I keep getting an error when I try to delete a file on my computer that the operation can't be completed because .Trash needs to be downloaded. I have viewed a previous thread on this topic and have rebooted my computer in safe mode multiple times, and sometimes the trash starts working again but only for a couple days and then the error comes up again.
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.6
Hello chyland_23,
Thanks for choosing the Apple Support Communities. We see you are sometimes having issues deleting files due to the trash bin not working correctly.
Have you by chance tested this in a test user to see if this is a system wide issue? Here is how: Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support
Also, make sure your Mac is fully up to date - Update macOS on Mac - Apple Support
If this is system wide, it may be a good idea to back up your Mac, and reinstall macOS without formatting the hard drive. This will give you a fresh OS install.
How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support
We hope this helps.
Cheers!
It sounds like you are having trouble deleting files on your Mac because of an issue with the .Trash folder. Here are a few things you can try to resolve this issue:
1 - Check the permissions on your Trash folder: Open the Terminal app on your Mac and type the following command:
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ls -leO /.Trash/
This will show you the permissions on the .Trash folder. Make sure that you have read and write permissions on the folder. If you don't, you can change the permissions using the chmod command:
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chmod u+rw /.Trash/
2 - Check for hidden files in the Trash folder: It's possible that there are hidden files in the .Trash folder that are preventing you from emptying the trash. To check for hidden files, open the Terminal app and type the following command:
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ls -a /.Trash/
This will show you a list of all the files in the .Trash folder, including hidden files. If you see any hidden files that you don't recognize or don't need, you can delete them using the rm command:
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rm /.Trash/.hidden-file
3 - Repair the disk using Disk Utility: If none of the above steps helped, it's possible that there is a problem with the file system on your Mac. To repair the disk, open Disk Utility (located in the Utilities folder), select your hard drive, and click the "Repair Disk" button.
I hope these steps help resolve the issue with your .Trash folder. If you continue to have problems, you may want to try using a third-party utility such as CleanMyMac to clean up your hard drive and delete any stuck files.
The operation can't be completed because ".Trash" needs to be downloaded.