How to edit protected Mac OS X files? File extension PLIST Third-party specialized programs

The most common cause of problems with opening the PLIST file is simply the lack of appropriate applications installed on your computer. In this case, it is enough to find, download and install an application that serves files in the PLIST format - such programs are available below.

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Clue

Please note that some encoded data from files that our computer does not read can sometimes be viewed in Notepad. In this way we will read fragments of text or numbers - It is worth checking whether this method also works in the case of PLIST files.

What to do if the application from the list has already been installed?

Often an installed application should automatically link to a PLIST file. If this does not happen, then the PLIST file can be successfully linked manually with the newly installed application. Simply right-click on the PLIST file, and then from the available list select the "Choose default program" option. Then you need to select the “View” option and find your favorite application. The entered changes must be approved using the "OK" option.

Programs that open the PLIST file

MacOS

Why can't I open a PLIST file?

Problems with PLIST files can also have other causes. Sometimes even installing software on your computer that supports PLIST files will not solve the problem. The reason for the inability to open and work with the PLIST file may also be:

Inappropriate PLIST file associations in registry entries
- corruption of the PLIST file we open
- infection of the PLIST file (viruses)
- too little computer resource
- outdated drivers
- removal of the PLIST extension from the Windows registry
- incomplete installation of a program that supports the PLIST extension

Fixing these issues should result in freely opening and working with PLIST files. In case your computer still has problems with files, you need to take the help of an expert who will determine the exact cause.

My computer does not show file extensions, what should I do?

In standard Windows system settings, the computer user does not see the PLIST file extension. This can be successfully changed in the settings. Just go to the "Control Panel" and select "View and Personalization". Then you need to go to "Folder Options" and open "View". In the "View" tab there is an option "Hide extensions of known file types" - you must select this option and confirm the operation by clicking the "OK" button. At this point, the extensions of all files, including PLIST, should appear sorted by file name.

What is a PLIST file?

PLIST files are installation files that include configuration and feature information for many programs in the Mac OS X environment. Therefore, they are also called "preference files." PLIST files are often store user settings and data in packages. Files are a standard part of the Apple OS X Core Foundation system.

Different Forms of PLIST Files

PLIST files can be stored using two methods - both text and binary - they use the XML format as it organizes the contents of the file in order. Files stored as text can be viewed and edited using a text editor, but there are special programs that can make editing such files easier.

Converting PLIST Files

PLIST files can be easily converted between text and XML formats using the command line and the "plutil" command. Commands regarding conversion:

  • binary format in XML - plutil -convert xml1 file.plist,
  • XML format to binary file - plutil -convert binary file file.plist

Additional Information

The PLIST file name is expected to be: Info.plist. Always consider whether the letters in PLIST files are capitalized because they differ when parsed by the system.

Programs that support PLIST file extension

Programs that can process PLIST files are as follows. PLIST files can be found on all system platforms, including mobile ones, but there is no guarantee that each of them will properly support such files.

Programs that support the PLIST file

Updated: 12/06/2019

How to open a PLIST file?

There could be multiple reasons why you have problems opening PLIST files on given system. What's important is that all common problems associated with files with the extension PLIST, users can decide for themselves. The process is fast and does not require the participation of an IT specialist. Below is a list of recommendations to help you identify and resolve file-related problems.

Step 1. Get Apple Property List Editor

Problems opening and working with PLIST files is most likely due to the lack of proper software compatible with PLIST files on your computer. This one is lightweight. Select Apple Property List Editor or one of the recommended programs (e.g. Text editor, PrefEdit, Property List Tools) and download it from the appropriate source and install it on your system. Above you will find a complete list of programs that support PLIST files, classified according to system platforms for which they are available. If you want to download the Apple Property List Editor installer in the most secure way, we recommend that you visit the site and download it from the official repositories.

Step 2: Make sure you have the latest version of Apple Property List Editor

You still can't access PLIST files though Apple Property List Editor installed on your system? Make sure your software is up to date. It may also happen that software creators update their applications to add compatibility with other, newer file formats. The reason that Apple Property List Editor cannot handle files with PLIST may be because the software is out of date. All file formats that were handled perfectly by previous versions of this program should also be opened using the Apple Property List Editor.

Step 3: Assign Apple Property List Editor to PLIST Files

After installing Apple Property List Editor (the most recent version), make sure it is set as the default application for opening PLIST files. The method is quite simple and varies little across different operating systems.

