To get permission to modify a file, Control-click the file in question and select ‘Get Info.’ In the ‘Get Info’ window, find the ‘Sharing & Permissions’ section and expand it.

You see an error message whenever you try to delete the file.

The file is locked, and you don’t have permission to unlock it.

Permissions can prevent you from deleting a file in two ways: You don’t have permission to access the file Once the file is unlocked, you should be able to go ahead with the delete. Input the following command (being sure to replace location/nameoffile.extension with your own filename and file path) and hit the ‘Enter’ key on your keyboard:Ĭhflags nouchg location/nameoffile.extension To launch Terminal, click the ‘Spotlight’ icon in your MacBook’s menu bar and enter ‘Terminal’ into the search bar that appears. You can also unlock a file using the Terminal that comes pre-installed on every MacBook. If the ‘Locked’ checkbox is greyed out, then this means you don’t have permission to modify the file (we look at how to change a file’s permissions in the next section, so skip ahead if you can’t currently access the ‘Locked’ checkbox).

Expand the ‘General’ section, if it isn’t expanded already.

Select ‘Get Info’ from the menu that appears.If you’re getting a ‘File is locked’ message, then you’ll need to unlock that file before you can delete it: If you’re unsure, then do some research by entering the name of the mystery process into your favourite search engine and exploring some of the results. Just be wary of closing a process when you don’t fully understand what that process does, as some processes are essential to the smooth running of your Mac. Could any of these be using the file you’re trying to delete? If you spot a likely candidate, then select it and give Activity Monitor’s ‘Quit Process’ icon a click. In Activity Monitor, select either the ‘CPU’ or ‘Memory’ tab and spend some time exploring the list of currently-running apps and processes. If you’re still seeing the ‘File in use’ message, then it’s time to take a closer look at exactly what’s running on your MacBook, by launching the Activity monitor app (‘Applications’ > ‘Utilities’ > ‘Activity Monitor).

Start by checking what apps you have open and closing any that you suspect might be accessing the file in question, then try deleting the file again. You’ll need to hunt down the culprit, and close it. If you’re getting a ‘File in use’ message whenever you try and drag a file to the Trash, that means an app or process is currently using this file. Problem: A file is being used by another app or process

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