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- For apps downloaded from the Mac App Store, complete the following steps: Step 1: locate the Launchpad icon. Step 2: Select the program/app you want to delete. Hold it down until all the apps begin to jiggle. Step 3: Click the “X” displayed in the upper corner. Sometimes there will be a “Delete” button too that works the same way.
- In the upper-left corner of the Activity Monitor window, select the “X.” Related: How to Open Any Folder in Finder from Mac Terminal. If you’re dealing with an application that won’t respond to the previous force quit methods, then the kill command (learn more about the Kill command here) can shut the app down hard.
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!
https://exlzkwp.weebly.com/blog/mac-book-reader-apps. 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
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
![Mac os delete application Mac os delete application](/uploads/1/3/4/2/134250446/666905298.jpg)
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
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
When you are entering the password, nothing will show up. It seems like nothing has changed. https://exlzkwp.weebly.com/share-files-app-mac.html. 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. https://exlzkwp.weebly.com/full-macos-high-sierra-installer-app.html. 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.
Mac Os X App Store
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
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.
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
Sep 28, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions Flux mac app frozen.
'My Mac is getting extremely slow and I don't know how to get rid of its trash. Can someone please tell me how to force empty trash on Mac?'
If a similar query has brought you here, then consider this your lucky day! A lot of Mac users find it hard to manage their Trash folder. No matter how many times they try to empty it, there is always some or other leftover content in it. Since Mac automatically manages the Trash folder, you might need to take some extra measures to force delete trash. This will let you have more free space on your Mac or get rid of your sensitive content. In this post, we will make you familiar with 6 different ways on how to force delete trash on Mac.
Part 1: Reasons You Need to Force Empty Trash on Mac
Before uncovering ways to do macOS force empty trash, it is important to know the reasons. The following are some of the major triggers for taking this action.
- Sometimes, users simply need to get rid of their sensitive or private content from Mac so that no one else can access it again.
- If your Mac is running low on storage, then you would get some free space by getting rid of unwanted data from the trash.
- By getting rid of any trash content, you can also speed up the processing of your system as well.
- If you are reselling your Mac, then you should also make sure that you force delete the trash from Mac for your security.
Part 2: How to Empty Trash on Mac
No matter what the reason is, you can easily learn how to force delete trash on Mac by following the right approach. Here are some easy solutions to force delete trash that you can try.
Method 1: Use Mac's Terminal
While it might seem a bit complicated, using Terminal is the best practice to take complete control over your Mac. For instance, by entering the right commands, you can do almost anything on a Mac – and forcefully emptying its trash is no such exception. Here's how you can learn how to force empty trash on Macbook Pro and other Mac versions.
- Firstly, we need to launch Terminal on Mac. The easiest way to do this is by opening Spotlight and looking for Terminal from here. Just make sure that you are using the administrator account to get privileged access.
- Once the terminal window is opened, enter the keyword 'sudo rm –R' (without the quotes). Make sure you place space before '-R' and don't press enter as of now.
- Now, open the Trash folder on your Mac and select all files on it. Drag these files and drop them to the Terminal window.
- After dropping these files, press enter. You would be asked to type the admin password for your Mac to proceed.
- Press enter after typing the correct password and wait for a while as it will force empty trash on Mac.
Method 2: Using the Trash App Utilities
There are tons of third-party apps out there as well that can help you force empty trash on Mac Yosemite, Sierra, High Sierra, and other macOS versions. Though, before you download any file shredder app, just make sure it works for your macOS version. There are freely available as well as paid apps to force delete trash and manage your Mac storage. Some of these common apps are Trash it, Stellar Wipe Mac, MacClean, Mac Optimizer, Cocktail, CleanMyMac, and so on. From these options, let's learn how to force empty trash on Mac using CleanMyMac.
- Firstly, install the CleanMyMac app on your system and launch it whenever you wish to force delete trash on Mac.
- From the provided options on the left panel, visit the 'Trash Bins' feature. Click on the 'Scan' button to look for all the saved content from the Trash folder.
- You might have to wait for a while as CleanMyMac would extract the data from the Trash folder.
- In this end, you can review the extracted content and the size of the Trash folder. Simply click on the 'Empty' button and wait as it would force delete trash content.
