Oct 29, 2020 • Filed to: Recover & Repair Files • Proven solutions
Regarding handling everyday tasks, the command line can turn out to be powerful as well as harmful. For instance, the rm command enables you to eliminate or delete files. The rmdir command works in the same manner for directories or folders.
However, you should be cautious because unlike transferring files from the Finder to the Trash, it is not possible to retrieve them if you utilize these commands. Mac night filter app. Still, in case you desire to make use of the Terminal’s powers, the command delete file is one command which you cannot ignore.
There are ways to include a safeguard to make sure that the only files you erase are truly the ones you want to delete.
AppDelete is an uninstaller for Macs that will remove not only Applications but also Widgets, Preference Panes, Plugins and Screensavers along with their associated files. Jun 08, 2012 Now Clean my mac will pop out and you'll see al the file you selected to delete. You'll see a circle at the bottom of Clean my mac that says ( Shred) press it. Now you will have gotten rid of some of the others lol. All of the apps listed above will certainly clear up some space on your Mac, and you can always start with the free ones then move up to a paid version later if you find the features useful.
Part 1. Advantages of Erasing Files Using the Command Line
It is not complicated to delete files using the Finder and you are always able to recover files from Trash in case you want to change your mind. So why take the trouble to delete files using command prompt and command line?
Below are several reasons to delete files Using Command Prompt and Command Line:
- By making use of wildcards, you can erase multiple files fast and effectively.
- You can retrieve files from the trash when you come across immovable errors.
- You can erase files that are concealed in the Finder; these are files that might have settings for specific apps or sections of OS X, which consist of a dot (.) in front of their names, which are not displayed by Finder.
- In case your Mac is faulty and you do not have access to the Finder anymore, you can utilize the command line for troubleshooting the issue.
Part 2. Deleting Files and Folders Using Command Prompt on Windows
Are you aware that it is possible to erase a file on Windows by making use of the Command Prompt? Below are some steps on how to go about it:
Steps
- Begin from Start, and then proceed to All Programs, Accessories, and finally Command Prompt. You can alternately access the run dialog (WinKey and R) and key in ‘cmd’ but not with the quotes.
- Key in ‘del’ but omit the quotes.
- Type the file’s name and the extension. In case you are presently in the directory which contains the file, you are ready to proceed. In case you are not aware of what an extension file is, key in the file inside a kind of search box (this is determined by the computer you have and the kind of search available to you). Click on the right and find properties and it will be present on the key page. It will be the same as ‘C:/myfilename.ext.’
In case you are not in the appropriate directory, you can type ‘cd’ to the directory or key in the complete file path to be erased.
For instance, in case you want to erase ‘file.txt’ you need to key in ‘del file.txt.’ If the file is situated on the desktop, key in ‘C: /Users/username/Desktopfile.txt’ in case you are one directory on top.
- DEL provides support for wildcards characters also, like an asterisk (*). For instance, in case you desire to delete every file on your desktop which has a .wav extension, you should type ‘del C: Users/username/Desktop/*.wav.’ Deleting
Video Tutorial on How to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 10/8/7 Easily?
Part 3. Deleting files/folders using the command line on Mac
Erasing folders or directories varies a bit. If you attempt to operate the rm command on a folder, the message below will appear:
You can't erase a directory utilizing the rm command. rmdir is a special command used to delete directories. Therefore, to erase a director called Archives, you need to operate the command below:
rmdir Archives
Part 4. Deleting a Directory as well as Files in it
- The rm command provides a strong option (-R or –r) also referred to as the recursive option. After running the rm-R command on a directory, you are directing the Terminal to erase this folder, whatever files it has or sub-folders, and any folders or files inside the sub-folders, all through.
- For instance, in case you possess a directory packed with archives that have files or directory, erasing every item one by one from the command line or Finder might consume a lengthy period. Therefore, simply operate the command as follows:
rm -R Archives
Keep in mind that this is a permanent decision. You can, however, make use of the –flag for security.
rm -iR Archives
This will request you to verify the deletion of every item.
Part 5. Tips and Tricks for Using cmd delete file
In case you are unable to empty your Mac’s trash, the rm – R command is useful. A file may be locked or you might not be permitted to erase one or multiple files. This may be irritating; however, you can make use of the command line to get a simple solution.
1. Type as shown underneath in Terminal
- rm-R
- Type in a space
- Open Trash in Finder and drag the items inside to Terminal Window. You will view one or multiple files with paths like /Users/.Trash/file.txt.
- In case many files are present, you might discover that the list which comes up is all on a single lengthy line, enveloping the Terminal Window. In case you are very certain you want to delete each of these items, click on Return. The Trash will be emptied by the Terminal.
2. Send the Output of a Command to the Clipboard
You will simply send the output straightaway to the clipboard.
From a folder, open the command prompt
You might have attempted to open the command prompt and encountered a lot of cd commands trying to access a folder. The good news is that you can save lots of time by using Explorer to open a command prompt inside a folder. You just need to hold shift, click right on a folder and the context menu will present the option.
