Mac OS X can experience difficulty deleting certain files due to the following (and other) reasons: The file is in use by an application or system process The file is locked. There are a number of duplicate file finders on the Mac App Store which will automatically search your system and recommend file doubles that can be removed. Many are free, including Duplicate.
Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Case: How do I delete a file in Terminal?
Last night, while working on my Mac, I came across a file that was not usable to me anymore. When I was trying to delete it with the regular Mac deletion process, the file was not going to trash. I was trying to force the deleted file using Terminal, but I am not sure about the complete procedure. Can anyone help me with the full steps? Help will be appreciated!
Usually, everyone encounters this problem at some point. Are you also facing the same situation? Don't worry; this post will make you aware of the various reasons that prevent the file from getting deleted and its possible solutions.
We will also introduce you to the best methods for getting back your deleted files.
Part 1- Scenarios to Force Delete a File on Mac
While working on the Mac, sometimes you come across a file that refuses to delete despite several attempts. You even restart your Mac several times; make multiple attempts to get rid of that stubborn file but it is no use. The file still sits in your system.
When you experience this situation, there are some system issues that prevent it from getting deleted. Before you fix it, you must know the various reasons that are stopping the file from getting deleted. Here are scenarios that you might experience:
- Item is locked
- The file is still in use by another application or process
- You are not permitted to delete the file
- The file can't be found because it is corrupt or damaged
The situation is more frustrating when you are not using the file, but still, it shows the file is in use or locked.
Part 2- How to Force Delete a File on Mac
Deleting a file from a Mac is easy, until and unless you come across the situations mentioned above. We will look here at the various solutions for how to force delete a file on Mac.
1. Secure Empty Trash
Moving a file to trash means you don't want that file anymore. So why not remove it permanently with 'Secure Empty Trash?' This is one of the best solutions that work to force delete a file.
Step 1 - Click on Trashcan icon
Click and hold the Trashcan icon in Dock
Step 2 - Change Empty Trash to Secure Empty Trash
Hold the 'command' key and click on Trash. Select it when 'empty trash' changes to 'secure empty trash.'
Step 3 - Go To 'Finder' Menu
Wifi unlocker app mac. Select 'Secure Empty Trash' by clicking on 'Finder.'
It ensures that the deleted item remains deleted and allows overwriting the space. The option is very useful for obstinate files.
You can even set your Mac by default to 'Secure Empty Trash' through the following path:
Finder -> Preferences -> Empty Trash Securely
2. Using Terminal
Deleting files using Terminal requires extreme care; a little mistake can complicate things to a greater extent.
Step 1 - Open Terminal
Follow the following path to reach 'Terminal'
<pApplications -> Utilities -> Terminal
Step 2 - Type 'sudo rm –R' And Don't Press Enter
Type the above command without quotes and with a space after R. If you are not adding space after R, the command will not work. Remember to not press the 'enter' key after typing the command.
Step 3 - Find the File That You Want To Delete
![Mac delete file key Mac delete file key](/uploads/1/3/3/8/133896544/652161740.jpg)
Drag that file to the Terminal window that you want to delete. This will add the filename and the path to it in the Terminal command. Double-check the file, before pressing enter to force delete file.
Step 4 - Enter Admin Password and Press Enter
Mac Pro Delete An App
When you are entering the password, nothing will show up. It seems like nothing has changed. Deletion takes its time, depending upon the size of the file.
3. Delete Files Using Safe Mode
Step 1- Click 'Restart'
Click on the Apple logo to open the menu and select restart from the drop-down list
Step 2- Click 'Restart' And Hold 'Shift' Key
When prompted, click on 'restart' to let Mac begin the process. Soon after you begin 'restart,' click on the 'shift' key and hold it.
Step 3 - Release 'Shift' At Login Window
When the login window appears, you can release shift key now, as the Mac has started in the safe mode.
Step 4 - Move the File to Trash and Empty It
Go to the file location that needs deletion and click on the file menu. From the drop-down list, select 'move to trash' to delete the selected file.
Step 5 - Empty Trash and Exit Safe Mode
Click on the trash icon and hold it. When 'empty trash' appears, select it to delete the file permanently. Now, restart the system to exit safe mode.
4. Delete Immediately
This feature skips the Trash function and helps to get rid of unwanted files. It immediately deletes files from Mac.
Step 1 - Select the File to Be Deleted
Choose the file that you want to delete from the system permanently. When you are selecting the files hold the 'Option' key to access the 'File' menu from Finder
Step 2 - Click on 'Delete Immediately'
Delete the files immediately by pressing 'delete immediately' from the 'file' menu. When the pop-up box appears, confirm to delete files.
5. Create Temporary User Account
Though this is a time-consuming method, it is best if you don't want to use the above methods.
Step 1 - Create a New User Account
In system preferences, you will view 'Accounts preference pane' to create a new user account. It is advisable to remember the password that you have set here.
Step 2 - Move the File to Shared Folder
Delete Temp Files Apple Mac
Select the file that is not getting deleted with the usual procedure. Now, move it to the shared folder that is located in the Users folder.
Step 3 - Log In To the New Account
Log out from your account to log in to the new account for moving the file into the user's trash of this account.
Step 4 – Log In To Normal User Account to Delete File
After moving the file to the trash folder, log out of the new account. Now, log in to regular accounts and delete the temporary account. To remove it, you need to go to 'system preferences.' Click on 'delete immediately,' this will remove the new user account along with the file that was not getting deleted earlier.
Part 3- How to Get Back Deleted Files on Mac
While force deleting the files, have you lost some of your important files? If yes, then don't worry as your deleted files are recoverable with the best software- Recoverit Mac Data Recovery. Here are the steps that will guide through the recovery steps.
