Why do I always get Recovered Files in Trash?

Joined
May 24, 2011
Messages
496
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
New York City
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Pro 16 Inch 2019 MacOS Catalina 10.15.3 (19D76)
Why is my iMac OSX 10.9 always getting recovered files in the trash? Is this something to worry about? Thanks.
 
Joined
Sep 30, 2007
Messages
9,962
Reaction score
1,235
Points
113
Location
The Republic of Neptune
Your Mac's Specs
2019 iMac 27"; 2020 M1 MacBook Air; macOS up-to-date... always.
Why is my iMac OSX 10.9 always getting recovered files in the trash? Is this something to worry about? Thanks.

I get them too, and have for many prior versions of OS X. Apple's explanation below (it's still relevant for 10.9) is best:

Mac OS X 10.6: If the Trash contains folders of recovered files

One or more Recovered Files folders may appear in your Trash after restarting your computer.

The recovered files are temporary files used by Mac OS X applications. Usually temporary files are deleted by an application when it no longer needs them. If an application quits unexpectedly, the temporary files may not be deleted by the application. When you restart your computer, Mac OS X moves these temporary files to the Trash.

You can retrieve useful files by dragging them out of the Trash. In most cases, however, the temporary files are not important and it is safe to empty your Trash. Check with the manufacturer of the application if you are not sure.
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
You'll see those "recovered files" if you're a Microsoft Office user and reboot your machine. They can be ignored and deleted if you had a normal shut down or reboot, however, if your system crashes when using Office, do not discard them until you check them first.
 

Slydude

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Messages
17,596
Reaction score
1,072
Points
113
Location
North Louisiana, USA
Your Mac's Specs
M1 MacMini 16 GB - Ventura, iPhone 14 Pro Max, 2015 iMac 16 GB Monterey
Thanks for the explanation guys. Been getting these once in a while for years but never bothered to investigate since the systems were usually functioning well.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top