I mistakenly put Time Machine files in the MacBook trash. I want to empty the trash and the files to start fresh with the Time Machine. I tried to empty the trash and after three days and 1,300,000 files it still was not empty.
How can I empty the trash so I can then reformat the Time Machine?
Earlier Mac models
"The Trash" is a complex illusion created for your convenience. Sometimes the illusion gets in the way.
Generally speaking, when a files on a drive is "Trashed" its "in the Trash" bit is set the File is NOT copied anywhere, and the filename is added to the list of Files "in the Trash". Finder Trash (as presented to you) is the Union of the Trashes on each drive.
Each drive has its own local set of "in the Trash" files, and the ONE Finder Trash can is a composite of all the Trashes on all the connected drives.
Some files, like System Files, and Time Machine backup files, are STRONGLY protected against deletion.
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to solve your short term problem, just stop fixating on emptying the trash. ERASE your external drive, and all Trashed files on that drive currently "in the Trash" will be erased, so the Trash for that drive, and all the problem files in it, will be Empty when completed.
In the long run, if you are ever temped to change Time Machine files with Finder, DON'T! Those files are strongly protected from being modified or erased, and if you ever could manage to throw some some away, your backup SET would be irreparably damaged, and possibly unusable.
"The Trash" is a complex illusion created for your convenience. Sometimes the illusion gets in the way.
Generally speaking, when a files on a drive is "Trashed" its "in the Trash" bit is set the File is NOT copied anywhere, and the filename is added to the list of Files "in the Trash". Finder Trash (as presented to you) is the Union of the Trashes on each drive.
Each drive has its own local set of "in the Trash" files, and the ONE Finder Trash can is a composite of all the Trashes on all the connected drives.
Some files, like System Files, and Time Machine backup files, are STRONGLY protected against deletion.
----
to solve your short term problem, just stop fixating on emptying the trash. ERASE your external drive, and all Trashed files on that drive currently "in the Trash" will be erased, so the Trash for that drive, and all the problem files in it, will be Empty when completed.
In the long run, if you are ever temped to change Time Machine files with Finder, DON'T! Those files are strongly protected from being modified or erased, and if you ever could manage to throw some some away, your backup SET would be irreparably damaged, and possibly unusable.
brianfromnewbury park Said:
"delete Time Machine files in MacBook trash: I mistakenly put Time Machine files in the MacBook trash. I want to empty the trash and the files to start fresh with the Time Machine. I tried to empty the trash and after three days and 1,300,000 files it still was not empty.How can I empty the trash so I can then reformat the Time Machine?"
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Getting Items Back from the Trash:
If they are gone, they are gone. But, if you have a Time Machine Backup of your Mac that itself contains these TMBs, then you should perform the following...
I'm sorry I was confusing. I want to delete the files that I put in the trash. After that I will reformat the time capsule and start my Time Machine backups anew.
I can't delete the trash files as after three days of deleting I got to 1,300,000+ files and they were not going away.
After selecting all the files in trash I tried to move them to a flash drive but I only have copy as an option. Export is not there to use.
Any ideas?
delete Time Machine files in MacBook trash
