Deleted Desktop Folder

I acciendentaly deleted the desktop folder and when i try to ge tit back in trash it is not like a core folder or something like that, it also does not have the small special folder icon. How could i get these back?

I have lost all desktop folders (on right of screen) - which also includes the Hard Drive icon.
Preferences folder is also not listed under Apple image on left.
I tried reinstalling 10.5.7. No help.
The start up folder has a ? on it!
Please help.
Dr.B.

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Terminal commands to Delete Desktop Folder?

Can anyone help me with the Terminal commands to delete the desktop folder? I'm not much with Unix. It's related to my previous post about missing drive space/deleted files. I'm planning to try deleting the folder then restoring from time machine.
Thanks,

the command is
*sudo rm -rf ~/Desktop*
(you'll have to enter your admin password to make it work). Could you explain why you want to do this? If you have a TM backup and a serious problem with your system I would recommend doing a full system restore from TM.
Message was edited by: V.K.
Found your other post. (I even replied to it). You should definitely do a full system restore from TM. It will reformat your drive and cure the problem with the missing space.

DELETED IMPORTANT FOLDER

I accidentally deleted my "Desktop Folder" and now I cant drag any files directly to my desktop. Also, Is there any way I can recover the file if I already emtied the trash can?

Hi, Andrea
Welcome to Apple discussions.
What do you mean by "deleted desktop folder"? Did you deleted the folder that appeared in any finder window? If so, go to finder, click in "Finder" (beside the Apple logo), preferences, sidebar. Select "desktop" and close preferences. It will show up again.
Hope it helps.
JP

Cannot delete the Folder on the desktop after Mavericks update. when I try to delete it, it is asking for logon password, When I give the logon password, it plays a sound of moving to Trash, but the folder still remains on the desktop

Cannot delete the Folder on the desktop after Mavericks update. when I try to delete it, it is asking for logon password, When I give the logon password, it plays a sound of moving to Trash, but the folder still remains on the desktop
Please help

It is a folder which I have created. Name is "SAP".
I copied some of my office stuff and then deleted the contents inside the folder. But I couldnt delete the folder SAP.
This is happening after the Mavericks update.

Contents of my "desktop" folder have been deleted

I woke up this morning to find that the contents of my "desktop" folder have been deleted.
It no longer appears under "Places" in a new window in the finder so I assume it has been deleted and the finder created a new one.
When I do a search for a file I know was on the desktop it does not show up any longer.
Any ideas where it could have gone to? Or if it is recoverable?

138thstny wrote:
Well, not a lot of people have access to my computer. My girlfriend and roommate.
That's enough!
Is it possible to undelete files if they were deleted by accident??
If they're still in the trash, yes, you can just move them out.
If not, then in theory you might be able to recover them, but it's expensive and quite "iffy." And the more you've used the computer, the more likely it is that they've been overwritten. If you want to go that route, turn your Mac off immediately. Use another to look for +Data Recovery+ apps via Google, VersionTracker.com, or MacUpdate.com.
Also, get an external drive or Time Capsule or USB drive for an Airport Express and start using Time Machine. You'd have been able to recover in about a minute.

I want to delete a folder but every time i do, it reappears on my desktop, even after I empty/secure empty the trash.

I want to delete a folder but every time i do, it reappears on my desktop, even after I empty/secure empty the trash.

I contracted Security Tool the same way about ten minutes ago on my Win7 Home Premium laptop. Firefox prompted me to do an immediate update the way it normally does, with a convincing update screen that looks like the typical Mozilla update prompt. However, the installer I downloaded was in fact "Security Tool." The program firewalls Firefox to prevent searches and also prevents access to Task Manager via Ctrl-Alt-Del. On the surface this appears to be a particularly nasty strain of malware / scamware, and FF users need to be warned and/or innoculated immediately.

After transferring about 7 pics to a desktop folder, the last pic kept duplicating even when I highlighted another pic. I can't delete or move any pics from folder. I can not drag a new pic into folder.

