Desktop Gone after 8000 Images Dropped on Desktop!

Firehammer · Firehammer #1 (**permalink**)

01-20-2011, 11:01 AM

I have an IMac here from a friend who accidentally dropped 8000+ jpeg's onto his desktop. Now all desktop icons are gone and when you use the finder to see the jpeg files and attempt to drag them to a more appropriate location, you get a message that says the Files can't be moved because another application is using them.
How would you manage moving these files off the desktop?

Buzzard2010 · Buzzard2010 #2 (**permalink**)

01-20-2011, 11:16 AM

Reboot and try again.

- Simon

Firehammer · Firehammer #3 (**permalink**)

01-20-2011, 05:25 PM

If it were only that easy!
Anyone have any other ideas?

chscag · chscag #4 (**permalink**)

01-20-2011, 08:34 PM

Which application is using the jpeg files or created them? By closing down the program that has control over the jpeg files, they then should be movable or deletable. Note that the user desktop is just another folder.

Firehammer · Firehammer #5 (**permalink**)

01-20-2011, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chscag

Which application is using the jpeg files or created them? By closing down the program that has control over the jpeg files, they then should be movable or deletable. Note that the user desktop is just another folder.

They are straight from a camera. No application is running but Finder.
More info: Thinking it was a permissions thing, I booted from the Mac OSX DVD and repaired permissions, rebooted but no change.
If I try and open or move any of the 8000 jpg files on the desktop it tells me it can't be opened or moved because another program is using it.
I used Terminal to move one of the desktop jpg files to an external drive and it moved! But when I try to open it from the external drive I get "Item [filename] is used by Mac OS X and cannot be opened.

Thank you for giving this issue some thought and energy! I figure I'll find the answer here if anywhere.

chscag · chscag #6 (**permalink**)

01-20-2011, 10:26 PM

You said they were loaded straight from a camera? Are you sure that iPhoto does not have hold of them? Whenever I attach my camera and start to load photos on my Mac, iPhoto will open and offer to place them in its library. I don't use iPhoto so I don't allow that to happen.

Check to see if they've been loaded into the iPhoto library as well as on the desktop. Let us know.

Buzzard2010 · Buzzard2010 #7 (**permalink**)

01-21-2011, 08:42 AM

Boot up in safe mode and see if you can move/ delete them then.

Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode

- Simon

EvenStranger · EvenStranger #8 (**permalink**)

01-21-2011, 10:14 AM

If you have another Mac available, you could try booting your mac in Target Disk Mode (power on, hold down T key until FireWire logo appears on the screen), turning it into a dumb hard drive, and connecting it to a second Mac via FireWire cable. You should then be able to open your user's Desktop folder and move the files to a subfolder. The Mac will choke big time trying to display all 8000 objects on the desktop at one time, so by viewing them in normal finder mode, it makes them a little easier to manage.

wavinwayne · wavinwayne #9 (**permalink**)

01-21-2011, 10:32 AM

You could also try booting with a Ubuntu Live CD, and see if you can move the files that way.

Firehammer · Firehammer #10 (**permalink**)

01-21-2011, 10:44 AM

Thanks for all the great ideas. I did manage to get past it late last night after chscag asked about whether the iphoto library had a hold on the jpgs in question. It did and in fact the desktop jpgs were copies. Thanks chscag. So I used Finder to move all non jpg files and folders to the document folder for safe keeping, then I used a terminal command to delete everything left in the Desktop folder. Now when I moved the desktop items back they appeared again with the 8000 jpgs gone.
All better.

Buzzard2010 · Buzzard2010 #11 (**permalink**)

01-21-2011, 10:59 AM

Glad you got it sorted.

- Simon

chscag · chscag #12 (**permalink**)

01-21-2011, 02:23 PM

Thanks for posting back. Gotta be careful with iPhoto - it's sneaky.

Anyway glad you have all sorted out. Have fun and visit often.