Windows

  • Right click on the PLIST file and select " To open with option."
  • Select Select another application→ More applications
  • Finally, select Find another app on this..., specify the folder where Apple Property List Editor is installed, check the box Always use this application to open PLIST files your choice by clicking OK

Change default application in

  • By right-clicking on the selected PLIST file, open the file menu and choose Information.
  • Go to section To open with. If it's closed, click the title to access the available options.
  • Select the appropriate program from the list and confirm by pressing " Change for everyone" .
  • If you completed the previous steps, a message should appear: This change will be applied to all files with the PLIST extension. Then click the Forward button to complete the process.

Step 4: Make sure PLIST is not broken

If the problem still occurs after following steps 1-3, check whether the PLIST file is valid. Problems opening a file can arise for various reasons.

1. Make sure PLIST is not infected with a computer virus

If PLIST is indeed infected, malware may be blocking it from opening. Scan the PLIST file and your computer for malware or viruses. Is your PLIST file infected with malware? Follow your antivirus software's instructions.

2. Make sure the PLIST file is complete and free of errors

If you received the problematic PLIST file from a third party, ask them to provide you with another copy. It is possible that the file was not properly copied to the data store and is incomplete and therefore cannot be opened. While loading file with .PLIST extension an error may occur from the Internet resulting in an incomplete file. Try downloading the file again.

3. Check if your account has administrative rights

There is a possibility that this file can only be accessed by users with sufficient system privileges. Sign out of your current account and sign in to an account with sufficient access rights. Then open the Mac OS X Property List Format file.

4. Make sure the system has enough resources to run Apple Property List Editor

The operating systems may note enough free resources to run the application that support PLIST files. Close all running programs and try opening the PLIST file.

5. Make sure you have the latest drivers, system updates and patches installed

The latest versions of programs and drivers may help you solve problems with files Mac OS X Property List Format and ensure the security of your device and operating system. PLIST files may work correctly with updated software that resolves some system errors.

Do you want to help?

If you have additional information about the PLIST file extension, we would be grateful if you share it with users of our site. Use the form below and send us your information about the PLIST file.

About 7 years ago I dabbled in the Art Money program to hack parameters for games. It was possible, for example, to increase the hero’s amount of money in a couple of minutes.

Yes, we received a lot of money or increased the hero’s parameters, but after that it usually became uninteresting to play. That's why I stopped using Art Money. But changing the parameters of some games on the iPad turned out to be much easier without any programs - so I decided that I could try it.

Let's look at the example of Fieldrunners.

What can be changed in the game to pass hundreds of levels without problems? The first thing that came to mind was the shooting parameters. Increasing the power of the guns turned out to be quite simple.

I used the iFile program.

I went into the Fieldrunners game folder by pressing the Home – > Applications – > Fieldrunners buttons. Next, go to the Fieldrunners.app folder. After a quick look through the files, I found that the weapon parameters are in files starting with tower. We take the simplest cannon from the Tower_gatling.tower file. Open the file with a text editor.

We see the parameters for the first level of weapons:

MinDamage=43 // minimum lesson
MaxDamage=43 //maximum damage
AttackRadius=72.0 // attack radius

We increase these parameters by 100, 100 and 10 times, respectively. “Change”, and after changing “Save”

Now we go into the Fieldrunners game and the weakest weapon will now allow you to go through hundreds of levels without problems.

The question really arises: do you need this - will it make it more interesting to play? Although it is quite possible to surprise a friend with whom you are competing in some game.

I personally became uninterested in playing after such a change... So I returned everything back)

If you have installed on your computer antivirus program Can scan all files on your computer, as well as each file individually. You can scan any file by right-clicking on the file and selecting the appropriate option to scan the file for viruses.

For example, in this figure it is highlighted file my-file.plist, then you need to right-click on this file and select the option in the file menu "scan with AVG". When you select this option, AVG Antivirus will open and scan the file for viruses.


Sometimes an error may occur as a result incorrect software installation, which may be due to a problem encountered during the installation process. This may interfere with your operating system link your PLIST file to the correct application tool, influencing the so-called "file extension associations".

Sometimes simple reinstalling Microsoft Notepad may solve your problem by linking PLIST correctly with Microsoft Notepad. In other cases, problems with file associations may result from bad software programming developer and you may need to contact the developer for further assistance.


Advice: Try updating Microsoft Notepad to the latest version to ensure you have the latest patches and updates.


