Random Files Appearing In Trash

[PGB1]

Hello All!
For the last few months random files and folders will appear in the trash on my MacBook Pro running OS X 10.6.8.

I have two User Accounts and this happens on both of them. The files or folders can be ones that I have used recently, or be ones that I have not opened in months or even years.

For Example: I the trash today I saw a spreadsheet I worked on two days ago . I also saw files from inside a folder called "HHR Shock Absorber Replacement July 2009". I have not opened that folder since July of 2009. The parent folder named was not in the trash and some of the files were still in the folder.

And, to make it even more goofy, sometimes a file I find in the trash is still in its original location as well.

I accidentally discovered it a few months ago while doing an Easy Find search for a file I needed. It was in the trash. Since then, I look in the trash before deleting.

I asked this question here back in May, but got no replies. I'm hoping that re-posting may bring some ideas. (I apologize if it is improper to try again.)

I searched Activity Monitor for any clue of a process I did not recognize and came up empty. Do any of you have ideas of why this is happening and what I can do to stop it?

Thanks For Sharing Ideas & Enjoy This Day!
Paul

 

[chscag]

Hi Paul:

Were those files created in MS Word or in another MS Office app such as Excel, Powerpoint, etc.?

 

[PGB1]

Thanks for taking time to write, Chscag,
Sometimes, docx and xlsx from Office 2011 are, indeed trashed. Even old xls and doc files may be put in the trash.
However, usually the files are random types. They include jpeg, tc3, pdf and others. The folders can have files of many types inside. And example is a folder that wound up in the trash today had a webarchive, several jpegs, a couple of pdf and one docx.

Once, an entire encrypted sparseimage with hundreds of folders and thousands of files of many types (lots of xls & xlsx) got put to the trash. Oddly, it was not mounted at the time. A couple of types that I have never seen trashed are plist and app files.

It seems that only items in the Documents folders are subject to being trashed (at least any that I've discovered so far). I checked permissions for both users' Documents folder & they have the user's name as "Read & Write" and have "Everyone" as "Read & Write". I don't know if bad stuff will happen if I change "Everyone" to "Read Only" or if it may help the problem. (I don't know to whom "Everyone" refers. The owner, too?)

Thanks Again for helping. I surely appreciate it!
Paul

 

[chas_m]

It sounds like most of the files involved are temporary copies that are often opened when you work on them, then trashed when saved, I think that is what Charlie was getting at. Have you ever tooled around with any system "cleaner" or utility that had the ability to make invisible files visible? Are you running any kind of "cleaner" utility or hahaha "anti-virus" utility at present?

 

[PGB1]

Hello Chas_M,
These files are, for lack of a better term, 'Real' ones. I do get a folder in the trash called "Recovered Files" with the temporary stuff Office makes when I use one of those programs. As far as I know, that is normal. I let it get deleted when I empty the trash.

Sometime ago, I had to make hidden files visible. I forgot the reason- Some troubleshooting I suppose. I did that through Terminal and re-hid the files when I was done. Hidden are still hidden.

As far as a cleaner utility or anti virus; I use Onyx once in a while to fix permissions and I have Clamx-AV. It is not set to run unless I turn it on manually. I haven't used it in a long time. It usually scans and finds a bunch of e-mails in my in-boxes that have re-directs in them, but that's about it. For troubleshooting this problem, I ran it last evening. It didn't find anything.

So, I'm still puzzled.
Thank You Again for writing. I'll be interested in what is happening in the background.
Paul
PS: I enjoyed (and bookmarked) your article about keeping my Mac in top form. Very helpful information.