Trash Automatically DELETES all files! Help!!

MacSinceWayBack · Apr 11, 2007

I have a Macbook, newly purchased with 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor OS X 10.4.8, and I can't put ANYTHING into the trash can without being prompted that it will be "immediately deleted". I have searched Apple's site and this forum in vain for a remedy. Does anyone recognize this issue?

ps: This problem did not come with the computer. Somehow, something along the way has happened to it.

Many Thanks In Advance for your help.

cath462 · Apr 11, 2007

This is common behavior if you're deleting files on a network. These are files on your local hard drive?

Benjamindaines · Apr 11, 2007

Open Terminal, "type rm -rf ~/.Trash" (without the quotes)
Then type "killall Finder" (again with out quotes)

If that doesn't fix it try logging out, if that still doesn't fix it let us know and we will think of something else.

MacSinceWayBack · Apr 11, 2007

First: THANKS! for your input. When I tried the "open terminal" operation I was "Permission denied" until I realized that you must have accidentally placed your quotation marks around the word "type" (bear in mind, I have never delved into Darwin/UNIX. I am not a programmer but I am willing to try acting like one)

Typing it in correctly I was able at least to progress to the second line "killall Finder". Nothing happened after that. I tested it and the trash can still goes for the immediate delete, and NO, these are definitely files on my hard-drive, not internet files.

....

bobtomay · Apr 11, 2007

Found one other incident of this. The trash folder had been deleted to cause this action. If you have accidentally done this, you may try recreating the folder by copying/pasting the following commands into terminal.

mkdir ~/.Trash
sudo chmod 700 ~/.Trash

MacSinceWayBack · Apr 12, 2007

Thank you, Bobtomay. That had some kind of result, at least. After typing "sudo chmod 700~/." my terminal issued the following message:

"We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

#1) Respect the privacy of others.
#2) Think before you type.
#3) With great power comes great responsibility."

You may be familiar with this but I have no idea what it means. Now I'm being asked for a password but when I try to input my administrator password nothing even appears in the prompt area. Dare I reboot? I await a reply before proceeding. And Thanks! again, so far.

coach_z · Apr 12, 2007

have you installed any sort of programs which may have messed with your trashcan? for example, system cleanup programs such as onyx, or things like the same? programs like adobe cs2/3 or ms office shouldnt have any effect but some weird 3rd party apps can play with weird settings on occasion
-chris

Benjamindaines · Apr 12, 2007

MacSinceWayBack said:
Thank you, Bobtomay. That had some kind of result, at least. After typing "sudo chmod 700~/." my terminal issued the following message:

"We trust you have received the usual lecture from the local System
Administrator. It usually boils down to these three things:

#1) Respect the privacy of others.
#2) Think before you type.
#3) With great power comes great responsibility."

You may be familiar with this but I have no idea what it means. Now I'm being asked for a password but when I try to input my administrator password nothing even appears in the prompt area. Dare I reboot? I await a reply before proceeding. And Thanks! again, so far.

That's just a standard message that pops up. In UNIX (Terminal) passwords don't show up as anything. So just put your password and hit return, it should work. Also, have you tried restarting your computer? Usually logging out or restarting will fix silly little things.