss and would like to preserve a chat thread with one person in plain text or pdf (not .HTML by date). The thread goes back 2.5years, so there is a lot. I have accessed the ~/Library/Messages folder but there is no good way to get the thread/messages into a format...
I am doing some archiving after a loss and would like to preserve a chat thread with one person in plain text or pdf (not .HTML by date). The thread goes back 2.5years, so there is a lot. I have accessed the ~/Library/Messages folder but there is no good way to get the thread/messages into a format where i can make one large file of all of them. Any ideas?
Ollie
(31 rep)
Feb 19, 2021, 08:43 PM
• Last activity: Dec 2, 2024, 04:09 AM
0
votes
0
answers
33
views
macOS Sonoma's Compress contextual menu, how can I add numbering to Zip results?
macOS provides "Compress" in the Finder's contextual menu. I use it a lot to create a quick archive of a file before I edit and test the new results. I keep several archives of a file around until I am sure I can delete them. But the first time I compress a file it has no number added to it. Then th...
macOS provides "Compress" in the Finder's contextual menu. I use it a lot to create a quick archive of a file before I edit and test the new results. I keep several archives of a file around until I am sure I can delete them.
But the first time I compress a file it has no number added to it. Then the second time the number 2 gets added. But this means the files do not sort properly in the Finder.
I know this is not a huge issue, but is there some command line action to force the Archive utility to add "1" the first time I compress a file?
qb7
(11 rep)
Sep 30, 2024, 02:16 PM
• Last activity: Sep 30, 2024, 02:38 PM
40
votes
12
answers
26315
views
Is there any Mac software to handle archives (zip, rar, 7z, tar, etc.) that allows browsing?
I am looking for a software to handle archives on OS X. I know there are many of them quite easy to find, but none seems to have the most basic feature that most Windows archive applications have: browsing! I mean, most OS X unarchivers, when they open an archive, they just unzip it... then ask you...
I am looking for a software to handle archives on OS X.
I know there are many of them quite easy to find, but none seems to have the most basic feature that most Windows archive applications have: browsing!
I mean, most OS X unarchivers, when they open an archive, they just unzip it... then ask you for target location in the best case.
What I want is something such as WinRAR or 7zip, which is basically an explorer (ie. Finder) that opens archives.
What I want is precisely this! I want to be able to browse any archive without extracting it, opening files directly from the archive and then be able to modify it so that the file is *actually* modified in the archive.
I want to be able to drag'n'drop a file to and from an archive to extract/add it.
Those features are so useful when modifying directly JAR files contents, JAR files MANIFESTs, war webapps conf-files and so on...
Thank you.
ptpdlc
(953 rep)
Jul 2, 2011, 05:01 PM
• Last activity: Aug 16, 2024, 08:27 AM
0
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0
answers
151
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How to create a multi-part archive from a folder?
I have a large folder (1.8 million files, 40 GB on disk) that I want to archive for easy transfer. I can zip the folder using ditto like so: ```bash ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent 2-experiment-logs 2-experiment-logs.zip ``` And I cannot split the archive using zip like so: ```bash zip 2-ex...
I have a large folder (1.8 million files, 40 GB on disk) that I want to archive for easy transfer.
I can zip the folder using ditto like so:
ditto -c -k --sequesterRsrc --keepParent 2-experiment-logs 2-experiment-logs.zipzip 2-experiment-logs.zip --out 2-experiments-logs-split.zip -s 1024mzip warning: unexpected signature on disk 0 at 551121334
zip warning: archive not in correct format: 2-experiment-logs.zip
zip warning: (try -F to attempt recovery)
zip error: Zip file structure invalid (2-experiment-logs.zip)
Bengt
(101 rep)
Aug 14, 2024, 06:15 PM
34
votes
4
answers
39792
views
Preview an archive contents without extracting it
`less` command on Ubuntu allows to peek inside different kinds of archives from terminal. For example, all of these commands would show me the list of files in each of the four archives: less archive.zip less archive.tar.gz less archive.tar.bz2 less archive.7z On MacOS, I can use `vim` for this. How...
less command on Ubuntu allows to peek inside different kinds of archives from terminal. For example, all of these commands would show me the list of files in each of the four archives:
less archive.zip
less archive.tar.gz
less archive.tar.bz2
less archive.7z
On MacOS, I can use vim for this. However, this is less convenient, because Vim requires four buttons to be pressed to exit it (:q + return) instead of one (q).
