Granting Access to Folders on Mac for Neck Diagrams

Apple introduced significant security and privacy changes starting with macOS 10.15 Catalina, which continue in newer releases like Big Sur (11.x) and Monterey (12.x). These changes impact how applications like Neck Diagrams access your files and folders. This tutorial will guide you through granting the necessary permissions to ensure Neck Diagrams functions correctly.

Step 1: Initial Setup

When you first run Neck Diagrams, you will be prompted to select a folder for storing your files, known as ‘data folders’. The default suggestion is Documents/NeckDiagrams in your user profile. If you accept this location, you will see a prompt like this:

Click “OK” on this prompt. This allows Neck Diagrams to access files in your Documents folder.

If you don't, the following issues may occur:

• The Diagram Gallery view will not stay in sync with the file system.

• Changes made directly in Documents/NeckDiagrams will not be reflected.
• The Automatic Backups feature will not be able to create backup zip files.

Step 2: Granting Permission via System Preferences

If you didn't click "OK" initially, Neck Diagrams v2.3 or later will show a warning message upon startup, advising you to grant the necessary permissions.

1. Open System Preferences: Click the “Open System Preferences” link in the warning message or manually open System Preferences from the Apple menu.

2. Navigate to Security & Privacy:

   • Click on Security & Privacy.
   • Go to the Privacy tab.

3. Select Files and Folders:

   • In the left sidebar, select Files and Folders.

4. Find and Enable Neck Diagrams:

   • Scroll through the list on the right to find Neck Diagrams.
   • Ensure the checkbox next to Documents Folder under Neck Diagrams is checked.

   

5. Close System Preferences: Once the necessary permissions are granted, you can close System Preferences.

Step 3: Verify Permissions

To ensure everything is set up correctly:

• Open Neck Diagrams and verify that the Diagram Gallery view reflects any changes made in the Documents/NeckDiagrams folder.
• Create a new document and check if it appears in the designated folder.
• Ensure the Automatic Backups feature can create backup files.

By following these steps, you can ensure that Neck Diagrams has the necessary access to function correctly on macOS Catalina and later versions.