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I have to put in password to use trash. How can I stop this?

I have to put in password to use trash. How can I stop this? (Mavericks)

iMac (20-inch Mid 2007), OS X Mavericks (10.9.2), 160 gb external drive

Posted on Mar 14, 2014 3:08 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Mar 14, 2014 3:18 PM

Go to the Finder - click anywhere on your Mac's desktop, and choose File > New Folder.


If a folder appears on your Desktop then continue reading. If not, stop reading.


Open Terminal - it is in your Utilities folder and looks like this


User uploaded file


You can find Terminal by using the Finder's Go menu and choosing Utilities, then double-click the Terminal icon.


Copy (drag or triple-click to select the line) and Paste the following commands into the Terminal window, each one followed by the Return key:


mkdir ~/.Trash


If you get the message "File exists" you can ignore it.


Next Copy and Paste the following line, followed by the Return key:


sudo chown $UID ~/.Trash


This time Terminal will ask for your Admin password - the same one you use when you log in to your Mac. Type it and then press the Return key. What you type will not appear, not even with •••• characters.


Next Copy and Paste the following:


chmod u+rwx ~/.Trash


To summarize the above you will be doing this:


Last login: Wed Feb 12 03:21:53 on ttys000

Johns-iMac:~ john$ mkdir ~/.Trash

mkdir: /Users/john/.Trash: File exists

Johns-iMac:~ john$ sudo chown $UID ~/.Trash

Password: (type your password then press Return)

Johns-iMac:~ john$ chmod u+rwx ~/.Trash

Johns-iMac:~ john$


You will be typing the entries in red exactly as shown.


Quit Terminal.


Drag the empty folder you just created to the Trash, confirm that it appears in the Trash, and that you can empty the Trash without requiring your password.

2 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Mar 14, 2014 3:18 PM in response to joemac53

Go to the Finder - click anywhere on your Mac's desktop, and choose File > New Folder.


If a folder appears on your Desktop then continue reading. If not, stop reading.


Open Terminal - it is in your Utilities folder and looks like this


User uploaded file


You can find Terminal by using the Finder's Go menu and choosing Utilities, then double-click the Terminal icon.


Copy (drag or triple-click to select the line) and Paste the following commands into the Terminal window, each one followed by the Return key:


mkdir ~/.Trash


If you get the message "File exists" you can ignore it.


Next Copy and Paste the following line, followed by the Return key:


sudo chown $UID ~/.Trash


This time Terminal will ask for your Admin password - the same one you use when you log in to your Mac. Type it and then press the Return key. What you type will not appear, not even with •••• characters.


Next Copy and Paste the following:


chmod u+rwx ~/.Trash


To summarize the above you will be doing this:


Last login: Wed Feb 12 03:21:53 on ttys000

Johns-iMac:~ john$ mkdir ~/.Trash

mkdir: /Users/john/.Trash: File exists

Johns-iMac:~ john$ sudo chown $UID ~/.Trash

Password: (type your password then press Return)

Johns-iMac:~ john$ chmod u+rwx ~/.Trash

Johns-iMac:~ john$


You will be typing the entries in red exactly as shown.


Quit Terminal.


Drag the empty folder you just created to the Trash, confirm that it appears in the Trash, and that you can empty the Trash without requiring your password.

I have to put in password to use trash. How can I stop this?

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