How can I easily change the sound of empty trash in Big Sur like it used to be?

Question

Level 1

126 points

How can I easily change the sound of empty trash in Big Sur like it used to be?

This question was asked already and answered superbly! But I can't get to the final step. I hope it's OK to do, but I'm going to copy & paste the problem/solution. I'm hoping someone else will read it who knows more than us? Thank you, Larry

Bardo

User level:

Level 1

(29 points)

Dec 6, 2020 10:47 AM in response to tunescool

I agree. I really dislike some of the new sounds in Big Sur. The trash is one of them. Here's how to update it.

Navigate to /System/Library/Components/CoreAudio.component/Contents/SharedSupport/SystemSounds/finder

*Note, this directory is hidden so you'll have to enter this in the search bar using the magnifying glass in your menu bar.

There you'll see two files: "move to trash.aif" and "empty trash.aif". While either is highlighted, click on the space bar to hear each of these. These are the files you'll want to replace, though I recommend keeping the old ones there and putting a ".bigsur" after the names for future reference.

Here's the delete trash sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ7qTT-_6Vk This should get you started. Obviously, you'll have to strip it from here, convert it to an .aif file and rename it then place it in the folder above. Hope this helps!

Reply Helpful (1) Thread reply - more options

User profile for user: Bardo

Bardo

User level:

Level 1

(29 points)

Dec 6, 2020 11:15 AM in response to Bardo

Okay, so I may have spoken too soon. I just tried this and working to bypass a permissions block on that folder. Anyone have thoughts on how to do this?

Reply Helpful Thread reply - more options

User profile for user: Larry Cohen

Larry Cohen

User level:

Level 1

(117 points)

macOS

Speciality level out of ten: 0

Dec 26, 2020 6:56 AM in response to Bardo

Bardo, Excellent explanation to solve this issue of simply getting the old empty trash sound in Big Sur. I followed you perfectly and and the "empty trash.aif file"

But you are correct, even when I try to change permissions, I'm not allowed to because I don't have the "necessary permission"

:(

Is there no way to work around this anyone's thought of? So frustrating! But you did a great job getting to this point. And why would Apple care if I simply wanted to use an old sound effect?

Thank you,

Larry

Reply Helpful Post actions

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 11.1

Posted on Dec 26, 2020 7:03 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 26, 2020 8:12 AM in response to Barney-15E

OMG! Barney, I think you have a VERY GOOD workaround that just might "fool" Apple! :) and let me change the setting! I'm just being funny here, but whenever I see this kind of response when I'm trying to alter something on my Mac, I always think . . . I OWN YOU! I PAID FOR YOU! Why can't I change you? :)

Just kidding . . .

I'm familiar with what you're saying and think I can do it but am I correct here. I have a 2020 MacBook Pro 16 and I TM and lone it daily. But when the T2 chip came in (which my macs have now) they DON'T allow you to boot from an external drive unless you make certain setting changes in the computer by restarting and holding Command + R and then tweaking a few settings. THEN you're good to go! Here's a link to how I'd do that.

https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/01/15/how-to-make-new-t2-secured-macs-boot-from-external-drives

Then I think you mean reboot from the 'Clone' and change the aif file that way? I think this is what you're saying and I'm gonna try! Thank you very much! You've certainly made my day!

Larry

Reply

Answer 2

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,374 points

Dec 26, 2020 8:22 AM in response to Larry Cohen

Then I think you mean reboot from the 'Clone' and change the aif file that way? I think this is what you're saying and I'm gonna try! Thank you very much! You've certainly made my day!

Larry

Yes, booting from a Clone should work. I don't know if the Macintosh HD will mount automatically, but you should be able to mount it in Disk Utility if it doesn't.

You could also boot from Recovery and do it with unix commands in the Terminal, but that would imply a decent working knowledge of the shell. Hence my term, "another source," as it isn't really another drive.

All of the added security steps are to keep a hacker from being able to modify the OS. While modifying the trash sound isn't much of a threat, separating out the "ok to alter" stuff from the "should not alter" stuff would be more complicated than it is worth. If you really feel it necessary to alter Apple's design, it can still be done, but you have to really want to do it.

The vast majority of the OS is mounted Read Only, so nothing can elevate their privileges and alter it. It doesn't matter if you paid Apple for the device. The OS isn't yours--it is only licensed.

One thing they did do to allow customization was to allow you to change the startup drive icon. They created a symbolic link to the read/write Volume so when you change the icon, it writes the information to the read/write volume and the system can still then find the icon you want to display. But, they have never made it simple to change things like sounds or login screens because those are all part of the design, and Apple is all about their design.

Reply

Answer 3

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 26, 2020 8:25 AM in response to Barney-15E

Barney, YOU are terrific! I don't use this discussion board much, but over the years you have answered my questions a few times! I really thank you! I'm actually a Senior producer for a show that airs nationally on PBS (and I LOVE FCPro!) so I never rn into anyone trying to hack my Mac in 20 years of so! But let's sound my blessings and probably it's because Apple does such a great job! And I do find tweaking with these work arounds like your suggestions to be very mind stimulating! I'm going to play with this now with a new cup of coffee and I'll keep you posted. I REALLY thank you though :)

Larry

Reply

Answer 4

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 26, 2020 8:31 AM in response to Larry Cohen

Hmmm . . . I just read my reply to you and found a few typos - more than I usually make! I need to proof read my work more, I think! Or is the auto corrections in Big Sur a bit stronger than before and it's not me - it's just perhaps overcorrecting things?? Or do you find you make more typos too?