Is there an equivalently fast way to see list of files in archives for MacOS?
Andriy Makukha
(559 rep)
Jul 17, 2019, 01:42 PM
• Last activity: Dec 29, 2023, 02:30 PM
8
votes
5
answers
41191
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Apple Mail.app hides Archive folder - how to get it to show
I use Mail.app with FastMail. Mostly, it just works. However, when I start up Mail it never shows the Archive folder. The Archive button will move mail to it, but it's not there. The Goto mailbox menu item is greyed out for Archive in the Mailbox menu too. (cmd-2) I can right-click on another folder...
I use Mail.app with FastMail. Mostly, it just works.
However, when I start up Mail it never shows the Archive folder. The Archive button will move mail to it, but it's not there. The Goto mailbox menu item is greyed out for Archive in the Mailbox menu too. (cmd-2)
I can right-click on another folder, all of which show up, and choose "Get Account Info" then it scans all the folders, shows Archive which I double-click to open, and use that window, closing the original Mail window. All works fine and dandy. It's an annoying little dance I don't want to have to do.
Worth noting that once I've done the dance, then the cmd-2 short-cut works and the menu item above works fine.
In FastMail the Archive folder is configured to be displayed. It's set to Always Show.
This is on 10.9.2.
Using another mail client (Airmail, or Postbox) I didn't see this problem, but I like Mail.
Alex
(9760 rep)
Apr 10, 2014, 02:57 PM
• Last activity: Dec 24, 2023, 07:42 AM
0
votes
0
answers
58
views
Mac Mail Archive folder suddenly nonfunctional
Using gmail address through mac mail on imac OS 13.4.1, firefox browser. A couple days ago, I am suddenly unable to "archive" items from the inbox. When I try, they just all pop back into the inbox. I can "delete" but not "archive." This is new. Nothing has changed on my system lately. Anyone have i...
Using gmail address through mac mail on imac OS 13.4.1, firefox browser.
A couple days ago, I am suddenly unable to "archive" items from the inbox. When I try, they just all pop back into the inbox. I can "delete" but not "archive."
This is new. Nothing has changed on my system lately. Anyone have insight?
MRoh
(1 rep)
Jul 10, 2023, 07:39 PM
4
votes
3
answers
7632
views
How to prevent MacOS from adding dot underscore files (._whatever.html )in zip archives?
Our organisation receives zip files from Mac users which contain a ._ file in addition to the file we expect. In the past this was due to resource fork and data fork encoding limitations on other file systems. So for example, when we expect a submission that looks like this: README.md src/mysite.htm...
Our organisation receives zip files from Mac users which contain a ._ file in addition to the file we expect. In the past this was due to resource fork and data fork encoding limitations on other file systems. So for example, when we expect a submission that looks like this:
README.md
src/mysite.html
src/myscript.js
we generally receive a zip that contains files such as:
._README.md
README.md
src/._mysite.html
src/mysite.html
src/._myscript.js
src/myscript.js
This makes it difficult for us to process these files automatically. What instructions should we give to our Mac users to suppress these files we can’t process or handle?
Alex Spurling
(141 rep)
Mar 4, 2021, 03:55 PM
• Last activity: Jan 11, 2023, 09:02 PM
0
votes
2
answers
2035
views
How to extract How uncompress .tar.lrz file?
I have `.tar.lrz` file in mac which I have to decompress. I have already checked https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/301016/how-uncompress-tar-lz-file and the solution there does not work. I think the reason is that is for `tar.lz` and I am dealing with `.tar.lrz` I am trying decomprees file f...
I have
.tar.lrz file in mac which I have to decompress.
I have already checked https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/301016/how-uncompress-tar-lz-file and the solution there does not work. I think the reason is that is for tar.lz and I am dealing with .tar.lrz
I am trying decomprees file from https://github.com/lin-tan/CoCoNut-Artifact/releases/tag/training_data_1.0.0
Exploring
(281 rep)
Aug 22, 2022, 05:19 AM
• Last activity: Aug 22, 2022, 10:57 AM
7
votes
5
answers
7908
views
macOS Sierra Archive Utility compress popping up new windows
After updating my macOS to Sierra I've started experiencing a strange bug. When trying to compress some stuff to a zip (via the Archive Utility) it pops up a new Finder window after each compression. Here are my Archive Utility settings: [![enter image description here][1]][1] As you can see "Reveal...