Step 1 - Select Location and Click on Start
Download and install Recoverit on your Mac. Launch it and select the hard drive from where your data got lost. After selecting the drive, start the scanning by clicking on the 'Start' button.
Mac Delete File In Use
Step 2 - Scan Location
Recoverit runs an all-around scan and gives you a preview of the files, once the scan completes. When the scan is running, you can also make some filters and selections that include searching for lost data through file path or type.
While scanning if you find your missing data, you can even pause or stop the scan in between.
Step 3 - Recover files
Recoverit allows you the preview of the recovered files before moving to the recovery step. Take a look at the recovered files and select those that you were looking for. Now click on the 'recover' button to let them back into your system.
Users need to note this point that while recovering the files; never save them on the same path from where you have lost them previously.
Closing Words
While deleting the unwanted files, if the file is not moving out of the system, there is a chance that some internal occurrence is preventing it. If you ever caught yourself up in such situations, don't get frustrated with the problem as now you have learned the best methods to force delete files from Mac. Try the methods discussed above; they will surely resolve your issue.
While force deleting the file, if you lost some of your important files accidentally, you can recover them now. Follow the steps mentioned above and get back access to your essential files.
What's Wrong with Mac
- Recover Your Mac
- Fix Your Mac
- Delete Your Mac
- Learn Mac Hacks
Using the internet, we tend to download a lot of stuff on our Mac. It keeps on stacking up and takes on a large portion of disk storage with the passing time. Without proper care, these downloaded files will make your Mac slow. When you check, you will find many redundant programs and repeated downloaded files that make the most of the junk. This has to be fixed to get rid of old and useless downloads and clean Mac. In this post, we will tell you the methods to clean Mac by removing all of the unnecessary downloaded files using the best Mac cleaning app – TuneupMyMac.
How To Delete Multiple Downloads On Mac?
It is better to delete multiple downloads on Mac rather than selecting one to delete, which is very time-consuming. But to detect files manually, one has to check all of the downloaded files and folders on separate locations on Mac. Therefore, we suggest using the Mac cleaner app that traces all of the downloads and shows it to for a review before you can delete them.
1. How To Delete Downloads On Mac Manually?
It is common to have all the downloads piling up in our machine, and it goes unnoticed until you get a prompt, “ the disk storage is full.” That’s when we pay attention to clearing up Mac, here is the easy way to delete downloads on Mac. Follow the steps given below-
- Go to Dock and open Finder.
- Locate Downloads from the left pane, click on it.
- Select the files you want to be removed and right-click to delete.
This is although very time-consuming, and you should give the next method a try.
![Delete Files Mac App Delete Files Mac App](/uploads/1/3/3/8/133896544/781941134.png)
2. How To Delete Downloads On Mac Using TuneupMyMac?
This method teaches you how to delete downloads on Mac using TuneupMyMac. Mac photo application. Along with the downloads, it is also essential to clean the cache on Mac, that is filling up the storage unwantedly. TuneupMyMac uses the easiest way to get rid of downloads on Mac. It comes with a one-click solution, which will scan the entire system and produce a report of all the items which can be deleted. Get it now from the download button below.
Once the installation is complete, it will run a scan for your Mac and show you a summary. It will hold the files which can be cleaned from its disk and optimize it for better performance. To learn how to clean downloads on Mac using TuneupMyMac, follow the steps below-
- Go to Downloads on the left-hand side of the tab and click on it. On the right-hand side, you will see all the downloaded files and folders on your Mac.
- Select the downloads you wish to delete, and you are done.
- If you just want to get rid of the Old Downloads, you can use the feature for it. On TuneupMyMac, you will find an option on the Miscellaneous files section. You can see all downloaded files along with dates to get rid of them quickly in one-click using TuneupMyMac.
This is probably the easiest way to delete a download from a Mac. It also includes an additional feature called Shredder. This comes in handy when you think about how to delete downloads on Mac securely. Sometimes the removed files can be very confidential, and you do not want them to be retrieved. In that case, delete the files using the Shredder in the Security section of TuneupMyMac.
Additionally, to keep your Mac safe from any malware downloads, get antivirus software. We suggest using the Systweak Anti-malware.
How to Uninstall Downloads On Your Mac?
If you want to get rid of the downloads on Mac manually, this process will take a lot of time. The downloaded application can be removed by uninstalling them on Mac and the related files for the app. This process can be made easy using the Uninstaller module in TuneupMyMac, which can remove an application and all the associated files in one-click.
How To Remove Downloaded Files From Mac Desktop?
If you have a habit of saving downloads on the desktop, you might often find it cluttered. To get rid of Mac’s downloads, one must locate all the downloads from all the available files on desktop. This action can be made a lot easier using TuneupMyMac, which can identify all downloads on it with one click. Later, selected items can be deleted quickly.
How To Delete Downloads From Launchpad On Mac?
Open Launchpad using the Dock and then click on a downloaded app. Now, as all the apps start shaking, you need to click on the cross sign to uninstall it from Mac. This is how you can quickly delete downloaded apps from Mac.
Conclusion –
A Mac cleaning application is a must-have for smooth operation. It not only improves your device’s performance but helps you declutter the disk storage. TunupMyMac is a powerful application to conduct the system scan for removing the unnecessary and duplicate downloads regularly. The cleaning will also speed up the Mac, which is affected the most with junk. Therefore, it is important to get reliable software that gives excellent results when it comes to cleaning downloads on Mac. Get TuneupMyMac now from the given link below –
We hope that this method helps you understand how to delete downloads on Mac. We would like to know your views on this post to make it more useful. Your suggestions and comments are welcome in the comment section below. Share the information with your friends and others by sharing the article on social media.
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