I have several files that keep reappearing in my trash bin of Mac Air M2. This start happens after updating the macOS Sonoma. The files were originally deleted several times and reappered after few minutes.
Please provide a suitable solution.
MacBook Air, macOS 14.0
This is a Google Drive issue, not an Apple issue. After spending some significant time with Apple Support, it actually turns out that the fix, while a bit cumbersome, is quite simple.
When you delete something from your Google Drive in Finder, it takes that file and puts it in your Trash on your machine, as well as putting that file in the Trash folder in GD. When you empty the Trash on your machine, the file is permanently deleted from YOUR LOCAL DRIVE. It is NOT, however, permanently deleted from your GD Trash folder. Your GD lives in the cloud. GD is smart enough to move the file you deleted in Finder to its own Trash folder, but not smart enough to know that when you empty the Trash on your machine that is also empties the Trash folder in the cloud. This is why, after you delete the file on your machine, the file you just deleted reappears in your Trash, but if you look to the right, there's a little cloud next to it. That little cloud icon is pointing you to your GD, it's reflection of what's in the Trash folder there. Items that do not have a cloud next to them are physically in the Trash on your machine waiting to be deleted.
Put more simply, when you empty the Trash in Finder, this does not equal deleting files in your GD Trash folder.
From GD's standpoint, items deleted in GD are held in the Trash folder for 30 days, after which they are deleted forever. If you want the Trash in Finder to appear empty as well, you have to remember that it's showing you two things: The physical files you have put there from your device, as well as those that live in the Trash folder in the cloud (denoted by the little cloud icon next to the file).
THE FIX: Open up a web browser, sign in to GD, navigate to your Trash folder, and permanently delete the files that reside there. You can do this by clicking the Empty Trash button on the top right of the list of files, or do them individually by clicking the three dots on the right and then selecting "Delete Forever."
Once you do this, sync your GD by clicking on the Drive icon in your tool bar (Top right of your Mac OS desktop screen). Click the gear at the top right of the window that drops down, select "Pause Syncing" and then click the gear again and then click "Resume Syncing." Give it a few minutes and your Trash bin in Finder should now be empty. If it's not, restart your Mac and see if that forces the sync.
Remember, in this case, Trash on your Mac is receiving synced information about what's in the GD Trash folder.
Hope this helps everyone! PLEASE upvote this post if it was helpful so that search in Google will do a better job of displaying this fix for others. I will make another thread as well.
I restarted my Mac today and the Bin has stopped syncing the files in the Google Drive Trash! I didn't have to do any of the suggested fixes, it has just stopped syncing them.
I am now on Google Drive Version: 87.0.2.0 (Apple Silicon) with macOS Sonoma 14.3.1.
I was even nervous that it would start to sync if I deleted something from my Google Drive folders again, but no. It really does seem to be fixed.
I hope others are able to see this official fix.
You have to empty the bin.
Are the files in use, either on the Mac or another device that shares the same app?
Do the files in your Trash have the little cloud icon next to them?
I've got the same problem.
AND YES, I EMPTIED THE BIN (Faceplant)
1) All files local.
2) No files in use
3) Bin is emptied and the warning it cant be undone is shown
4) Bin is seen as empty. (no files are not locked...they go)
5) In a short while...some minutes, the files are back...and you can repeat the process.
I'm not sure what kicks off the files coming back. I'm trying to work that out.
Herman Gerber wrote:
Even after I deleted the files in the Google Drive Trash they still reappear in my MAC bin...
What you get in the Mac's Bin is the-sent-to-Bin files from your Mac, not what is/was somewhere else. You have to empty the Bin.
Emptying the trash on the web version of Google Drive is a quick fix, but not the solution. This issue is still that we can't remove the files from the trash on our device as they reappear.
The Google Drive app shouldn't be syncing the trash, only folders within my Google Drive folder on my device.
@dre!California -- when you say you changed permissions for Google Drive to fix it, what did you change exactly??
Note: I'm on Version: 85.0.34.0 (Apple Silicon), macOS Sonoma 14.2.1
This might be the solution for some, but not for all. I've been through exactly this process. I've cleaned up old cache files. I've quit & resintalled GDrive. I've removed the associated temp files and preference files. And yet still I have issues with GDrive trying to sync files that don't exist either in the cloud or on my mac. And those zombie files in my trash just WILL NOT DIE!!! And keep coming back to life after a minute or two. It's killing me, taking up WAY too much of my time and hampering my daily workflow while trying to run a business.
There must be a fix. Is there a Terminal command? Maybe a new User profile will do it! Or try emptying the trash when it's actually bin day?
His post implies he's emptied the bin...otherwise, they couldn't 'reappear'...
Even after I deleted the files in the Google Drive Trash they still reappear in my MAC bin...
This helped me, I was so confused as to why this kept happening!
Thank you!
What permissions are you referring to specifically?
How do you access Google Drive permissions and what did you change?
Sadly, this didn't work for me. I've tried signing out and back in to the Google Drive app and the same problem exists.
This doesn't work for me as the trash on my Mac is still full and when emptied reappears.
The trash on my drive in the browser is also empty?
Deleted Files Keep Coming Back to MAC bin
