We are running OS X Version 10.4.11 for our Graphics but the rest of the company is on PCs using windows. We share files back and forth over a network. Lately any Mac generated file, especially fonts and Quark files that pass through the network come up as Unix Executable Files when a Mac user tries to open them again. Usually I can guess what kind of file it is by the file name and adding the extension to the Unix file once it is on the Mac will open it - but what do I do about fonts or files I cannot guess? We have a huge Quark catalog that was collected and stored on the network and now all those fonts have turned into Unix Executable files. Any help would be appreciated. Connie

There is nothing "passing thru the network" that will change file. It would appear you have a problem with your file associations on the MAC though it is not clear from your post what part the pcs play in the transfer.

this is what I have found about the problem so far. UNIX has file permissions. When you store a file like this on Windows, Windows puts this file into a Windows filesystem that does not always know what to do with UNIX file permissions - the results will probably vary between what version of Windows you are using. Windows is changing your file permissions. I think that as long as you make files on a Windows host available to your Mac via a Windows "share" you will have this problem - Quark, Word etc. has a hairball with any file that has executable permissions turned-on, AND Windows is totally incapable of turning-off executable permissions. That's one BIG reason Windows is so darn insecure; you can't just remove the execute permission, so people hide executable code in files that a reasonable person would think should not contain executable code. Now, there are other alternative ways to use a Windows host to behave as a file server for other operating systems. The method you are currently using is Microsoft's proprietary CIFS (Common Internet File System). The other method is the Open systems (every other computer but Microsoft) NFS (Network File System). This was developed by Sun Microsystems and is tha "standard" way for doing file sharing. Microsoft offers a few different ways to make their O/S run NFS. The free way is to download SFU (Services For UNIX from Microsoft. The other good thing about SFU is that it runs on XP Pro, a tad bid cheaper than Server 2003. _______ any comment?

That all sounds well and good but does not address this statement "Lately any Mac generated file, especially fonts and Quark files that pass through the network come up as Unix Executable Files when a Mac user tries to open them " Permissions have nothing to do with file extensions [associations] changing. Being graphic files I would not expect any exe extensions. The above statement also says that its mac to mac. So how are the pcs involved? How do these files show up on a pc? Are you using a PC to convert them to pc format and then convert them back so the macs can read them?

HI, The Graphics team initiates the project in Quark. The files are saved on a non MAC "server", that is more storage than processor, through a network that is accessed by both PCs and MACs. The PC people can see the files and open them but when a Mac user tries to open the file after it has been on the "server" the warning box comes up and states "There is no default application specified to open the document." If someone remembers what program the file was created in Mac People can open it if they drag it to the desktop and add the appropriate file extension. But no one has found a way to access the fonts that have also been converted to a Unix Executable File.

What is the "server" OS and patch level? What is the extension when saved on the "server"? What program do pc users use to open the files? I would suggest a quick experiment. Save a mac file on the server, do not access the file via a pc, open it on another mac. Does it open?

Might try a suitable compression tool such as zip, bzip, tar that can contain the entire file with unique permissions. Otherwise you'd have to setup a Mac file server or other system that can natively support extended attributes. "Best Practices", Event viewer, host file, perfmon, antivirus, anti-spyware, Live CD's, backups, are in my top 10