Command History
Most probably, you might have been tapping the up key to access your earlier commands; this can be tiresome if you are attempting to get a specific command. Another method you can use to see your earlier command is using the donkey command.
Doskey/history
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Wouldn't you love to rid of some or all files on your Mac forever. Be it for storage space or reselling it. Perhaps your Mac is too old to take the next operating system version, or you’ve stored a lot of data on it, and you’re worried that it could be hijacked if stolen.
The last thing you want is to see that your data was leaked by some hacker, leaving you vulnerable and without a clue of what to do next.
The good news is you can permanently delete files from your Mac using several methods that we’ll show you in this guide.
Can My Files Be Retrieved Once I Delete Them
The short answer is yes.
Data recovery technology has made it possible to recover files and restore them, which means someone else can retrieve any files you delete from a hard drive.
Most new Macs come with the solid state drives (flash storage) or Fusion Drives for some iMacs, instead of the old spinning hard disk drives. That is a critical factor when it comes to securely delete files on your Mac because you won’t have to do so if it comes with an SSD.
If you have an older Mac, it probably has a regular HDD, but the newer models with the SSDs allow you to use the standard method of moving files and emptying the trash to erase files, compared to securely erasing the files.
Unlike HDDs, where secure file deletion works, it doesn’t with the SSDs because overwriting a file only creates a new one in a new location but doesn’t overwrite the old file’s contents.
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Thankfully though, there are different methods you can use to permanently delete files on your Mac, whether it has the old HDDs or the SSDs.
How To Delete All Files From Mac
Note: You can check the storage on your Mac by clicking the Apple logo at the upper left side of the screen, and then going to About This Mac>Storage. Under the disk icon, you'll see whether your Mac has a spinning HDD or an SSD.Move Files to Trash
This is a tried and true method of deleting files on your Mac by dragging it to the trash. You can also use the Move to Trash feature by right-clicking the file and selecting the option. From here, you can go ahead and empty the trash.
Delete Immediately is a feature introduced by Apple with OS X (macOS) 10.11 El Capitan that bypasses the trash when you delete a file. It’s much faster than Move to Trash as you simply highlight your files and then use the Option-Command-Delete shortcut.
Alternatively, you can go to Finder’s File menu and hold down Option key to change the Move to Trash option to Delete Immediately. You’ll be asked to confirm the deletion, just as you would when using Move to Trash option.
If you want to skip the empty trash confirmation, go to your keyboard and press the shortcut Command-Option-Shift-Delete. Vivint app for mac sync. That will bypass the dialog window to confirm the deletion and empty the trash instantly.
If that is too difficult for you to remember or cumbersome, change Finder preferences setting to kill the confirmation. Go to Menu>Preferences and uncheck the Show warning before emptying the Trash box under Advanced tab.
Secure Empty Trash
This is another simple solution to deleting your files permanently from your Mac. It ensures that the items are deleted forever by writing random data over them multiple times.
The feature came with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. It overwrites data seven times to increase security.
To use this feature, click Finder menu and select Secure Empty Trash just below Empty Trash.
Use a Third-Party App
If deleting your files by emptying the trash doesn’t help, you can get a third party application to force the trash to empty. There are many such apps available like Permanent Eraser or Clean My Mac, which can help you empty your trash completely and permanently.
Use Mac Terminal
Mac’s Terminal is a command line tool that allows you to complete tedious tasks such as file deletion easily in just a few seconds. The program uses Unix commands to perform several functions easily and quickly without the operating system interfering with its processes. It’s efficient and powerful as it helps you remove files with ease, permanently.
However, if you haven't used the command line, Terminal can be dangerous too. Before getting into it, familiarize yourself with some basic Terminal commands, because any wrong command you enter can cause damage to your system, and you could easily delete files faster than you’d have time to stop the process.
The precision of every character, including capitalization and spaces, is important when using terminal commands.
To get started, take the steps below:
Step 1: Open Finder and click Applications>Utilities>Terminal.
Mac how to prevent apps from starting at startup mode. Step 2: In the new window, a command prompt with the $ (dollar sign) will appear. The command line you’ll see is ComputerName:CurrentDirectory ~Username$ and the word Bash at the top, which is the Terminal language in a Mac.
Step 3: Type your command and press the Return key after each command to execute it, or copy and paste the command into the terminal window. Type rm and space, and then drag and drop the file(s) you want to get rid of permanently into the Terminal window. Press Enter to remove it forever.
Note: You can also enter the file’s path into Terminal if you want to remove the file even faster without using drag and drop.Easily Delete Files for Good
https://wfejvse.weebly.com/blog/how-to-run-an-android-app-on-mac. Before you delete the files, make sure you have a backup of your data in case something goes awry. Of course, we would recommend you to get familiar with Terminal for it can be extremely powerful in erasing files while the interface may suffer a glitch or would be slow.
Next up:Want to delete your iCloud storage from your Mac and iPhone? Our next article shows you all the steps you need to take to clear out your storage.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read NextHow to Delete iCloud Storage from iPhone and MacAlso See#file deletion #imac
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