How to Delete a Locked Folder

Here is how you can unlock the folder -- I got this answer just a few days ago from joshz in this discussion forum -- it worked!

Open /Applications/Utilities/Terminal, and paste this text in, but DON'T press enter yet.

chflags nouchg

Make sure there is one space in front of the text and type a space after "nouchg."

Now drag the affected folder into Terminal, and press enter.

After closing Terminal, go back and do the "get info" thing again.

If that does not work, repeat the process, but put "sudo" in front of "chflags". You'll need to type your admin password in that case.

Good Luck.

Message was edited by: Steve Gregorich

Are you sure you want to delete this folder? I mean, as a rule folders aren't locked when they're not important, right? Maybe it's a system folder that isn't supposed to be deleted...

If you want to delete it nevertheless, then check your permissions. If the option is greyed out chances are that you don't have permissions to change that option (because you're not the owner of the folder). So Get Info on the folder and check whether you indeed are the owner. To change permissions click on the little padlock in the lower right corner of the Get Info window and authenticate yourself.

floba

Message was edited by: floba

I've run into this a couple of times for no apparent good reason (ie no Windows on my machine, no permissions problem...). Out of frustration one night, I dragged the offending folder into the Trash and then did Secure Empty Trash - bingo, no more folder. Apparently Secure doesn't pay attention to some of the other traits of the Trash contents.

Other methods in this thread may also work, but this will be the easiest (and most drastic and permanent - use with caution).

Good luck

Hi Steve,

Thank you for that tip[. It did make the folder unlocked, but it is still not allowing me to delete it.

BTW I forgot to mention it is on a networked volume - should that matter?

Rob

woodsy28 wrote:
did you manage to get rid of this folder, i'm having the same problem with a folder on my Time Capsule that just won't budge!

Any ideas?

You do not ever touch files in TC directly. Also you should post this in the TimeCapsule forum.

99% that it's folder locked by windows. Do you run Windows on your computer? If so, delete it from Windows.

I have the same problem, but I do have permissions to read/write, yet I can't delete a folder.

Does anyone know of a utility that can force-delete an item?

Make sure there is one space in front of the text and type a space after "nouchg."

That's actually just one space after, like "chflags nouchg " (without the quotes).

did you manage to get rid of this folder, i'm having the same problem with a folder on my Time Capsule that just won't budge!

Any ideas?