Member Avatar for joshuapatel

Everything I download I keep getting the "This file is damaged and cannot be opened, move to trash?" message and I don't know what to do anymore

The sudo-master disable command thing worked for a while but it's not anymore

This laptop isn't very useful if I can't download anything! Please help, after recovering from a kernal panic this is the last thing I need, I'm very frustrated with this 2017 macbook pro

Edited by happygeek because: spamming of cracked/illegal download links - now removed from post
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rproffitt

Dani AI

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Short diagnostic and what likely happened: that “This file is damaged and cannot be opened” dialog is usually Gatekeeper/Quarantine reacting to a download that either looks unsigned/untested or was altered — not necessarily a physically broken file. Disabling Gatekeeper (the “sudo …” step you mentioned) can let things run temporarily, which matches your observation, but it isn’t a safe long‑term fix. Also be aware attackers sometimes use a fake “damaged” alert to hide malware — so downloads from unofficial/cracked sites are especially risky. (support.apple.com)

Practical checklist (fast, in this order): 1) Delete any downloads that came from unknown or cracked sites and get official copies from the vendor; verify checksums if provided. 2) Try the safe GUI bypass: Control‑click the app and choose Open (or use Security & Privacy → Open Anyway after attempting a launch). 3) Inspect and (if you trust the file) remove the quarantine flag for just that item rather than turning Gatekeeper off globally. Example Terminal commands:

# see quarantine attributes
xattr -l ~/Downloads/ThatFile.dmg

# remove quarantine for one file or an app bundle
sudo xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/ThatFile.dmg
sudo xattr -r -d com.apple.quarantine /Applications/ThatApp.app

Removing the quarantine attribute is a common, targeted workaround; prefer it over permanently disabling Gatekeeper. (support.apple.com)

Other checks and cautions: confirm your Mac’s date/time is correct (incorrect clocks can break certificate checks), run a reputable malware scan if you downloaded from suspect sites, and inspect ~/Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons for unfamiliar items if behavior seems malicious. If many files are affected system‑wide or you see persistent odd processes, back up and consider a clean reinstall. As suggested, avoid shady download sources; and ’s temporary fix (disabling Gatekeeper) explains why things briefly worked but doesn’t solve an underlying issue. (support.apple.com)

Member Avatar for rproffitt

I worry that this is a duplicate of https://www.daniweb.com/hardware-and-software/macos/threads/519467/i-m-so-sick-of-not-being-able-to-download-anything-on-my-macbook#post2250633 in which I note the error message may not be what you wrote.

Cross and duplicate posting for the same issue only adds more confusion. Why not update one or the other post and remove the duplicates?

By update I mean add the details here or there for all to see.

Checking the links as given they don't seem to be legitimate sources. Could be cracks or hacks. Apple is working hard to keep you safe.

Try what http://osxdaily.com/2010/12/13/open-7z-files-on-a-mac/ notes instead.

As to CCleaner, again another shady site. Why not get it direct from Piriform? I AM ASKING. PLEASE TELL US WHY THESE ODD SITES.
https://support.piriform.com/hc/en-us/articles/204044184-How-do-I-download-CCleaner-for-Mac-

Edited by rproffitt
commented: What you said! Dodgy download links now deleted +16
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