Buzzard2010 #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 22, 2010 Location: Bretforton, Worcestershire Posts: 2,571 Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 15" 2014, 2.2GHz i7, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD, OSX 10.9.5 - iPhone 5s 16gb	01-20-2011, 11:16 AM Reboot and try again. - Simon If you have been helped, don't forget to use the Reputation system at the top right of their post. May 2011 Nominated: March 2011 & April 2011
	QUOTE Thanks

chscag #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 42,685 Mac Specs: 27" iMac i5, 3.2 GHz, iPad 3, iPhone 5c, 3 iPods, Yosemite	01-20-2011, 08:34 PM Which application is using the jpeg files or created them? By closing down the program that has control over the jpeg files, they then should be movable or deletable. Note that the user desktop is just another folder. COMMUNITY RULES Writing a Quality Post
	QUOTE Thanks

chscag #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 42,685 Mac Specs: 27" iMac i5, 3.2 GHz, iPad 3, iPhone 5c, 3 iPods, Yosemite	01-20-2011, 10:26 PM You said they were loaded straight from a camera? Are you sure that iPhoto does not have hold of them? Whenever I attach my camera and start to load photos on my Mac, iPhoto will open and offer to place them in its library. I don't use iPhoto so I don't allow that to happen. Check to see if they've been loaded into the iPhoto library as well as on the desktop. Let us know. COMMUNITY RULES Writing a Quality Post
	QUOTE Thanks

Buzzard2010 #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 22, 2010 Location: Bretforton, Worcestershire Posts: 2,571 Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 15" 2014, 2.2GHz i7, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD, OSX 10.9.5 - iPhone 5s 16gb	01-21-2011, 08:42 AM Boot up in safe mode and see if you can move/ delete them then. Mac OS X: Starting up in Safe Mode - Simon If you have been helped, don't forget to use the Reputation system at the top right of their post. May 2011 Nominated: March 2011 & April 2011
	QUOTE Thanks

wavinwayne #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 01, 2010 Location: North AL Posts: 162 Mac Specs: Late '09 Macbook Pro 13"	01-21-2011, 10:32 AM You could also try booting with a Ubuntu Live CD, and see if you can move the files that way. Don't believe anything I tell you, unless it is consistent with what you already know to be true, or unless you have taken the time to research the matter to prove its accuracy to your satisfaction. This is known as "doing your homework."
	QUOTE Thanks

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Firehammer #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 20, 2011 Posts: 4	01-20-2011, 11:01 AM I have an IMac here from a friend who accidentally dropped 8000+ jpeg's onto his desktop. Now all desktop icons are gone and when you use the finder to see the jpeg files and attempt to drag them to a more appropriate location, you get a message that says the Files can't be moved because another application is using them. How would you manage moving these files off the desktop?
	QUOTE Thanks

EvenStranger #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 09, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 844 Mac Specs: Currently 13" Late 2010 MBA, 4GB/128GB; Early 2011 13" MBP, dual core i7 2.7ghz, 4gb ram, 500gb hd	01-21-2011, 10:14 AM If you have another Mac available, you could try booting your mac in Target Disk Mode (power on, hold down T key until FireWire logo appears on the screen), turning it into a dumb hard drive, and connecting it to a second Mac via FireWire cable. You should then be able to open your user's Desktop folder and move the files to a subfolder. The Mac will choke big time trying to display all 8000 objects on the desktop at one time, so by viewing them in normal finder mode, it makes them a little easier to manage.
	QUOTE Thanks

Firehammer #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 20, 2011 Posts: 4	01-21-2011, 10:44 AM Thanks for all the great ideas. I did manage to get past it late last night after chscag asked about whether the iphoto library had a hold on the jpgs in question. It did and in fact the desktop jpgs were copies. Thanks chscag. So I used Finder to move all non jpg files and folders to the document folder for safe keeping, then I used a terminal command to delete everything left in the Desktop folder. Now when I moved the desktop items back they appeared again with the 8000 jpgs gone. All better.
	QUOTE Thanks

Buzzard2010 #11 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 22, 2010 Location: Bretforton, Worcestershire Posts: 2,571 Mac Specs: MacBook Pro 15" 2014, 2.2GHz i7, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD, OSX 10.9.5 - iPhone 5s 16gb	01-21-2011, 10:59 AM Glad you got it sorted. - Simon If you have been helped, don't forget to use the Reputation system at the top right of their post. May 2011 Nominated: March 2011 & April 2011
	QUOTE Thanks

chscag #12 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 23, 2008 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 42,685 Mac Specs: 27" iMac i5, 3.2 GHz, iPad 3, iPhone 5c, 3 iPods, Yosemite	01-21-2011, 02:23 PM Thanks for posting back. Gotta be careful with iPhoto - it's sneaky. Anyway glad you have all sorted out. Have fun and visit often. COMMUNITY RULES Writing a Quality Post
	QUOTE Thanks

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