Method 3: Restart and Try Again
There are times when even after deleting data from the Trash folder, it isn't removed. If you have followed the right approach, then consider restarting your Mac. If the application is running in the background, then a restart would get rid of the temporary files in the process. Therefore, it will also force empty trash on Mac as well.
- Simply click on the Apple logo on the screen (on the top left corner).
- From the provided options on the list, choose to 'Restart' your Mac.
- As a countdown would be started, click on the 'Restart' button again to confirm your choice.
- 4. Wait for a while as your Mac would be restarted.
Method 4: Empty the Trash folder in 'Safe Mode'
Sometimes, when we restart Mac in the normal mode, the Trash folder stays intact. To overcome this problem, you can consider restarting your Mac in the Safe Mode instead. Later, you can empty the trash when your Mac is in the Safe Mode. Here's how do you force empty trash on Mac via Safe mode.
Force Delete Mac Os
- Firstly, simply go to the Apple logo and click on the 'Restart' button to reboot your Mac.
- As your Mac would restart, hold the Shift key on the keyboard. Keep holding it when the Apple logo would appear on the screen.
- This will boot the Mac in the Safe Mode instead with minimum features. Now, go to the Trash folder and empty it.
- In the end, click on the 'Restart' button and let your Mac reboot in the normal mode. Just make sure you don't press any key this time so that it restarts normally.
What if your Mac can't be restarted? Get the fixes here: 10 Solutions to Mac Won't Turn on.
Method 5: Use the Option Key to Force Empty Mac Trash
This is an old trick for previous Mac versions that you might consider trying. Mostly, it will only work if your Mac is older than the 2015 version. Since the Option key lets us access certain key features of an application, it can also help us force delete trash on Mac as well.
- Locate the Trash folder on your Mac's dock and hold the mouse on its icon.
- As the context menu would appear, press the Option or the Shift + Option keys at the same time.
- Click on the 'Empty Trash' option from the list.
- As a pop-up would appear, confirm your choice by clicking on the 'Empty Trash' button again. You would have to wait for a while as your system would wipe the Trash folder.
Method 6: Disable System Integrity Protection
The System Integrity Protection (SIP) is a native Mac feature that was introduced in macOS 10.13 and exits in every later version. It protects third-party apps to access certain features on Mac. Therefore, if you are using a third-party tool to do Mac force empty trash in use, then you need to disable SIP on Mac first. Here's how you can turn off the System Integrity Protection feature on Mac.
- Firstly, restart your Mac in the Recovery Mode. Simply restart it and keep pressing the Command + R keys to enter the recovery mode of your Mac.
- Once the recovery mode would be loaded, go to the Utility option and open Terminal.
- Type the 'csrutil disable' command and press enter. After a while, restart your Mac in the normal mode.
How to Recover Data from Emptied Trash
Sometimes, users end up deleting data from the Trash bin accidentally as well. If you have also done the same, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery Mac. It runs on every leading macOS version and will let you restore your lost, deleted, or inaccessible content in all scenarios. Even if you have formatted a drive or have emptied the Trash, the advanced tool will extract your data. It features different scanning modes and will let you preview your data before restoring it.
To use Recoverit Data Recovery for Mac, follow these simple steps:
Step1: Select the location:
Firstly, launch the Recoverit Data Recovery application and choose where you wish to perform the data recovery operation. Just make sure the System Integrity Protection feature is disabled beforehand.
Step2: Scan selected location:
As the application would scan the selected location, wait for a while for it to extract the deleted content.
Step3: Preview and Recover the Files:
After completing the process, the application will display the results on the interface. You can preview your photos, videos, etc. here and select the files you wish to save. Click on the 'Recover' button in the end and get them back to a safe place.
Conclusion
That's a wrap, everyone! I'm sure that the guide would have helped you force empty trash on Mac by following these proven techniques. Apart from that, if you have accidentally deleted data from the Trash bin, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery. An exceptional data recovery tool for Mac, it will let you get back your lost files under different circumstances and from various sources.
What's Wrong with Mac
- Recover Your Mac
- Fix Your Mac
- Delete Your Mac
- Learn Mac Hacks