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Stubborn Trash

Avatar Alan Cox
I am in chaos. I went to empty Trash,opening the Trash window and clicking Empty, whereupon a slim window appeared wiYh S a progress bar and a message saying Trash is preparing to empty. Unusual but I assumed this was some new part of MacOsX Sierra 12.3. However, I because a bit suspicious all was not well when the count of the items to be chucked reached 740,485. So started again. Same outcome.So I removed most of the Trash contents to s Finder window leaving 2 photos and a couple of light weight text documents. Guess what - it still started counting in that slim window. Easier to put out the wheelie bins. Any helpful suggestions out there?

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Tony Still
That size of number of items sounds like everything on your HD. Do you, perchance, have an external drive connected whose entire contents could have been accidentally trashed? A Time Machine drive, perhaps?

I suggest that you don't immediately discard that many items. Disconnect all external devices, restart and run Disk Utility. Select your HD (probably called 'Macintosh HD') in the left column and click First Aid in the Toolbar. Hope that it completes successfully.

Then review what's in the Trash: if you put the Trash window into List view (second from the left in the Toolbar 4-button control), you can see the top level items and also click the disclosure arrows against folders to see their contents.

Depending upon what you see, bin it or report back. If all is well, watch the Trash when you reconnect any external device.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Alan Cox
Thanks Tony. I clearly should have been patient but now I fear that I may be drummed out of WAMUG for the following confession: I was seduced by MacKeeper and found myself talking to a chap in Ukraine. In essence he took over my iMac, and now I can empty my Trash and the machine seems to work perfectly well. Cost a bit but I feel at peace - for the time being.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Tony Still
I would advise anyone thinking of following in Alan's footsteps to consider spending their money on an Apple Care subscription, not on MacKeeper.

Disclaimer: I have no personal experience of MacKeeper but its reputation is very mixed (e.g. here and here)

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Eleanor Spenceley
I don't get involve much here these days, but after hearing you've installed MacKeeper and also allowed a chap in the Ukraine to take over your iMac, my alarm bells are ringing big time. There's so much here which leaves your Mac potentially open to future problems. I am very worried what your chap has done or installed on your Mac. Perhaps it's all legit but there are people out there which will have exploited your computer.

MacKeeper is almost malware, it's features are simply not required in the day-to-day running of your Mac. I suggest you remove it immediately (if you can).

Personally I'd completely reinstall the operating system afresh, be sure to only reinstall the software you know you have installed and agreed to.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Eleanor Spenceley
As for force deleting stubborn trash. Try holding down the Option key before 'Empty Trash'.

https://www.cnet.com/uk/news/force-empty-that-stubborn-trash-bin-in-os-x/

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Alan Cox
OK, so I know I've done something totally idiotic and am officially classed as an idiot. I am now having nightmares about all the dreadful things going on in my machine. In an utterly feeble defence, I did try holding down the Option key before clicking Empty - that didn't work so I tried many other combinations. I did have a Time Machine drive attached but it didn't show up in the Trash. When I had dragged all but a couple of photos and text files out of the Trash and asked/told it to empty and it counted up to well over 3 million, I got desperate and not a little cross!

So dunno, all is well so far. I would 'completely re-instal the operating system' as advised by Martin but have not the faintest idea how to do it. That's a sign of idiocy, I'm sure. Prayers all round will be appreciated.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Euan Williams
If there is an official classification of 'idiot' you are in good company (there isn't!) . Over the last few weeks I have removed MacKeeper from two members' Macs. Neither had 'installed' it, and it looks as though it was acquired by downloading respectable software from a distinctly un-respectable site. I have seen Carbon Copy Cloner as a downloadable from Mackeeper in a Google search for the former (N.B. CCC should be downloaded from Bombich.com.).

So what's to do? Download > Malwarebytes (formerly AdWare Medic) < https://www.malwarebytes.com/mac/. The rather worrying robot in adolescent gaming armour can safely be ignored. Follow the instructions, and don't forget to run a second pass just in case.

Trying to remove MacKeeper by simply deleting it only causes endless bleats such as "why are you doing this? I'm really here to help you in your hour of need" etc. etc.

Sadly, sorting out the resulting mess may not be so easy.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Alan Cox
I am sure that Euan's recommendation is well founded (no hidden suggestions to the contrary there - 'onest). My worry levels always rise to vertiginous heights when I am told to follow the on screen instructions. I know from bitter experience there will come a point when I scream: 'What the he..l does that mean?". And when I read that there will be a 'resulting mess not easy to clear', I am pretty certain that I won't be able to cope. So, Euan, I feel it would make sense for me to wait until I see malign effects of my recent folly.

I can add that I did get rid of MacKeper by dragging it to the trash. I got an indignant question wanting to know why I had done that and, blow me, it reappeared in Applications. So I ignored the question and several others and gave It a bug hence ho. It has not reappeared nor have I had strange activity such as an announcement that a Mr E. Williams will be the next manager of Leicester City.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Euan Williams
To everyone's considerable relief no approach has been made regarding a Leicester City FC candidature, a post for which I confess to being uniquely unqualified. However just dragging MacKeeper to the trash may not remove the underlying potential for misery.

So Alan, please do enlist the services of Malwarebytes as above. It is quite possible that the miserabilia may continue to do weird activities (invisible to you) and wholly unrelated to the fortunes of Leicester City FC.

The on-screen instructions boil down to "Check your System, if nasties have been found, delete them - then check again". No worries, as they say in the Antipodes.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Tony Still
Alan,

MacWorld has a guide to removing MacKeeper here which may help.

Most people say that it's not actually harmful, just horrible, persistent and expensive.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Trevor Hewson
Hmm, I wonder whether your definition of 'Harmful' is a bit narrower than some, Tony. I suppose you are in line with the old 'Sticks and stones. . . ' saying, but mental cruelty has been acknowledged for some time now - and I don't think Euan was suggesting that a fist was about to erupt through Alan's screen.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Tony Still
Trevor, I understand your point but, as computer villains go, these guys are quite moderate. I don't think they even steal your data...

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Alan Cox
Well, I expected a telling off but didn't really expect so much debate as well as advice for which I am truly grateful.

I finally took courage (three large brandies) and followed Euan;s advice. To my amazement, using Malwarebyte did what it was supposed to and found a number of nasties lurking unseen on my iMac, and got rid of them. Well, I think it did all that because it said it did and it certainly didn't find any on a second run.

So, fingers crossed, I can attend future meetings without fear of being booted out in disgrace - I hope. And, Euan, you are far too modest. I am sure that Leicester F.C. would have done well under your kindly management.

Re: Stubborn Trash

Avatar Trevor Hewson
Well done, Alan!👍
 
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