Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

How do I stop the trash from automatically deleting files?

iMac Computer crashed couple of weeks ago. Got it back with a new hard drive. I had Lion but this problem is happening with it AND when I upgraded to Mountain Lion.


The minute you drop something into the trash it cleans out and empties the trash. I can't find where to turn that off so that files will stay there for at least a week or two.

Any ideas?

Posted on Aug 1, 2012 1:16 PM

Reply
2 replies

Aug 1, 2012 6:47 PM in response to robbejtx

The procedure below will reset the permissions of a home folder in OS X 10.7.4 or later. If you're running an earlier version of 10.7, update to the latest version first. This procedure should not be used in OS X versions older than 10.7.4.

Back up all data before you begin.

Step 1

Click the Finder icon in the Dock. A Finder window will open.

Step 2

Press the following key combinations, in the order given:


Command-3
Shift-command-H
Command-I

The Info window of your home folder will open.

Step 3

Click the lock icon in the lower right corner and authenticate with the name and login password of an administrator on the system. If you have only one user account, you are the administrator.

Step 4

In the Sharing & Permissions section of the window, verify that you have "Read & Write" privileges. If not, use the "+" and "-" buttons in the lower left corner to make the necessary changes.

Step 5

By default, the groups "staff" and "everyone" have "Read Only" privileges. With those settings, the files at the top level of your home folder will be readable by other local users. You can change the privileges to "No Access" if you wish, but then your Public and Drop Box folders will be inaccessible to others, and Personal Web Sharing won't work. Most likely, you don't need to change these settings.

Step 6

If there are entries in the Sharing & Permissions list for users or groups besides "me," "staff," and "everyone," delete them.

Step 7

Click the gear icon at the bottom of the Info window and select Apply to enclosed items... from the drop-down menu. Confirm. The operation may take several minutes to complete. When it does, close the Info window.

How do I stop the trash from automatically deleting files?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.