Trying to clean a hard drive..permissions wont let me trash stuff

[Kraniac]

This permission thing drives me nuts..trying to throw out a bunch of stuff/data/doubles/crap on the kid's comp..G4 MDD running tiger 10.4.11

Most of this stuff Im trying to dump has permission issues and the MAN in the OS wont let me throw it away. I get the "The operation cannot be completed because you do not have sufficient privileges for some of the items."

What's the best way to efficiently solve this without going in and dealing with each file..


Also, how does this happen?

[Doc]

Do a safe boot, put all the problem-files into a single folder, put that folder in the trash, launch the Terminal and type this command, followed by a space:

sudo rm -r

...and then drag the folder from the trash onto the Terminal window. It should fill in the path to that folder.

Type a and it will then request your admin password. Enter your password and it will then delete the folder and all of its contents from the trash.

...

Note that if you've trashed important system files or stuff that your kids really wanted to keep you're going to be in big trouble.

Note also that the rm command is not to be used casually. If you enter the above command incorrectly then you could inadvertently wipe all data from your home folder or potentially wipe the whole drive. (I hope you've got a backup.)

...

And it happens because -- to put it bluntly -- you don't know enough about how to use your computer. There's probably more than one user account on that Mac and you're messing with files that don't properly belong to the account you're logged in with. You may also be attempting to delete important system files and files that are in use by running applications.

[Kraniac]

Thanks Doc, I'll give that a whirl.

Yeah two accounts..one for general computer fun and one for study only.

Pretty sure none of these files are system intensive..doubles of photographs, music files etc.

Just general clutter that tends to accumulate and sit. don't worry, nobody'll get mad...The kids approved everything, I know better..it's their stuff.

[WHiiP]

You should have set up the computer with yourself as the Admin Account and then accounts for whomever else would be using it. This would have simplified what you are trying to do . . . at least if you had signed in under your Admin Account. Perhaps for future reference . . .

[Kraniac]

Whiip, I do have it set up that way. I have my name as the Admin account and the "study" account is a non admin account that I control etc.

Can't totally figure out why this is happening..not the first time.

Nothing real fancy being done on this machine..just homework, music, photos, internet etc.

[Doc]

WHiiP wrote:
You should have set up the computer with yourself as the Admin Account and then accounts for whomever else would be using it. This would have simplified what you are trying to do . . . at least if you had signed in under your Admin Account. Perhaps for future reference . . .

You've confused admin accounts with root.

(Don't enable the root account or login as root.)