14 DAY TRIAL // After launching a set of updates yesterday, Apple learned that customers were experiencing a problem where their /Users folder had become invisible. After investigation, the Cupertino giant returned with a fix.
People initially thought OS X 10.9.3 was the culprit. However, upon investigating the issue, Apple learned that it was actually a combination of iTunes 11.2 and Find My Mac that led to the /Users folder becoming invisible.
According to a Support document posted online yesterday, both your /Users and /Users/Shared folders will become hidden on every reboot if you have updated to the latest version of iTunes with Find My Mac enabled.
“The folders listed below might appear to be missing after installing iTunes 11.2 on OS X Mavericks,” Apple explains, mentioning the folders in question (/Users and /Users/Shared). “This can happen if you have Find My Mac enabled in iCloud System Preferences,” the Mac maker reveals.
Before Apple acknowledged the problem, customers at home had already found a solution involving Terminal. All users would have to do is launch Terminal and type in the following command, followed by a press of the Return/Enter key.
sudo chflags nohidden /Users
Apple’s solution for the problem is much simpler, especially for non-savvy customers: “Update to iTunes 11.2.1 or later by running software update on your Mac.”
So again, this has nothing to do with OS X 10.9.3, which means you can safely update your system to the newest version of Mavericks and then, if necessary, apply one of the aforementioned fixes (which one suits you best).
Considering that iTunes 11.2.1 is Mac-exclusive and also delivers a security patch, the most sensible thing to do is follow Apple’s guidance and address the missing folders issue by simply updating your iTunes installation. This way you’ll kill two birds with one stone.
As for OS X 10.9.3, the update is “recommended for all Mavericks users. It improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac,” according to the California computer giant.
One of the key changes in this update is that it improves 4K display support on Mac Pro (Late 2013) and MacBook Pro with 15-inch Retina Display (Late 2013) models, and returns the ability to sync contacts and calendars using a USB connection between a Mac and iOS device. 10.9.3 further improves the reliability of VPN connections using IPsec.