It could be me! (I'm kind of going it's NOT Apple! Oh, maybe the keyboard of my MacBook Pro 16. I've read it's a little bit different with key pressure etc! Boy, there's a lot to these computers!

Reply

Answer 5

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,374 points

Dec 26, 2020 9:12 AM in response to Larry Cohen

I don't know if it started in Big Sur, but it flags homonyms quite often (like to). I type dyslexically, if that is a thing. I can touch type with some speed, but I often swap two letters in the middle of the word. The spell checker usually can't autocorrect them, but at least they are flagged.

You may be right that autocorrect is a bit more aggressive, but I don't know for sure. I bounce between three different keyboards between work and home, so my touch typing has suffered as they all have different spacing and feel.

Reply

Answer 6

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 27, 2020 2:13 PM in response to Barney-15E

Hi Barney,

Everything you wrote above worked perfectly for me to change the "empty trash.aif" sound buried deep in Big Sur OS!

But then, of course, Apple will not let me change or delete files in Big Sur! So I did what you suggested - I rebooted my Mac from a clone and then I see my original Mac icon as I should! I dug down in the original Mac to where the "empty trash.aif" lives and found it and guess what? I could delete it and drag and drop the original sound in it's place! I clicked it and listened, yes it's the original sound effect of trash emptying! Worked perfectly! So the original trash sound is now in my Mac. I ejected everything, restarted everything and . . . I can't believe this - the sound did NOT change. Still the Big Sur trash empty sound. How can this be?? I deleted this "new" sound and replaced it with the "original" sound. I triple checked everything was right, ejected and restarted the Mac - and somehow it reverted back to the "new" trash empty sound. I actually did this twice!

Why do you think this fails? How does my Mac get the "new" sfx back? I'm totally stumped! I thank you for your time, fortunately this isn't that important! Bi'm really curious why this isn't working? Have a good night,

Larry

Reply

Answer 7

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 27, 2020 2:16 PM in response to Larry Cohen

Hi Barney,

Everything you wrote above worked perfectly for me to change the "empty trash.aif" sound buried deep in Big Sur OS!

But then, of course, Apple will not let me change or delete files in Big Sur! So I did what you suggested - I rebooted my Mac from a clone and then I see my original Mac icon as I should! I dug down in the original Mac to where the "empty trash.aif" lives and found it and guess what? I could delete it and drag and drop the original sound in it's place! I clicked it and listened, yes it's the original sound effect of trash emptying! Worked perfectly! So the original trash sound is now in my Mac. I ejected everything, restarted everything and . . . I can't believe this - the sound did NOT change. Still the Big Sur trash empty sound. How can this be?? I deleted this "new" sound and replaced it with the "original" sound. I triple checked everything was right, ejected and restarted the Mac - and somehow it reverted back to the "new" trash empty sound. I actually did this twice!

Why do you think this fails? How does my Mac get the "new" sfx back? I'm totally stumped! I thank you for your time, fortunately this isn't that important! Bi'm really curious why this isn't working? Have a good night,

Larry

Reply

Answer 8

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,374 points

Dec 27, 2020 4:03 PM in response to Larry Cohen

Sorry. I don’t know what is causing that. Big Sur boots from a “sealed” snapshot, so it may not look into the drive until it creates another snapshot, but I don’t know how to trigger that.

Did you check if the file stored is still the old sound, or did it get overwritten?

Reply

Answer 9

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 27, 2020 5:39 PM in response to Barney-15E

Hi Barney,

I am totally confused! I redid the entire process just now, for the 4th time. Booted from an external Clone, them went into the internal drive of the actual Mac deleted the aif icon - replaced it with the "old" SFX of trash emptying! Checked it twice!

Rebooted the system and just looked directly at the path above to hear the SFX icon and confirm it was the newly replaced version . . . and it wasn't!! Somehow it reverts back to what Apple has it set to. How can it do that?? I don't get it??

But I sure thank you for your efforts. It actually only takes a few minutes to do, if you want to stimulate your mind with FAILURE!! :) maybe try it yourself. Oh well, fortunately it's not very important! But I did think I understood this a bit better! I would surely think what we did should work! But it doesn't :(

Anyway, fortunately everything is working magnificently on my Mac with FCPro and all the other apps I use. I'll hear the trash empty and always think how . . . we failed :) No big deal :)

Have a good night! Unless you can think of a reason why the Mac is so consistent?

Larry

Reply

Answer 10

Larry Cohen Author

Level 1

126 points

Dec 27, 2020 5:49 PM in response to Larry Cohen

Barney, I won't bother you any more, but this illogical failure reminds me of this short story.

Thomas Edison failed about 1,000 times as he was inventing the electric light bulb. When asked by a reporter how it felt to FAIL 1,000 times before he got it right he replied "I didn't FAIL 1,000 times . . . I learned 1000 ways it doesn't work!"

Here's the quote! One of my favorite stories. But you'd sure think we could figure this out!

4. "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

https://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/37-quotes-from-thomas-edison-that-will-bring-out-your-best.html

Good night :)

Reply

Answer 11

Barney-15E

Level 10

112,374 points

Dec 26, 2020 7:20 AM in response to Larry Cohen

Those files are most likely stored on the Read-only OS Volume. You would have to boot from another drive in order to alter them.

Reply

How can I easily change the sound of empty trash in Big Sur like it used to be?

Similar questions