katiecat

Q: Trash won't empty deleted time machine backups

I manually deleted my time machine backups and they won't empty from my trash... I tried deleting it from Terminal but it always says no such file or directory.

 

When I try to delete them manually from Trash it says: "There are some locked items in the Trash. Do you want to remove all the items, including the locked ones, or just the unlocked items?" to which I said delete all, and nothing happens.

 

This is what it looks like on Terminal:

 

Last login: Tue Aug 20 15:29:28 on ttys000

Katies-MacBook-Pro:~ katie$ cd /Volumes/"Time Machine Backups"/

-bash: cd: /Volumes/Time Machine Backups/: No such file or directory

Katies-MacBook-Pro:~ katie$ sudo rm -rf .Trashes

 

 

WARNING: Improper use of the sudo command could lead to data loss

or the deletion of important system files. Please double-check your

typing when using sudo. Type "man sudo" for more information.

 

 

To proceed, enter your password, or type Ctrl-C to abort.

 

 

Password:

Katies-MacBook-Pro:~ katie$

 

 

Nothing was changed on my macbook. My external drive is plugged into my macbook and I've tried disk utility cleaning and repairing the disks and such but nothing will work. They are taking up about 1GB on my drive and it's more annoying than anything but if it happens again I want to know how to solve it. Please help!

MacBook Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4)

Posted on Aug 20, 2013 12:56 PM

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Q: Trash won't empty deleted time machine backups

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  • by gspo13,

    gspo13 gspo13 Aug 5, 2014 3:05 AM in response to smo0f
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 5, 2014 3:05 AM in response to smo0f

    The suggestion by smo0F worked very well.

     

    The files that i had deleted from Time Machine were in my trashes and 'locked'.

    Having opened up terminal in applications>utilities>terminal i then wrote the code suggested by smo0f as sudo chflags -R nouchg.

    I then opened up my trash can by clicking it and then hit ctrl-A to highlight all the files as each one has a separate folder name.

    I then dragged the highlighted folders (making sure they were all the ones from the time machine) in to the terminal after the sudo code.

    Loads of text flowed on the terminal and then I hit return.

    There was no success message, but then I went back to the trash folder that was open to empty trash using the cmd+shift+delete and it cleared it....so relieved.

     

    All those folders in the trash were like a cloud above my head, like we all haven't got enough stuff to do

     

    Huge thanks to all who contributed!

    G

  • by Trekkiemaiden,

    Trekkiemaiden Trekkiemaiden Aug 20, 2014 2:47 PM in response to smo0f
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 20, 2014 2:47 PM in response to smo0f

    Just found this solution for my other half - who was driving me crazy by being driven crazy by his non-emptying trash.  Thanks so much smo0F, you saved our evening!!

  • by NanBcn,

    NanBcn NanBcn Aug 21, 2014 10:38 AM in response to smo0f
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 21, 2014 10:38 AM in response to smo0f

    I just want to thank you all! It took some time, but you made my day. Definitely going to do thins in a different way now. I think Smoof's "sudo chflags -R nouchg" did the trick for me. But I wouldn't know for sure since I did everything. I got to get back to work now. Best to all! =D.

  • by kamahana77,

    kamahana77 kamahana77 Sep 5, 2014 10:03 PM in response to bumper947
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 5, 2014 10:03 PM in response to bumper947

    this actually works. i had the exact same problem as described in the threads primary question. i should say one thing though, and no disrespect intended, just truth- mac discussion threads suck, not be cause mac ***** but because people who want to act so **** smart lead you on goose chases. come on people.

  • by Gail J,

    Gail J Gail J Sep 27, 2014 8:16 PM in response to smo0f
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 27, 2014 8:16 PM in response to smo0f

    Thank you for this thread.  I made the mistake of offering to add my husband's iMac to the TM backups - not enough space on the 1TB Time Capsule.  I thought I would 'force' space by deleting unneeded earlier TM backups.

     

    Mistake #1: Sooooo I found advice to delete TM backups using Finder & dragging the backups to trash.  That was terrific until I tried to delete these backup date folders from trash. 

    Fixing my Mistake #1: I have exhausted all the option key / combination option key / approaches suggested in this & other threads (thank you so much for the ideas!).  Although I am not a programmer, I am trying the terminal approach you suggested - I ran into the confusion (also mentioned on this thread) that the password requested does not echo to the screen.  Right now in Terminal I have pointed the 'sudo-rm -rf/' command to 1 of the backup folders by using the 'getinfo' file address.  Terminal has been running for well over 1 hour - listing every file in that folder - as each file is loaded it ends with 'Permission denied'.  Once the entire run goes through I will try the 2nd step to see if I have more luck after running the 'sudo-chflags -R nouchg' command. 

     

    If anything in my approach appears out of whack, please let me know.  I will post as the steps unfold.

  • by Gail J,

    Gail J Gail J Oct 3, 2014 4:54 PM in response to Gail J
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 3, 2014 4:54 PM in response to Gail J

    Still working on this project.  I have now put my trash files through the terminal command as:

    gails-mbp:~ Gail$ sudo chflags -R nouchg /Volumes/Time\ Machine\ Backups/.Trashes/501/2013-09-29-231043

     

    x2.  It is still running since last night - the way I know this is when I try to cancel it I get a window asking me to confirm - otherwise there is no indicator.  I have 12 TM backup folders in my trash that I am working on getting rid of.  After I completed the sudo chflags command noted above, I have tried both the terminal approach with command rm -rf & dragging in the folders + I tried emptying trash directly by 1st doing a command & A to highlight all the folders & then holding option+command+shift+delete.  The counters for files to be deleted has ranged from 25K - 66K (it goes up each time).  None of the steps has been successful - strangely, the folders disappear for a couple of hours and have reappeared.

