How do I remove "read-only" from images transferred from a PC so that I can add keywords?

Question

I switched to a Mac from a PC a year ago and have been using PSE 9 + Organizer with no problems.  I transferred all my images from the PC at that time.  Now, I want to transition to using Bridge and have been assigning keywords to the newer photos added after I started using the Mac.  I am unable to assign keywords to the earlier photos because Bridge says they are read-only.  I checked the Apple Get Info on the folders and they are read and write.  Any ideas?

Answer 1

the Sharing and Permissions box on the bottom shows I have "custom" and "read & write" access for both pre- and post 9/2010 folders.  All others (nobody, staff, everyone) have read only.  Of course there is actually only me.
Anne,
It seems related to your OSX. I think you have created a new user account without adding a name (hence Nobody) but I'm a bit guessing in this department.
The default user account folders like pictures and movies have the ability to set to 'custom'. With you as only user and administrator there should preferably only be one user account visible.  By default a newly created folder should show 3 options for sharing and permission. User (your name of the user account) Read and Write
Staff: read only
Everyone: Read only.
I have tried deleting "nobody" and "staff" and changing Annie to read and write - all kinds of combinations.
You can only edit users accounts in the system preferences / Accounts. In here is the option for you as administrator to delete and create users accounts. Here is where it is getting a bit difficult because we can't see your set up for the OSX. But if you have to change 'Annie' to read and write and assuming your user account name is Annie it should already have been on read and write. If you are logged in as 'nobody' this should have shown read and write to have access to change metadata.
So you first have to study a bit about user accounts on a Mac and see if you have a correct install. It is not very difficult and you will gain profit from this knowledge.
try the Apple.com support site, for a start here is a link to an article from the Apple Knowledge Base (kb) article about user accounts:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3309
Some images have been moved from the original folders so that could be a problem.
Basically you should not have any problem with moving files to whatever folder you want or create on your user account (or to external Disk etc.)
For a start you could create a new main folder in your user account Home folder and call this test or whatever you like except an already existing name. Of course also check if you have read and write permissions for it...
Open Bridge, use the folder panel to select a folder with the problem files. Now scroll through the folder panel and click on the triangle in front of your home folder. This will open the list with nested folders while Bridge content window still keeps its focus on the problem files you first selected. Select a bunch of the problem files from the content panel and use drag and drop to move the files to the newly created folder. Just move the mouse on the folder name and release the files.
If you hold the option (alt) key while dragging there will appear a + - sign and the files are copied to their new location, just use what you think is best for you.
After this action has finished click with your mouse on the newly created folder name in the folder panel and now the files should show in the content panel (if correct also already cached). Check if you are able to change the metadata now.
Most have tags from current and previous Photoshop Elements versions.
That should not be a problem, some info will be readable by Bridge, others not. Some Bridge version even had their own Bridge versions.