If you receive error messages about SQL in OmniFocus, it’s likely that the application’s cache needs to be reset. This can occur after upgrading your operating system, or using a Mac “cleaning” app. Cleaning apps can have an adverse affect on our app’s ability to function properly. The easiest way to do reset the cache is by deleting it and letting OmniFocus regenerate it.
Step 1: Quit OmniFocus
If OmniFocus won’t quit, you may need to force quit by pressing ⌥⌘⎋ (Command-Option-Esc), then choosing OmniFocus from the list of running applications.
Step 2: Delete OmniFocus’s cache folder
Due to Sandboxing differences between OmniFocus 1 and OmniFocus 2, the cache folder lives in different places on your computer:
OmniFocus 1
~/Library/Caches/
OmniFocus 2 (Sandboxed)
~/Library/Containers/com.omnigroup.OmniFocus2[.MacAppStore]/Data/Library/Caches/
Copy the line listed below your version, then in the Finder, choose Go to Folder… from the Go menu. Paste that line in the Finder window that opens, then click Go.
In the folder that opens, find the subfolder named com.omnigroup.OmniFocus
(or com.omnigroup.OmniFocus.MacAppStore
if you purchased OmniFocus from the Mac App Store) and delete it. If you’re running OmniFocus 2, the file will be called com.omnigroup.OmniFocus2
(or com.omnigroup.OmniFocus.MacAppStore2
).
Step 3: Reopen OmniFocus
If you continue to see SQL error messages, it’s likely that another application on your Mac is deleting OmniFocus’ cache while it is running. If you’re running MacKeeper, CleanMyMac or another similar “cleaning” app, try configuring it to ignore caches.
Last Modified: Aug 19, 2020