How to secure delete on mac terminal how to#

Now erase the disk normally, using the standard erase option. (If you have a file name with spaces, you need to put the name in quotes: 'For Example.txt'.) If you had a file here named MyFile. Select Unlock volume name from the File menu. To delete a file, type rm filename, replacing filename with the actual name of the file you want to delete. After you launch Terminal (in your /Applications/Utilities folder) type cd ~/Desktop to navigate to the Desktop directory.

ItвЂ™s dangerously easy to delete files with the rm command. If youвЂ™ve lost access to the Finder because your Mac is on the blink, you might be able to use the command line to troubleshoot the problem.Right-click on the folder (do not go into the folder) and go to Services > New Terminal at Folder. The command line youвЂ™ll see is ComputerName. Step 2: In the new window, a command prompt with the (dollar sign) will appear. These files, which can contain settings for certain apps or parts of macOS, contain a dot (.) before their names and the Finder doesnвЂ™t show them. Open Finder and navigate to the folder containing the files you want to securely delete. Step 1: Open Finder and click Applications>Utilities>Terminal. For a file, use srm followed by a space and then -s for one-pass overwrite, followed by another space, and then your file. You can delete files that are hidden in the Finder. To securely erase the files from Terminal, use the command for secure remove.Click the icon and then click the popped-up Delete button. (You'll see a icon shown on the top-right of the app). Click on the app and hold until it jiggles. Find the application that you want to remove from your Mac.

How to secure delete on mac terminal how to#

You can remove files from the Trash when you encounter stubborn errors. Here's how to uninstall programs on Mac: Open Launchpad in the dock at the bottom of the screen.

You can use wildcards to delete multiple files quickly and efficiently.

So why bother using the command line? Here are some reasons: Why bother deleting files with the command line?Дeleting files with the Finder isnвЂ™t too difficult, plus you can always fish files out of the Trash if you change your mind.