posted a script into my Terminal and all files are gone..HELP

[diezbarr]

Hi please help. I was trying to reset my office for mac password to install the business edition and got this code from a site:

rm -rf ~ /Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist
rm -rf ~ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/OfficePID.plist

I pasted it into my terminal window and it reset all of my mac.
I'm running a mac book 5.1 OS X 10.5.8

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

 

[angelwatt]

The problem is the space between ~ and the rest. The ~ represents your home directory so you deleted your entire home directory. Unless you have backups, you have nothing.

 

[diezbarr]

The problem is the space between ~ and the rest. The ~ represents your home directory so you deleted your entire home directory. Unless you have backups, you have nothing.

Can I do anything about it?

 

[angelwatt]

Can I do anything about it?

The command deleted your files. The only options are restoring from a backup, or attempting to use a file recovery program like Data Rescue.

 

[diezbarr]

The command deleted your files. The only options are restoring from a backup, or attempting to use a file recovery program like Data Rescue.

Thank you. Will try that.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

This is why one should be super careful with using the rm command, especially with the -rf modifier. r = recursive, deletes directories. f = forced, will not confirm for delete of files with certain permissions. Especially when all you're doing is deleting two specific files, you're better off navigating to those files in the user interface than using the Terminal if you're unfamiliar with it.

Upon further thought, there's no reason for the -rf modifier to be there at all!

rm ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

would have worked just as well as

rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

I think this may have been malicious and intentional. I hate to point fingers, but I can't imagine any other reason the -rf modifier was there. The rm command has no need to be recursive when deleting single files, which is what you were trying to do.

 

[calderone]

This is why one should be super careful with using the rm command, especially with the -rf modifier. r = recursive, deletes directories. f = forced, will not confirm for delete of files with certain permissions. Especially when all you're doing is deleting two specific files, you're better off navigating to those files in the user interface than using the Terminal if you're unfamiliar with it.

Upon further thought, there's no reason for the -rf modifier to be there at all!

rm ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

would have worked just as well as

rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

I think this may have been malicious and intentional. I hate to point fingers, but I can't imagine any other reason the -rf modifier was there. The rm command has no need to be recursive when deleting single files, which is what you were trying to do.

I doubt it was malicious. Many people don't really know what they are doing. They find a way to delete a file and they stick with it. They never explore the options of if they are unnecessary. Then they decide to toss a "tip" onto their blog and we get results like this.

That may be why the "-rf" was included, they simply didn't know better.

That said. You are slightly incorrect in saying that the recursive isn't necessary for single files. Consider .apps, it is a "single file" at first look but is actually a directory. Meaning to delete -r would be necessary.

To summarize: This is why you should never blindly paste in a command from a website and execute it.

 

[LPZ]

rm ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

would have worked just as well as

rm -rf ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist

Since the spaces were not escaped, neither statement would work. So your statement is true, but not in the way you intended.

(Your real point about not needing the -rf here is a good one.)

 

[Hal Itosis]

Hi please help. I was trying to reset my office for mac password to install the business edition and got this code from a site:

rm -rf ~ /Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008/Microsoft Office 2008 Settings.plist
rm -rf ~ /Applications/Microsoft Office 2008/Office/OfficePID.plist

I pasted it into my terminal window and it reset all of my mac.
I'm running a mac book 5.1 OS X 10.5.8

Any insight would be greatly appreciated

Google indicates that that pair of commands generally relates to removing license keys from (and/or changing CD keys on) Office 2008 for Mac... most likely for the purpose of allowing multiple versions to run on a network.

The culprit page (or one of them at least) appears to be here:
http://en.kioskea.net/faq/6028-office-mac-2008-unable-to-use-another-product-key

UNbelievable.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

That said. You are slightly incorrect in saying that the recursive isn't necessary for single files. Consider .apps, it is a "single file" at first look but is actually a directory. Meaning to delete -r would be necessary.

You're quite correct, though I was assuming that .apps would be included in needing the -r modifier. It is, of course, not immediately apparent if one isn't familiar with how applications are set up.

Since the spaces were not escaped, neither statement would work. So your statement is true, but not in the way you intended.

If you're referring to the space between the ~ and the rest of the directory path, I did actually delete that space, it just looks like it's there because of the font. If not, I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to.

 

[Hal Itosis]

If not, I'm not sure exactly what you're referring to.

He's referring to the many spaces you didn't escape. For example, the first command you posted attempts to delete the following five items:

~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office
2008/Microsoft
Office
2008
Settings.plist​

...which will fail most likely.

 

[diezbarr]

He's referring to the many spaces you didn't escape. For example, the first command you posted attempts to delete the following five items:

~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office
2008/Microsoft
Office
2008
Settings.plist​

...which will fail most likely.

Thank you for your support. I recovered the data through Data rescue and now have the files back
Any suggestions as to how I can integrate them back into my system. Right now they're in folders and I'm trying to import back but not sure what to do for things like preferences etc.
Thanks

 

[calderone]

He's referring to the many spaces you didn't escape. For example, the first command you posted attempts to delete the following five items:

~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office
2008/Microsoft
Office
2008
Settings.plist​

...which will fail most likely.

I didn't even pay attention to the new commands iThinkergoiMac wrote. That is an epic fail.

 

[iThinkergoiMac]

He's referring to the many spaces you didn't escape. For example, the first command you posted attempts to delete the following five items:

~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office
2008/Microsoft
Office
2008
Settings.plist​

...which will fail most likely.

Oh! Hahahaha... all I did was copy the commands posted in the first post and remove the space between the ~ and the rest of the directory... I didn't even think about the rest of the directory! Man, I can't believe I missed those!