This may seem too obvious, but often The PLIST file itself may be causing the problem. If you received a file via an email attachment or downloaded it from a website and the download process was interrupted (such as a power outage or other reason), the file may become damaged. If possible, try getting a new copy of the PLIST file and try opening it again.


Carefully: A damaged file can cause collateral damage to previous or existing malware on your PC, so it is important to keep your computer up-to-date with an up-to-date antivirus.


If your file is PLIST related to the hardware on your computer to open the file you may need update device drivers associated with this equipment.

This problem usually associated with media file types, which depend on successfully opening the hardware inside the computer, e.g. sound card or video card. For example, if you are trying to open an audio file but cannot open it, you may need to update sound card drivers.


Advice: If when you try to open a PLIST file you receive .SYS file error message, the problem could probably be associated with corrupted or outdated device drivers that need to be updated. This process can be made easier by using driver update software such as DriverDoc.


If the steps do not solve the problem and you are still having problems opening PLIST files, this may be due to lack of available system resources. Some versions of PLIST files may require a significant amount of resources (e.g. memory/RAM, processing power) to properly open on your computer. This problem is quite common if you are using fairly old computer hardware and at the same time a much newer operating system.

This problem can occur when the computer is having difficulty keeping up with a task because the operating system (and other services running in the background) may consume too many resources to open the PLIST file. Try closing all applications on your PC before opening Property List XML File. Freeing up all available resources on your computer will provide the best conditions for attempting to open the PLIST file.


If you completed all the steps described above and your PLIST file still won't open, you may need to run equipment update. In most cases, even when using older versions of hardware, the processing power can still be more than sufficient for most user applications (unless you're doing a lot of CPU-intensive work, such as 3D rendering, financial/scientific modeling, or intensive multimedia work) . Thus, it is likely that your computer does not have enough memory(commonly called "RAM" or random access memory) to perform the task of opening a file.

I want to edit Info.plist for TextEdit. (Here's why.) I'm using OS 10.7 and have Xcode installed. But every time I try to edit the file it locks and I can't save my changes.

If I try to save it using XCode, XCode asks if I want to unlock it. I say "Unlock" but then the error message appears: The file "Info.plist" could not be unlocked." It says it's because I don't own it.

If I open Info.plist with vi in ​​Terminal (vi Info.plist), I can't save changes even using :w! , Error E212: Can't open file for writing.

How can I make changes to the Info.plist of a TextEdit file?

Answers

Ian S.

Before doing this, make sure that there are no instances of TextEdit running on your system.

Using Finder

Select the plist file in Finder and do File > Get Info. At the bottom of the file information window, you will see a section called " Sharing and Permissions". You want to make sure you are on this list and have Read & Write level access to the file.

Before you can add yourself to a file's permissions, you'll need to unlock it. Click on the small lock icon (1) in the lower right corner and enter your password. If you are not an administrator on this computer, you will not be able to complete this step.

Once you've unlocked the file, you can change the permissions to Read & Write. If you are not shown in the list of people who can access the file, click the + button below the list and look for the Users & Groups pop-up list.

Changes are applied to the file as soon as you make them in the File Info window.

You will now be able to open, edit and save these changes to a file.

Using the Command Line

Open a terminal window.

Go to the location where the plist file is located:

cd ~/Library/Preferences/

Change the owner and permissions of the file so you can read and write it:

sudo chown $USER aomDSP.plist sudo chmod u+w aomDSP.plist

You probably don't need sudo on the second call, but it can't hurt. To do this, you will need administrator access to the machine.

KatieK

The "Finder" instruction worked for me - thanks!

user495470

TextEdit and other applications that use AutoSave also need write permissions to the directory where the file is located.

jzadra

The search instructions didn't work for me - when I went to add a user or edit permissions for everyone, it said "The operation cannot be completed because you do not have the required permissions." My administrator account. The command line also states that the operation is not allowed.

Ian S. ♦

@jzadra if it's greyed out, it assumes that the account you're trying to do this with is Not has administrator rights.

Before

If you want to edit the file (as you described above), you don't have to unlock it. If you are comfortable with the command line, you can edit the file using the command line tools provided by Apple. Add commands with sudo to gain the necessary permissions to modify the file (you will need to enter the administrator password).

Namely, these are the defaults and PlistBuddy programs (run as sudo /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy). While the defaults are a more direct way to modify a file, PlistBuddy has an interactive mode that allows you to preview changes before saving.

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