After updating my macOS to Sierra I've started experiencing a strange bug. When trying to compress some stuff to a zip (via the Archive Utility) it pops up a new Finder window after each compression.
Here are my Archive Utility settings:
As you can see "Reveal archive in Finder" is turned off. I've also tried turning it on and off a few times, but result was always the same.
It started to happen after upgrading to Sierra.
My current macOS version is 10.12.2.
Is there any fix to this?
As you can see "Reveal archive in Finder" is turned off. I've also tried turning it on and off a few times, but result was always the same.
It started to happen after upgrading to Sierra.
My current macOS version is 10.12.2.
Is there any fix to this?
Makalele
(171 rep)
Jan 10, 2017, 07:40 AM
• Last activity: May 26, 2022, 07:28 PM
1
votes
1
answers
154
views
Copying a folder from a Mac to an external hard drive using Terracopy: if you delete the source file does the destination file get deleted too?
When copying a folder from a Mac to a backup external hard drive using Terracopy? If you delete the source file or folder does the destination get deleted too? This happens using Carbon Copy Cloner App. I want to copy pictures from my Mac to an external hard drive. When I am out of space on my Mac,...
When copying a folder from a Mac to a backup external hard drive using Terracopy? If you delete the source file or folder does the destination get deleted too? This happens using Carbon Copy Cloner App.
I want to copy pictures from my Mac to an external hard drive. When I am out of space on my Mac, I want to delete some older picture folders/files on my Mac, but I still want the pictures to reside on the backup external drive. I will like the backup to be scheduled everyday.
Will Terracopy accomplish this for me or is there a better method or app?
Mac User
(11 rep)
Feb 4, 2022, 03:10 PM
• Last activity: Mar 6, 2022, 08:02 PM
7
votes
4
answers
9939
views
Can I create a self-extracting archive for Mac?
In Windows I can create self-extracting archives, which end in exe instead of rar, and then you don't need to have an unarchiver available to extract them. How can I create a self-extracting archive for Mac? I need to distribute for download a large (100 mb when compressed) archive from a server to...
In Windows I can create self-extracting archives, which end in exe instead of rar, and then you don't need to have an unarchiver available to extract them. How can I create a self-extracting archive for Mac?
I need to distribute for download a large (100 mb when compressed) archive from a server to many mac users. I'd rather use a better compression like RAR or LZMA, but I need to be sure that it can be opened by everyone without needing to install anything.
sashoalm
(459 rep)
Jul 28, 2011, 08:31 AM
• Last activity: Feb 19, 2022, 06:28 PM
1
votes
1
answers
905
views
How can I test all archives files in a folder to verify if they are corrupted or not?
I have a folder that contains many files, including some `.zip`, `.tar`, `.tgz`, `7z`, and `gz` files. How can I test all archive files in this folder to verify if they are corrupted or not? The folder contains subfolders, which also contain archive files that I want to check. I use Mac OS X 10.10....
I have a folder that contains many files, including some 
then use 7zip to test all archives at once:
.zip, .tar, .tgz, 7z, and gz files. How can I test all archive files in this folder to verify if they are corrupted or not?
The folder contains subfolders, which also contain archive files that I want to check. I use Mac OS X 10.10.
On Microsoft Windows I use some file manager to list all archives:
then use 7zip to test all archives at once:
Franck Dernoncourt
(3616 rep)
Nov 7, 2015, 11:52 PM
• Last activity: Jan 20, 2022, 07:38 AM
5
votes
1
answers
785
views
What is the technical explanation for why Archive Utility can break certain apps, while other unarchivers won't?
I just experienced this issue described in [this answer][1]. I had downloaded a [zip file containing a macOS app][2], and first unzipped it with Archive Utility, when trying to open the app, I got the error that it "could not be opened" (with no further clarification) just like in the Q&A linked to...
I just experienced this issue described in this answer .
I had downloaded a zip file containing a macOS app , and first unzipped it with Archive Utility, when trying to open the app, I got the error that it "could not be opened" (with no further clarification) just like in the Q&A linked to above.
However, when I used Keka (third party archive software) to unzip, the app worked just fine.
What is the technical explanation for this? Aren't zips and other archives supposed to come out literally the same, byte for byte? How can one unarchiver break the app, but not the other?
I use Catalina on an Intel Mac.
Fiksdal
(639 rep)
Nov 28, 2021, 11:27 AM
• Last activity: Nov 28, 2021, 04:48 PM
Showing page 1 of 20 total questions