iMac froze after accidentally dropping hundreds of jpegs in desktop.......need help to fix.....desktop filled now..thanks

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If you don't have any other file different to those pictures on Desktop, select Edit menu > Select All, and drag them to the Trash. Finally, empty the Trash

Important: mende's suggestion will remove everything from your Desktop, not just the jpegs. Not good. Do the following instead. Open Terminal in Utilities and copy/paste, then hit return after each. The second will create a folder on the Desktop called "photos." The third command will move all of them into that new folder, "photos" This will save them. These commands assume you are logged into the account with the troubled Desktop.

cd ~/Desktop

mkdir photos

mv *.jpg photos/

If you don't care about saving them then the following will delete them. (It is critical that you only use copy/paste.)

cd ~/Desktop

rm *.jpg

Message was edited by: WZZZ

In that case, do it in safe mode and restart when you have deleted the pictures

You should be able to do it in safe mode. If you can't turn off the computer, hold the Power button until the iMac turns off

But be very careful using mende's suggestion to select all and delete. My edited post above explains that you will lose everything currently on the Desktop, not just the jpegs. I didn't at first realize what he was suggesting you do. Use the Terminal commands instead.

If you do use his suggestion, DO NOT empty the Trash right away. Look in the Trash first and return all the items you want to keep back to the Desktop.

That's why I said that only do it if you don't have any other file on the Desktop on the first reply

mende1 wrote:

That's why I said that only do it if you don't have any other file on the Desktop on the first reply

True, but in the midst of a panic, I don't know if I'd realize what that meant. And it's very unlikely he only has the jpegs on the Desktop, to begin with.

I hope the OP didn't trash the hard drive icon.

If Safe Boot doesn't do the trick, then you might be able to clear this up from another user, providing it's an admin account. Post back if you need the directions for that.

Another possibility is if you have a bootable clone on an external, boot from that, open the Desktop on the internal and clear out the jpegs from there.

But you won't be able to use the same Terminal commands. They will have to be changed.

Message was edited by: WZZZ

babowa wrote:

I hope the OP didn't trash the hard drive icon.

I thought of that, but I don't think it would let it happen, at least not from the Finder.

I've managed to do it, but that was several OS versions/years ago, LOL.

I think I once did that without thinking in Tiger and it just bounced right back to its original position. Wouldn't go in.