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Problem: after downloading an application in OS X Yosemite (10.10.x) trying to open the application (either from the command-line or by double-clicking the application) produces a dialog saying "The application “SomeApp.app” can’t be opened."

the application "LinCastor.app" can't be opened - dialog

Note that this differs from the "SomeApp can't be opened because it was not downloaded from the Mac App Store" or "SomeApp can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer” message that is the result of Gatekeeper settings.

Mike Eng
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steve richey
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4 Answers4

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After extensive trial-and-error, and a lot of fruitless Googling, I found the solution required modifying the executable status of the "inner" application file. This line: chmod +x SomeApp.app/Contents/MacOS/*

Fixed the problem in all cases that I observed. The +x flags a file as executable, and the only file in the /Contents/MacOS/ directory is a binary representing the actual file that should be executed when you double-click the application (a .app file is really just a folder).

Hope this helps someone else!

zudduz
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steve richey
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  • You should NOT edit ANYTHING inside an app's bundle, especially if it comes from the "Mac App Store"... unless you really know what you are doing. If you do, the bundle's checksum will likely fail, causing any number of problems, starting with an inability to launch it. – mralexgray Dec 09 '15 at 04:36
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    You *should* definitely edit the executable flag of binaries in app bundles if they are not set. – Anthony Michael Cook Dec 26 '15 at 19:12
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    I'd add that I've specifically used this to fix applications created for OSX with Unity. My guess would be that these app bundles have been packaged up on another platform (like Windows) that doesn't get OSX permissions right. – Henry Cooke Aug 20 '16 at 20:38
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    I had to CHMOD 777 the file before it actually worked. Thanks. – Frank Barcenas Sep 30 '16 at 05:57
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    This happened to me when I downloaded an .app bundle from Dropbox via the web UI. – Dmitri Shuralyov Nov 24 '16 at 15:43
  • I needed to use the "all" flag, but worked like a charm: `chmod a+x ...` – Ryan Wheale Dec 19 '16 at 19:05
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    This can happen if you extract the app from a zip file using an unzip program _other_ than the default Archive Utility.app. Sometimes unzipping with Archive Utility instead will preserve permissions and avoid the need for the solution here. – Jason Feb 11 '17 at 07:45
  • @Jason This was the cause of my problem just now with both Postman and Sourcetree. I had unzipped them using stuffit expander. Using the default unarchiver worked. PS Thanks! PPS You could add this as an answer and I'll vote for it – davidfrancis Jan 11 '18 at 14:18
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    Not working on osX Catalina – Mojtaba Hosseini Jun 13 '19 at 21:29
  • For Catalina I ended up installing via brew, since it appears the default archive utility has this issue. – Diesel Jun 21 '19 at 01:24
  • This came up for me on Mojave after a message flashed before my eyes warning me of the grave dangers of running an app not developed by Apple on my Mac. I was just trying to get to the app, did not read the message, and hit "Yes". Apparently the OS changed the file to be nonexecutable for my protection. This post helped me realize what had happened. This was my own app, so I knew it was safe to run. – froggythefrog Aug 06 '19 at 00:54
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    Did not work for me on MacOS 10.14.6 – Mike Eng Aug 21 '19 at 14:40
  • Use `brew cask install youappname` I did this for postman, and it worked for me. – amarVashishth Sep 02 '20 at 06:33
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  1. in the Finder, locate the app (in the Applications folder, most likely)
  2. Press the Control-key and click the app icon
  3. Choose Open from the contextual menu

As in App Cannot Be Opened (even though that describes a workaround for the Gatekeeper app, it works for the scenario in the question as well)

Mike Eng
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When I get The application SomeApp.app can’t be opened, I

  1. Open a terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app),

  2. And type: sudo killall launchservicesd

  3. If the Dock is also misbvehaving, I'll also type killall Dock.

  4. Then, I am able to open SomeApp (or any app).

Is that ok with everyone?

mralexgray
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    Can you explain what this has to do with the question? – G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica' Dec 07 '15 at 05:41
  • When I get The application “SomeApp.app” can’t be opened', I kill `launchservicesd`, and sometimes `Dock`, and then I am able to open `SomeApp`. What is so bewildering about that? – mralexgray Dec 07 '15 at 05:46
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    @mralexgray: please expand your answer to include your comment and clarify your answer. Otherwise, this isn't much help, as-is. – studiohack Dec 08 '15 at 16:29
  • It's SO simple and SO clear. Run the command... and the problem is fixed. 'Nuff said. – mralexgray Dec 08 '15 at 17:00
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    Ran the commands. The problem wasn't fixed. Maybe if you put more information about what is actually happening when these commands are run it would help with fixing problem where this doesn't quite work as expected. It's simple, and clear enough, I suppose, but **not complete**. Notice there was no request to simplify or clarify this, but to **expand** it. The fact that it doesn't work for me right now makes me also wish it were expanded with more detail. – Todd Wilcox Apr 17 '16 at 22:13
  • Don't blame me.. All apple says in `launchservicesd`'s `man` page is.. "used internally by Mac OSx to track and coordinate information about the running applications on the system". This answer is total _hocus-pocus_, never claimed it was anything but. ;-) – mralexgray Apr 18 '16 at 00:22
  • We appreciate the effort, mralexgray! The only problem is... It doesn't work for anyone else. :( – rinogo May 22 '18 at 18:56
  • Depending on the version of Mac OS (x) and what the problem is, some applications controlled by launchservices daemon can restart properly after forcing launchservicesd to restart. I believe most users running Mac OS 10.11 and newer are facing the permission issues mentioned by Steve Richey however. To the credit of MrAlexGray, this was likely a viable solution for older OS X machines and may still apply to some Mac OS applications experiencing launch issues today. – Tmanok Jan 06 '19 at 23:24
  • Thank you @mralexgray! This is the only solution that worked for me! – Salil Aug 21 '21 at 03:40
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This can also happen when app is quarantined by macOS.

Ran into an interesting edge case where app sent over Telegram would not open.

Deleting app form “Applications” folder and downloading fresh copy fixed the issue.

sunknudsen
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