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Mac OS Mojave and High Sierra: How to Fix the ‘Application Is Damaged’ Error with These Simple Steps

If you recently upgraded to Apple’s latest Mac OS Mojave 10.14, or if you’re still running  High Sierra or Sierra, then you might have some problems when it comes to installing third-party apps. Well, the app gets installed good, but when you’re launching it, you will get the following error message:  “Application.app” is damaged and can’t be opened. You should move it to the trash.

What is going on with Mac OS Mojave Gatekeeper?

The entire problem here is with the Gatekeeper in Mac OS Mojave, which is a security feature that’s added in the Mac OS. It has the role of verifying if the downloaded apps are signed correctly. This way, it reduces the risk of malware. Apple does not want its users to install and then run apps from unidentified developers.

The user interface of Gatekeeper can be found in System Preferences, then to Security & Privacy, then to General. The section you’re looking for is under ‘Allow apps downloaded from.’ Previously, there was the option of ‘App Store,’ ‘App Store and identified developers’, and ‘Anywhere.’ However, the ‘Anywhere’ option is no longer here now.

How to fix this error?

If you worry that you lost all your data, we are here to tell you that you can restore all of it by following a simple procedure.

First of all, you need to make sure that the System Preferences is not running. Then, you need to open a Terminal window, then enter this Terminal command, with your admin password after: sudo spctl –master-disable.

If you open System Preferences now, you can see the ‘Anywhere’ option, which is now restored. If you need to reactivate Gatekeeper, then enter this Terminal command: sudo spctl –master-enable. You can change the settings if you click on the padlock, that’s placed on the lower-left corner of the preferences box, and entering your admin password. Then, you need to select the new setting. Make sure you click on the padlock symbol again if you want to disable any new changes.

Now you need to try to relaunch the app – you should get the message ‘Application.app is an app downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?’. you need to click on Open, and it should all work good now.

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