How do I delete alias files on my macbook pro?

Question

Level 1

3 points

How do I delete alias files on my macbook pro?

when i go into finder and im on all my files there are files that i dragged to the trashcan and deleted but they are still there only with a blank icon now, and it doesnt let me drag them and when i click on them a message pops up saying "the alias.... can’t be opened because the original item can’t be found" then i can delete it, fix it, or just click okay. and when i click delete/fix it just pops up again. how do i get rid of these?

also when i right click on downloads, the same thing happens, something i moved to the trash and deleted is still there, the alias thing doesnt pop up but when i try dragging it to the trash it lets me drag it but it doesnt go in the trash, how do i get rid of these? please help.

and i know windows has something called "clean up" that removes hiddin files that you thought you deleted and stuff and just cleans up you computer, does mac have any of that?

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.2)

Posted on Jan 25, 2012 5:34 PM

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Answer 1

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 30, 2012 6:25 PM in response to fmars62

Open Preferences in Finder, then sidebar you kwill see the options in there.

Open Disk Utility, in the Applications/ Utilities folder. Select the Macintosh HD on the left. you should be on the First Aid tab. near the botton on the roght is Verify Disk and below that Repair disk but that may be greyed out until you do a verification.

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Answer 2

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 30, 2012 4:48 PM in response to CMCSK

I tried eveything you guys said even on your link CMCSK, but nothing is working, i took a screnshot of what i am trying to get rid of but i cant drag them to the trash or anything. All the stuff highlighted in the blue is what i want gone.

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Answer 3

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 30, 2012 5:24 PM in response to fmars62

Do they show up anywhere else other then the All My Files link?

Turn off "All My Files", Empty Trash (if there is anything in there).

Reboot then open disk utility do a Verify Disk and a Repair Disk if the verify comes back with anything.

Reboot one more time and then turn on All My Files, If you want.

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Answer 4

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 25, 2012 5:46 PM in response to fmars62

Have you rebooted lately?

I personally don't care to see that entry in the finder side bar as it lists to much stuff. So I'm unsure of what you are seeing.

My first thought is they are ghost entries and really aren't there. A reboot might clear them.

Have you done a search for the name of a couple of those files and if you have has any of them shown u in the search?

I find Spotlight does not search everywhere so I've been using Easy Find. It will search everywhere on your system.

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Answer 5

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 25, 2012 5:53 PM in response to Shootist007

Yes I just rebooted before i posted this, and they are still there and also before i posted i did search and they do show up but i cant do anything with them, if i click on them that alias message pops up and then i cant drag the file anywhere, they are like dead files or something

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Answer 6

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 25, 2012 5:56 PM in response to fmars62

Would you care to share the names of a couple of these files?

I'm lwondering if they are system files and the OS has now Locked them so they can't be deleted. But that is just a guess.

You may want to open Disk Utility and do a Repair drive and repair permissions. It's in the First Aid section.

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Answer 7

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 25, 2012 6:02 PM in response to Shootist007

some of the files are pictures that i downloaded 9 (that in safari i right clicked and then downloaded into iphoto and then after its in iphoto i go to my downloads folder and move the file tot he trash) and same thing goes for a couple songs. and another one is a program i downloaded, i thought it was a game but it was just a update for a game if i already have it and thats the file thats stuck in my downloads folder, another one is a file from when i was messing around in garage band and it saved it and i deleted it and then its still there.

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Answer 8

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 30, 2012 5:18 PM in response to Shootist007

Yeah now i know that, but they weren't in a folder and whenever i search for them nothing comes up...i double click on them and i get the alias message, i cant drag them anywhere, theyre just stuck there.

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Answer 9

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 30, 2012 6:35 PM in response to Shootist007

Ok I just turned off all my files, emptied my trash, shut down all my programs, restarted, verified my disk and nothing was wrong...i turned back on all my files and they are still there and the same situation

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Answer 10

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 30, 2012 7:26 PM in response to fmars62

Age has nothing to do with it.

Something happened to the operating system. Whether that was from a program you installed, tried to install and failed, User Error fooling with something you shouldn't have (I'm not inferring you did) or just some corrupted OS files.

You know what they say "Excrement Happens".

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Answer 11

Shootist007

Level 6

16,709 points

Jan 31, 2012 11:54 AM in response to fmars62

fmars62 wrote:

ok, i just tied doing another repair but that didnt work, i have a apple care warranty, can i go into an apple store and can they help me?

You can but what they might do is wipe the drive and reinstall or replace the drive with a new one (doubtfull).

In any event you can reinstall yourself.

I doubt they will be able to fix your specific problem without a reinstall of the OS. But I don't know that for sure.

So give it a try. You got nothing to lose at this point.

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Answer 12

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 31, 2012 11:58 AM in response to Shootist007

WOAH! ok this is weird....i opened up finder and had it open on all my files so i can see the exact names of the files that i want to get rid of and then i go and search in spotlight for them and ask i am typing them, THEY DISSAPEAR IN FINDER! whats going on? lol im glad they are dissapearing but where do they go.....? i know on a pc if you delete something, it's hidden contents can still be on ur computer, is the same with a mac? if so how do i delete them? like pc has a program called disc cleanup...

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Answer 13

fmars62 Author

Level 1

3 points

Jan 30, 2012 6:46 PM in response to Shootist007

hey i brought 4 of them up and now the one all the way to the right (the screenshot) is the screenshot i took before and now thats doing it...idk whats going on but here it is...