     

    This has tied up a stunning amount of time & cycles making my current TM backups very slow.  I am regularly rebooting / restarting.  I have not yet tried safe mode as I need to get all the steps written down before I do it & I am not a programmer so I get very nervous doing steps like that.  Next stop is the Genius Bar...

     

    btw... I deeply appreciate this thread & the folks that have provided helpful advice.  I have not yet been successful personally but have been buoyed up by the reports of others who have!

  • by Ed91,

    Ed91 Ed91 Oct 10, 2014 5:38 AM in response to smo0f
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Oct 10, 2014 5:38 AM in response to smo0f

    Thanks. I deleted a time machine backup and started emptying the trash when I came across this problem. I could neither empty the trash or put the files back (an error along the lines of "some files could not be found" after the botched attempt at emptying the trash.) In the end after running the chflags command you gave I was finally able to sudo rm -rf the folders away. Phew. I owe you one.

  • by stopmakingmechooseanewusername,

    stopmakingmechooseanewusername stopmakingmechooseanewusername Oct 16, 2014 12:34 AM in response to bumper947
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 16, 2014 12:34 AM in response to bumper947

    Amazing and so simple, thanks dude!

  • by Gail J,

    Gail J Gail J Oct 17, 2014 11:35 AM in response to Gail J
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 17, 2014 11:35 AM in response to Gail J

    x3.  Still working on getting rid of the files.  I have managed to get rid of 2 of the 12 backups I had.  Stunning investment of time to get here. 

  • by Gail J,

    Gail J Gail J Oct 25, 2014 2:18 PM in response to Gail J
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 25, 2014 2:18 PM in response to Gail J

    Whew!  Finally successful.  The trick for me was to chunk down the terminal requests to 1 - 3 back-ups.  Once I did that, using the 2 commands I was able to get my trash to stay empty.

     

    Now my Macbook Pro is tied up with a time machine back up of >300gb from my Yosemite install...  The backup has been running all week.  Down to the final 25% so the end is in sight.

  • by Archie Mac,

    Archie Mac Archie Mac Dec 9, 2014 9:08 PM in response to smo0f
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Dec 9, 2014 9:08 PM in response to smo0f

    Thanks Smo0F, I've been trying to rectify this for ages and your solution worked perfectly.

  • by j.c.c,

    j.c.c j.c.c Dec 28, 2014 6:01 PM in response to Archie Mac
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 28, 2014 6:01 PM in response to Archie Mac

    Hi, I'm trying to do the same thing. Would you be able to help me since you've done it successfully, please.

     

    I tried doing just "sudo  rm  -rf  .Trashes" but each file came back "operation not permitted", so I'd like to try using "sudo chflags -R nouchg"

    just not sure exactly where and when to enter it, and if I still need "sudo  rm  -rf  .Trashes"

     

    Thank you!!

  • by Cymbidium,

    Cymbidium Cymbidium Mar 6, 2015 3:20 PM in response to katiecat
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 6, 2015 3:20 PM in response to katiecat

    Hi, I am using a MacBook Pro, late 2011, running Yosemite 10.1.1, I have had a few issues migrating over to the upgrade. One problem I had was that I created a new disk, partition I am guessing in Time Machine Back ups. Of course the previous disk dumped all it's backups.backup files into the trash. Being on a wireless network  it was weird because, the files would be in Trash then not there, so I figured it was because of the wireless network.

     

    It was a pain as Trash could not empty or was some indeterminate time frame, i read on one forum it took the guy 4 days... I wanted to get rid of them fast and clear space...so after trawling through forums and I want to thank, smoo0F and Pondini for there ideas(read their articles), I came up with a successful result, as follows;

     

    1.Open Trash, do not start any empty Trash commands, just have window open.

    2. Open up Terminal, your drive and username tilda etc should be there on command line.

    3. Type      sudo rm -rf         ( note there is a space after -rf)

    4. Drag the file from Trash and drop it on the command line after the space, sudo rm -rf (dragged file name) press enter

    5. OS X will ask for your administrator username password, enter this exactly as terminal will not show what you are typing, hit enter.

    6. If the little white dot has gone from the password prompt <>, then you know the system is working IT IS THE ONLY small indicator something is happening, go and make a cup of tea and come back, voilã it had been trashed. If you type incorrect password, then system will ask again, but I think stops asking after 3 attempts.

    7. I started with one folder at a time and once on a roll, within a certain time you can type sudo command and drag and drop files over, without a prompt for a password, as you are allowed a certain time frame for repeat functions.

    9. The time taken for various folders varied from 15 sec to a couple of minutes don't know why.

    10. This was still too slow for me so I grabbed 10 folders all their included files, locked and unlocked,dragged them across, dropped on command line and I think, half a cup of tea later they where gone. Checked Time Machine, no dramas, No dramas with OS X. Everything working fine.

     

    It took me a couple of attempts to get the command structure right, be aware that keystrokes where not present in password and to be patient that the activity was taking place in background, as Pondini puts it there is no progress bar. So thanks to the forum and hope maybe this helps out.

    Cymbidium. (type of Orchid what else, studying Horticulture)

  • by xjmachado,

    xjmachado xjmachado Mar 25, 2015 4:45 PM in response to bumper947
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 25, 2015 4:45 PM in response to bumper947

    Bumper,


    Thanks for the tip, that worked for me too.

  • by biggbest,

    biggbest biggbest Jun 29, 2015 12:51 AM in response to bumper947
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jun 29, 2015 12:51 AM in response to bumper947

    bumper947 wrote:

     

    open trash then hold down command option shift delete...this works for me

     

    I had no hopes for this method, but it worked

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