Need help to delete alias files.

[darthsoth]

Hey there, Hopefully this is the right place to post this.

A while ago I deleted some pics from my iMac. just a short time ago I noticed that these photos showed up when I searched via ALL MY FILES in the finder. They appear to be dead alias files. If I click on one it is just a page file, no preview picture and no file extension/file path shows up at all. if I try to quick look it, it comes up blank.

If I double click it I get a "the alias **** can't be opened because the original item can't be found. DELETE ALIAS, FIX ALIAS…, OK
delete alias does nothing, fix alias holds no help. I can't drag the file anywhere. If I use the little gear along the top of the finder to GET INFO it gives me sparse info and a shaded out name on the file. sharing and permissions says "you have unknown access" with no option to change anything.

I have tried restarting my computer, option-command-esc and restart finder. but nothing lets me delete these blank pic files. WTH? any ideas here? as I look through my files trying to manually find where these alias files might be hidden I notice I have a good number of these dead alias files for other stuff I have deleted and supposedly purged from my computer so any way to actually delete this stuff completely would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GGJstudios]

Chances are, they've already been deleted. Try re-indexing your drive:

Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes​

If that fails to index, enter the following command in Terminal:

sudo mdutil -i on "/Volumes/your drive name"​

 

[darthsoth]

Well, I re-indexed a bunch of files and folders to no avail. I am noticing that I have a whole bunch of dead alias files on my computer. I don't know why these things are showing up after I have deleted them and emptied my trash can. I'm not getting the images but the file's name shows up in searches as just a blank page. I can't delete them and can't fix them. this is really annoying because it looks like they just take up space on my hard drive with no way to actually remove them.

 

[GGJstudios]

Well, I re-indexed a bunch of files and folders to no avail.

Did you re-index your whole drive, as suggested, or only certain folders?

 

[darthsoth]

Did you re-index your whole drive, as suggested, or only certain folders?

That worked. I wasn't going high enough to get access to the HD. Thanks.

 

[3lite]

Did you re-index your whole drive, as suggested, or only certain folders?

How do I re-index my whole drive? How do I even find my drive?

 

[justperry]

How do I re-index my whole drive? How do I even find my drive?

Do you even read the post by GGJstudios #2, there is a link there.

Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Click Spotlight.
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. Drag a folder or even an entire volume (your hard drive) to the list.
5. Remove the item or volume you just added.
6. Spotlight will re-index the contents of the item you initially dragged to the list.

 

[3lite]

Do you even read the post by GGJstudios #2, there is a link there.

Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes

1. From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
2. Click Spotlight.
3. Click the Privacy tab.
4. Drag a folder or even an entire volume (your hard drive) to the list.
5. Remove the item or volume you just added.
6. Spotlight will re-index the contents of the item you initially dragged to the list.

Yes I read that. But I can't seem to find my hardrive. Where can I locate it? I'm new to the Mac. The hardrive is not on my desktop.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yes I read that. But I can't seem to find my hardrive. Where can I locate it? I'm new to the Mac. The hardrive is not on my desktop.

Launch Finder (click the icon on the left side of your Dock, which is the "toolbar" at the bottom of your screen. Then using the Menu Bar (the toolbar at the top of your screen), click Finder > Preferences > General and click the items you want to appear on your desktop.

This may be useful:

Helpful Information for Any Mac User​

 

[3lite]

Launch Finder (click the icon on the left side of your Dock, which is the "toolbar" at the bottom of your screen. Then using the Menu Bar (the toolbar at the top of your screen), click Finder > Preferences > General and click the items you want to appear on your desktop.

This may be useful:

Helpful Information for Any Mac User​

Thank you! I was totally not looking at the top of my screen but at the Finder screen....

Double thanks for helping me solve the original alias problem as well.

 

[lunacat123]

I am experiencing the exact same underlying issue that the original post talks about. However instead of wanting these un-accesable Alias files fully gone and deleted I would like to fully recover them. Is this possible?