Quick Summary
Error 10814 on macOS typically indicates that the system is unable to open a specified file, most frequently because the associated application cannot be found or accessed. This can occur due to various permission issues, file corruption, or application problems.
Common Causes
- Application Association Problem: The application assigned to open the file type is either missing, corrupted, or is not correctly associated with the file extension in macOS.
- Insufficient Permissions: The user account attempting to open the file lacks the necessary read/write permissions for the file or folder containing the file.
- File Corruption: The file itself could be corrupted, preventing the application from properly reading and interpreting its contents.
- Application Errors: The application intended to open the file may have internal errors preventing it from correctly processing the request, or the application itself is damaged.
Step-by-Step Fixes
Method 1: Verify Application Association Show Steps ↓
Step 1: Right-click the file you're trying to open in Finder.
Step 2: Select 'Get Info' from the context menu.
Step 3: In the 'Open with:' section, verify that the correct application is selected. If not, choose the correct application from the dropdown menu.
Step 4: Click 'Change All...' to apply this association to all files of the same type, if desired.
Step 5: Test if the file now opens correctly.
Method 2: Check and Repair Disk Permissions Show Steps ↓
Step 1: Open 'Disk Utility' (located in /Applications/Utilities/).
Step 2: Select your startup disk in the sidebar.
Step 3: Click 'First Aid'.
Step 4: Click 'Run' to start the repair process. This will check and attempt to repair any disk permission errors.
Step 5: Restart your computer after the process is complete.
Step 6: Attempt to open the file again.
Method 3: Verify File System Permissions Show Steps ↓
Step 1: Right-click the file you're trying to open in Finder and choose 'Get Info'.
Step 2: Scroll down to the 'Sharing & Permissions' section.
Step 3: Ensure that your user account has 'Read & Write' privileges. If not, unlock the settings by clicking the lock icon in the bottom right corner and entering your administrator password.
Step 4: Change your permissions to 'Read & Write'.
Step 5: If your user account is not listed, click the '+' button to add it and then set the permissions.
Method 4: Attempt to Open the File with an Alternative Application Show Steps ↓
Step 1: If you know of another application that can open the same type of file, try opening the file with it.
Step 2: Right-click on the file in Finder.
Step 3: Select 'Open With' and choose a different application from the list.
Step 4: If the file opens successfully with the alternative application, the issue may be with the originally intended application.
Method 5: Reinstall the Application Show Steps ↓
Step 1: If the error persists, the application associated with the file might be corrupted. Consider uninstalling and then reinstalling the application.
Step 2: Go to the Applications folder and move the application to the Trash.
Step 3: Empty the Trash.
Step 4: Download the latest version of the application from the official developer's website or the Mac App Store and reinstall it.