Unable to delete photos

Hi mohavebaked,

Thanks for posting your question about Photos. I'm happy to see if I can help.

As I understand it, when you delete photos that were imported using "Keep Folder Organization," you're able to delete them from Recently Deleted, but you still see files for the photos in Finder; is that right?

If you import without "Keep Folder Organization," there are no files for the photos left in Finder, correct?

Are you using iCloud Photos?

Are you importing from an iOS device, or a camera? If it's an iOS device, which model and software version? Also, which macOS version are you using?

It sounds like a good starting point is to test this in a new user account on your Mac, which will tell you if the behavior is system-wide or user-specific: How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac. Test importing in Photos in the new user account to see if you can replicate the behavior, and reply back with the results.

I hope this helps get you started. Take care.

The photo is moved to the "Recently Deleted" album. I go to that album and select "Delete All", yet the photo remains on disk in it's original location.

When you import Photos to Photos, it will copy the Photos into the Photos Library. When you delete photos in Photos, it will not delete the files outside the Photos library, that you originally imported. The import option "Keep Folder Organization" does not change this behavior. This option will just create albums corresponding the original folders in the Photos library. But it does not link the photos in Photos to the folders outside the Photos Library, where you originally imported the photos from.

Are you importing the photos as referenced photos, with the "Photos > Preferences > General > Importing: Copy Items to the Photos Library" disabled? Then Photos will not copy the photos into the library and you must not delete the originals outside Photos, but deleteing a photo in Photos cannot delete the original outside the library.