you are opening application "xyz" for the first time

[ciarain]

When working in Tiger or Panther if I click on a document eg: word, illustrator, photoshop, indesign. and the application that is supposed to open this document is not open already. You get a warning message. that says "you are opening application "xyz" for the first time are you sure you want to open it. " Even though this is not the first time the application has been launched. However if you launch the application from the applications folder or from the dock the warning does not appear.

How do you disable this warning or at least correctly inform the OS that the application has been opened before.

This happens from clean installs and those that have their launch services database cleared. The link from document to application survives a logout but not a restart. I know it is a security feature and not a bug but it would be nice to know where this cache/.plist is and why it is suffering from amnesia.

Textedit does not exhibit this behavior across installs but any other app does I get the warning whether it is a user with a local home directory or a user with a network home directory. Thanks

[giskard22]

Maybe delete your com.apple.LaunchServices.plist file. You'll lose any custom file type-application mappings you've made.

[ciarain]

I already did that the problem is that the launchservices.db is not remembering what apps have been opened across a restart.
this seems to be the equivalent of a corrupt desktop database file from os 9
And this launch services set up seems to be changing with each security update I am looking for a way to make the launchservices db actually remember the applications that have been previously opened across a restart just like textedit which does remember it is a "trusted app" but other apps are not trusted so you get the warning So I am wondering if there is a way to make these other apps trusted too.
Thanks

[ciarain]

Still banging my head over this "feature" when you click on a third party document, say a word file a warning message appears saying

You are opening the application Microsoft Word for the first time are you sure you want to open this application ?
The application is in a folder named “Microsoft Office 2004.” To see the application in the Finder without opening it, click Show Application.

(Show application) (Cancel) (Open)

this warning does not appear after you close the application or if you log out but does appear after you shut down. Apple's applications such as texedit do not exhibit this behavior any thoughts ?
Thanks

[hayne]

The system is supposed to remember the fact that you have okayed the launch of this application after giving the warning dialog once (for each app).

If it isn't remembering, you might have a problem with the "launch services" database. Search for "launch services" on the main macosxhints site (or these forums) and you should find instructions on how to reset this database. That might help.

[ciarain]

launchservices db seems to be involved somehow.
However deleting this database its different in panther and tiger.
does not solve the problem as the os recreates the db and we still get te amnesia effect after launches after a shut down

[hayne]

I'm not sure what is happening then.
Maybe try the standard troubleshooting suggestions:
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/ (see the "My Mac needs help" section)
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...04011205473937
http://forums.osxfaq.com/viewtopic.php?t=7269
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/faqs.html

In particular, be sure to try logging in as a different user to see if the problem exists there. (Create a new user via the Accounts preference panel if you only have the one user account so far.)

[ciarain]

Wondering if other users are experiencing the first launch warning after restarts even though it is not the first launch of the application. It only occurs if you click on a document to launch the application. maybe it really is a security feature ?

You are opening the application XYZ for the first time are you sure you want to open this application ?
The application is in a folder named “xyz folder.” To see the application in the Finder without opening it, click Show Application.

(Show application) (Cancel) (Open)

[hayne]

Did you try the troubleshooting suggestions? Results? (Please report in detail)

[ciarain]

Tried all on existing panther and tiger builds inclusive of those with local and networked home directories.
Set up a new computer erased the drive and reinstalled tiger 10.4.4 applied updates through software update.
Using a local home directory launching an app from the dock for the first time gives the you are opening for the first time window. Any subsequent launches from the dock after quit logout or restart there is no warning message. If you click on a document after a restart to launch an application the warning message appears. The warning does not appear except after a restart and only if you use a document to launch a application except for the apple apps. Their associated documents if clicked on, launch the application without the warning even across a restart.
I have been in touch with apple their replies have been less than informative.
Still waiting on them for the next step.

[hayne]

Quote: Originally Posted by ciarain If you click on a document after a restart to launch an application the warning message appears.

Quote: Their associated documents if clicked on, launch the application without the warning even across a restart.

The above two sentences seem to be contradicting each other.
[edit]Oh - upon re-reading your post I think I understand that the "their" refers to Apple apps. I.e. you are getting the problem with all apps except for apps supplied by Apple. That's not too surprising since the Apple apps are already in the launch services database.[/edit]

Maybe you want to clarify. I suggest being concrete, giving an example with specific documents and specific apps.
And let's keep it to local users for the moment - no point in complicating the issue with network users.

Are these users admins? (It shouldn't matter, but all info is important at this stage)

And you keep on saying "clicked on" - but I assume you mean "double-clicked on"

[ciarain]

Sorry of course I meant double clicked
This occurs across admin and standard accounts
The built in apple applications textedit mail ichat do not exhibit the warning only third party apps.
If I restart the computer and I click on a .psd file on the desktop for example a warning appears "you are about to open photoshop for the first time are you sure etc" however if I launch photoshop from the dock the warning does not appear. If I double click on a .txt document textedit launches without the warning. There seems to be some differentiation between apples own apps and third party apps hope I havent muddied the waters further
\Thanks

[hayne]

Quote: Originally Posted by ciarain There seems to be some differentiation between apples own apps and third party apps

I think Apple's apps are already in the Launch Services database, so you don't need to do anything to get them to be on the "trusted" list.

With other apps, you should only need to reply to that warning dialog once. It should remember things across a restart.

Perhaps you are using some 3rd-party utility that removes caches etc?
Such things could result in the sort of behaviour you are reporting.

[ciarain]

Changed Ownership on application from admin to system thus bypassing launchservices no more do you want to etc.
Thanks Bill and Beans

[ciarain]

Changed Ownership on application from admin to system thus bypassing launchservices no more do you want to etc.
Thanks Bill and Beans

[ciarain]

Changed Ownership on application from admin to system thus bypassing launchservices no more do you want to etc.
Thanks Bill and Beans

[hayne]

Quote: Originally Posted by ciarain Changed Ownership on application from admin to system thus bypassing launchservices no more do you want to etc.

I don't see why that ownership change would make a difference.
The fact that it does might mean that the permissions are screwed up on your system or something else is wrong - e.g. a corrupted users database.

By the way, I hadn't noticed until now that you had started a separate thread ("redux") on this topic when you already had one before.
I have merged the two threads.