Mac mini M2: 'Cancel/Delete Permanently' when moving to Bin

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LEMONAS Author

Level 1

12 points

Mac mini M2: 'Cancel/Delete Permanently' when moving to Bin

When I move a file to BIN I get the option to cancel or delete permanently

Mac mini M2

OS 15.1

Mac mini, macOS 15.1

Posted on Jul 20, 2026 2:27 AM

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Answer 1

LEMONAS Author

Level 1

12 points

Jul 21, 2026 3:34 AM in response to LEMONAS

Wise Owl, thank you for that learned advice. I believe you're spot on because if I copy a file from the external drive to the main drive I can Move to Bin no problem.

I tried all the easy stuff; formats, permissions, run first aid etc.

After that, to be honest , your suggested remedy is beyond me, especially as I have no prompt ( cursor) in Terminal and when I searched this problem I fell ever deeper into the unknown.

I experienced several " incorrect removal of external drives" when I had a faulty USB cable which could be the cause as you suggest.

I guess I can live with this now I know what to expect.

Maybe I'll come back to this when I have more time; I was pretty clued up on my Commodore 64!!!!

Thanks agin, Owl.

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Answer 2

Owl-53

Level 10

111,075 points

Jul 21, 2026 3:46 AM in response to LEMONAS

Thank you for your thoughtful reply.

I am glad the explanation helped make sense of what is happening, even if the underlying fix is more involved than you would like to tackle at the moment.

Your observation about being able to move files from the external drive to the main drive is a very useful clue, and the history of improper drive removals caused by the faulty USB cable could certainly have contributed to the issue.

It sounds like you have already worked through all the sensible first steps — formatting, permissions, Disk Utility First Aid, and so on , so I understand why you would prefer not to venture further into Terminal territory.

Sometimes, the best solution is simply knowing the limitation and avoiding the frustration. If the drive is otherwise working reliably, living with the extra step may be perfectly reasonable.

🦉-53

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