How to Delete Files on Mac that Won't Delete: Methods Vary from Specific Errors

Quick Navigation:

Why Files Won't Delete on Mac

When trying to delete files or folders on a Mac, issues may arise if the file is locked, in use by another program, or corrupted. Additionally, some files may be system files that are protected by the operating system, or there may be permissions issues preventing deletion. Furthermore, if an application is still running in the background, it may prevent its associated files from being deleted. In such cases, trying to force quit the application or using the "Secure Empty Trash" option may resolve the issue. If not, it may be necessary to use a third-party tool or seek further assistance.

• 1. The file is currently in use
• 2. The file is locked, and read-only
• 3. Lack permission to modify a file
• 4. Mac Finder bugs
• 5. macOS corruption issues

Solution 1. Force Quit and Delete

Is there any error message telling you why you cannot delete the file? It can be error messages like these:

• The item can't be moved to the Trash because it can't be deleted.
• The operation can't be completed because the item (name) is in use.

If you're getting error messages like "The file is being used by another application" or "The file is in use by another process", you need to force quit the app that's currently using the file before you can delete it. Since you might not know which app is using the file, it's easier to just quit all apps and try again. To do this, follow the steps to force quit the app(s) and then you should be able to delete the file successfully.

Step 1. To force quit an application on a Mac, press the Option, Command, and Esc keys simultaneously, or choose Force Quit from the Apple menu. This action is similar to pressing Control-Alt-Delete on a PC.

Step 2. To force quit an app on a Mac, open the Force Quit window by pressing Command + Option + Esc, then select the app you want to quit and click Force Quit.

To close all apps running in the background, follow these steps: Select the Apple menu, then click on Force Quit. In the Force Quit window, select the app you want to close and click "Force Quit." If the Finder stops responding, select it in the Force Quit window, then click "Relaunch.

Solution 2. Change Permissions from Read-only to Read-Write

Read- When a file is open, you can view its contents, but you can't edit or modify it. If you try to delete the file, you'll get an error message, but you can resolve the issue by switching the file's access permission to allow editing.

Step 1. To open a new Finder window and display the Get Info window, press Command-I after launching a new Finder window.

Step 2. At the bottom of the window, click the arrow next to Sharing & Permissions to display permissions.

Step 3. To change your privileges on a file, click on the Privilege menu next to your username and select Read & Write. Save the changes and close the Get Info window.

If you're unable to delete a file, it's not just a matter of a simple file system issue. Another chance of not being able to delete a file happens to an NTFS external hard drive, which is a Windows-compatible file system. This is because macOS only allows you to read an NTFS hard drive, but can't write or delete anything from it, making it a read-only problem that requires a specific guide to fix.

Solution 3. Unlock File and Delete

When a file is locked, you need to unlock it first in order to move it to the Trash.

Step 1. Ctrl-click the file you cannot delete and select Get Info.

Step 2. To access and modify the General tab settings, expand it, and locate the Locked checkbox. If it's currently enabled, deselect it by clicking on it to toggle it off. This will allow you to make changes to the settings.

Step 3. Go back to select the file and delete it again.

Solution 4. Delete Stubborn Files Through Terminal

Terminal provides a way for advanced Mac users to delete files that cannot be deleted through regular means, using the command line.

Step 1. To open the Mac Terminal utility, you can either click on the Terminal icon in the Applications/Utilities folder or use Spotlight to search for Terminal and click on the result.

• To navigate to Terminal on your Mac, open a Finder window and select Applications > Utilities.
• To open the Terminal app on a Mac, press the Command (⌘) + Space keys to open the Spotlight search, type "Terminal" and press the Enter key. This will open a new Terminal window where you can execute commands and navigate through your file system.

Step 2. To delete a file in the Terminal, type "rm" followed by a space, then drag the file you want to delete into the Terminal window.

Step 3. Press Enter to execute the file deletion.

Last Try...for Peculiar File or Folder Deletion

Don't give up if the four methods didn't work for your case. We have more thoughts here. Try them one by one until you successfully throw away those particular files or folders.

• If you're unable to delete a folder, try deleting its contents first. Remove any files that cause errors during deletion, and then attempt to trash the folder again. This approach can help resolve the issue and allow you to successfully delete the folder.
• To get rid of an item that can't be deleted, create a new file or folder with the same name in a different location, then move the original item out of the way by copying it into the new file or folder. When prompted to replace the existing item, confirm and then delete the original item. This approach allows you to bypass the deletion issue and free up space.
• Run a file repair utility to examine and repair the file deletion issue, and then attempt to empty the trash to completely remove the problematic file from the Mac drive.

Be Careful...You Shouldn't Have Deleted Useful Files and Folders

Deleting unwanted files can be frustrating, especially when you have to sift through multiple files to find the one you want to get rid of. The methods outlined in this guide aim to help you delete unwanted items, some of which can permanently delete files. However, it's essential to exercise caution when using methods like emptying the Trash or using the rm Terminal command, as they can delete all files in the designated area rather than just a single file.

If you've accidentally deleted important pictures, videos, or documents, you can recover them using Deep Data Recovery for Mac, a program that can recover lost data from over 100 scenarios, including deletion, disk formatting, and hard drive inaccessibility.

You can do research, read unbiased reviews and product comparisons on authoritative IT websites, and choose a reputable, powerful and efficient Mac data recovery application that has a guaranteed recovery rate of 99.7%.

Related Articles

• 9 Fixes - Fix Mac Not Reading SD Card Once for All
• MacOS Update Cannot Be Installed? See Here!
• What is Other on Mac Storage? Clear Other Storage Without Deleting Wrong Data
• How to View Pictures from SD Card on Macbook

Is this information helpful?   Yes   No

This information is not relevant.

This information is not easy to understand.

This information is not deep enough.

What can we do to improve this information? (Optional)

Refresh Please enter the verification code!