Locking and Unlocking Files: How to lock a directory or a file without accessing it manually — Dec 2, 2023 — Select all files, then press and hold the command key while choosing Get Info. The Finder will unlock them. What is “unlock”? — “Unlock” for any file, or a directory—it is a method of changing the file's permission settings—from Read only to Read, write, and so on (and then only to a certain number of operations). A little tip while using your Mac—When you're locked out of your files, try “lagging” — that's the process of slowly re-writing the file to make sure it unlocks, and then letting the file complete its work before opening, again. [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\software\Microsoft\office\13.0\policies\16\user-settings\user-service\windows.ini] “Locking Options"="0" [HKEY_USER_DATA\software\Microsoft\office\13.0\policies\16\default.