Force Delete File 2024 | How to Remove Unremovable Files on Mac

Quick navigation:

American English translation: "English to Chinese translation means turning English text into Chinese. This could be anything from translating single words to whole sentences, paragraphs, or full documents. It's really important to think about context, cultural differences, and keeping the same meaning and tone. Like this: English: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Chinese Translation: "That quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." Remember, the exact translation might be a bit different based on the situation."

Why Can't I Delete a File on My Mac?

Normally, deleting files and folders from your Mac is straightforward by dragging them to the Trash. However, sometimes things don't go as planned. When you encounter the awkward situation of can't delete file on Mac, we first figure out what's wrong with the file. Below are some common factors that prevent your Mac from deleting files or uninstalling apps.

• 1. The file is currently in use
• 2. The file is locked and set to read-only
• 3. Lack of permission to modify the file
• 4. A bug with MacFinder
• 5. Issues with macOS system corruption

Solution 1: Force Quit and Remove the File on Mac

Did you receive any error messages that might explain why the file won't delete? It could be something like:

• This item can't be moved to the trash because it can't be deleted.
• This action can't be completed because the item (name) is in use.

If you see this error, you'll need to force quit the app that's using the file in order to successfully delete it. It can be difficult to tell which app is using the file, so you may want to quit all of them. Here's how to force quit apps and delete the file.

Step 1: Press and hold these three keys together: Option, Command, and Esc (Escape). Or choose “Force Quit” from the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen. (This is similar to hitting Control-Alt-Delete on a PC.)

Step 2: Then, in the Force Quit window, select the app and click "Force Quit."

Repeat this for any other apps that are still running in the background. If Finder is unresponsive, you can force it to quit: select Finder in the Force Quit window, then click Relaunch.

Solution 2: Change the permission from read-only to read-write

Read-only: Users can open the item but can't make changes. When a file is read-only, deletion is refused unless you change it from read-only to read/write.

Step 1: Open a new Finder window. Press Command-I to show the Get Info window.

2. Click the arrow next to “Sharing & Permissions” at the bottom of the window to reveal the permissions.

Step 3: Click the “Permissions” menu next to the username, and select “Read & Write.” Save your changes and close the Get Info window.

Another case when you can't delete a file happens with an external hard drive formatted with NTFS. NTFS is a file system compatible with Windows, and macOS only lets you read from an NTFS hard drive but doesn't allow you to write to or delete anything on it. This guide is specifically about fixing an external hard drive read-only issue on Mac.

Solution 3: Unlock and Delete a File on macOS

This is similar to the read-only issue, and is another permission restriction. When a file is locked, you need to unlock it before you can move it to the Trash.

< strong > Step 2. < /strong> Go to the General tab and uncheck the Locked checkbox if it is selected.

Step 3: Go back and select the file again, and delete it once more.

Solution 4: Delete Stubborn Files via Terminal

For advanced Mac users, the Terminal offers a way to delete files using the command line that can't be removed any other way.

Step 1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac using one of the following methods.

Open a Finder window on your Mac, then click “Applications” and then “Utilities” to find Terminal. Or, press Command + Space to open Spotlight, type terminal, and then press Enter.

Step 2: In the Terminal window, 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 attempt... deleting corrupted file or folder.

If none of these four methods work for you, don't give up. There are more methods to try, one by one, until you're able to delete the files or folder.

• If you can't delete the folder, try deleting its contents individually. Get rid of any troublesome files, then try moving the folder to the Trash again. • Create a new file or folder elsewhere than in the folder or disk where the item you want to discard is located. Give the new item the same name as the stubborn item, then move or copy it to the same folder. When Finder asks if you want to replace it, click Yes or Replace, then empty the Trash to get rid of the moved item. • Run a file repair utility to check and fix any issues with deleting the file. Once done, try emptying the Trash to fully remove the problematic file from your Mac's drive.

Be careful… you shouldn't delete useful files and folders

It can be frustrating to have files you want to get rid of hanging around. The methods detailed in this guide are for deleting unwanted items, some of which are said to be permanent. Caution is required when performing certain actions, such as emptying the Trash or using the `rm` command in Terminal, as these are intended to remove all files, not just one.

But, just in case you accidentally delete other important photos, videos, or documents, you can download Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to perform a thorough recovery. It's a dedicated tool that recovers lost data from over 100 different scenarios, such as deletion, disk formatting, hard drive failure, and damaged photos/videos…

You can do your research, read objective reviews and product comparisons on reputable IT websites, and trust in this well-reviewed, powerful, efficient, and 99.7% successful Mac data recovery app.

Note: You can create a backup of your Mac by clicking "Disk Backup" on the left first. The software will recover the deleted files from the backup image, which can prevent further damage to the disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.

Step 1: Choose a location and scan

Launch Disk Drill for Mac, choose the disk with lost data, and click “Search for Lost Files” to start scanning.

Select a location and then click “Search Lost Files”.

Step 2: Preview and select the lost files to recover

Once the scan is over, you can use the file type filters in the top-left or top-right corner to locate the deleted files you need.

Step 3: Recover Lost Data or Files

You can double-click a file to preview its content, or select multiple files for batch recovery. Click “Recover” to restore the lost data to your local or cloud drive.

Conclusions

It can be frustrating when you can't delete a file on your Mac, especially if it seems like there's no reason for it. Luckily, you can try a few different solutions to force a stubborn file's removal. If all else fails, you can use Terminal to delete the file, but be careful with this option since you could accidentally delete important files and folders if you aren't careful. With these tips in mind, you should be able to successfully delete any file on your Mac, no matter how persistent it is!

Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Unremovable Files on Mac

Even if you're having trouble, don't worry – the Q&A below should help a great deal.

**1. How do I force delete an undeletable file?** When a file cannot be deleted normally, you can try the following methods to forcibly remove it: 1. **Using Command Prompt (Windows and macOS/Linux)**: - **Windows**: Open Command Prompt and type `del /f /a filename` or `rd /s /q foldername` (replace "filename" with the file name and "foldername" with the folder name). - **macOS/Linux**: Open Terminal and input `sudo rm -rf filename` or `sudo rm -rf foldername`. 2. **Delete in Safe Mode**: Restart your computer and boot into Safe Mode, then attempt to delete the file. 3. **Use Third-Party Tools**: Download and install a file manager like "LockHunter" or "CCleaner," which often have force delete options. 4. **Terminate Associated Processes**: In Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (macOS), end any running processes associated with the file, then try deleting it. 5. **Check File Permissions**: Ensure you have sufficient permissions to delete the file. Change the permission settings in the file's properties, and then retry. 6. **Disk Repair**: In macOS, use the `diskutil repairVolume /dev/diskX` command, and in Windows, use `chkdsk /f /r driveletter:` to check and fix disk errors, which might resolve the issue. Please note that force deletion may result in permanent data loss, so exercise caution. If the file is due to a virus or malware, it's recommended to perform a full system scan first.

Here are the solutions to force delete a folder in Windows 10:

• Force delete a folder in CMD
• Use software to force delete a folder
• Delete a file by taking ownership
• Force delete a folder or file in Safe Mode

Why won't my computer let me delete a file?

In most cases, you can't delete a file because it's being used by another program.

How do I permanently delete a file on a Mac?

You can erase all content and settings on your Mac to permanently delete files from it.