Can not drag a pic from aperture onto desktop folder. was able to drag 7 but number 8 was a duplicate of 7. Can not delete any pics from desktop folder

This is a solution for duplicates
http://osxmactips.blogspot.com/2009/01/delete-duplicate-iphoto-photos.html
or use a specialized software, Duplifinder
http://www.haystacksoftware.com/duplifinder/
Advanced user tips ... but first backup your iPhoto library
If you want to get rid of your original photo files and leave them in iPhoto, thus freeing up much hard drive space, you can use these commands in Terminal:
mkdir ~/.Trash/iPhoto-Originals
cd ~/"Pictures/iPhoto Library/Modified/"
find . -type f -exec mv "../Originals/{}" ~/.Trash/iPhoto-Originals/ \;
Type these commands carefully and it should work!

Why does deleting a folder from the Desktop also delete it from my Favorites in my 'Computer' window?

I have a folder on my Desktop that I've dragged and dropped into my Favorites in the side bar. When I try to delete the folder from the Desktop, it wants to delete it from my favorites, as well. How can I delete the folder from the Desktop without deleting the one in my Favorites?

Items in the favorites bar are simply references to physical folders on the hard drive.
There are ways around this if you simply do not want to see the folder from the desktop.
You can move the folder somewhere else on your hard drive. The reference in favorites should still point to the correct folder.
Or you can hide the folder itself by typing the terminal command
chflags hidden
then drag and drop the offending folder into the terminal window.
So you will see something like this – chflags hidden /Users/YourName/Desktop/FolderName
Then press enter and bam, folder invisible but still in favorites.

Help, I deleted my desktop folder.

How can I create a new one?

Hi smattie and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Did you delete it from the sidebar in Finder or from ~(Home)? If you dragged it off the Finder sidebar you can go to Finder menu >> Preferences >> Sidebar and check mark Desktop folder.
If you deleted the folder in your Home called Desktop, try a restart.
-mj
[email protected]

Deleting a Folder / Desktop and Screensaver

Hello.
Under Desktop & Screen Saver, we know we can change the background. But there is a folder underneath solid colors from where i was looking for a background. For some reason it bugs me. How can I delete that folder?
AfterAfx

Hi,
Navigate to /Library/Desktop\ Pictures/
You'll see a folder name solid color, trash it.

How to delete the Desktop Folder in the User folder

I don't use my desktop as a folder
and I changed this folder to .Desktop to have it hidden
but there is another folder Desktop non-hidden + my .Desktop folder always ready when I restart...
How should I keep it hidden or out of my system ?
Message was edited by: c8455

Click here and use the instructions to hide it.
(46869)

I can't find my Desktop folder on any of my TM backups

Hi everyone,
This is my first forum post, and I'm downright desperate.
I have migrated from my old MBP to a brand new one this weekend, and used Time Machine in an external HD to move my data. I had TM set up since February, with no options/exceptions.
As far as I can tell, everything migrated to the new computer perfectly (applications, preferences, documents, music, cookies, etc) except there is nothing on my Desktop after migration. It just so happens that I have (had?) a folder in my Desktop with all my graduate school work.
I have already looked in TM in all the backups since February, and there is no Desktop folder in my user account folder in any of them. Does this mean that TM has never backed up my Desktop from the beginning???
(BTW, I'm also having trouble to simply search for specific files when I look into the TM backup folder in my external HD. Whenever I use Spotlight, it only finds stuff on other folders in that external HD, but it doesn't return any hits from the TM backup folder, even when I look for files that I can see there just by browsing. How can I solve this?)
If it's true that TM never backed up my Desktop, my problem is then getting to my Desktop in the old computer. Trouble is, I had Leopard reinstalled at the Apple Store when I bought the new computer, since the system was supposedly backed up. As far as I know, the old computer was wiped clean and Leopard reinstalled in about 20 minutes by a Genius.
I have been told by them after the fact to use Data Rescue II to try and scour the old computer's internal drive by booting it up in target mode, but I haven't attempted it yet. I was told that if the Leopard reinstall was done in a specific way, I would be able to get to the old files with Data Rescue II still with their names and folder structures if they haven't been overwritten. However, if it was done 'another way', I would have lost the folders and any recovered files would be restored to a new location under a generic name like 'recover000001'. I'm afraid that in this case I will be overwhelmed by all the files in my old system (even if DRII supposedly recognizes file types), and I won't be able to sort through all of them to get at my important work.
Does anyone know what is the best way to get my data back???? It will be two years of work down the drain if I can't access the contents of that folder on my old Desktop.
Thanks so much for any advice!

V.K. wrote:
Chico Almendra wrote:
Hi everyone,
This is my first forum post, and I'm downright desperate.
I have migrated from my old MBP to a brand new one this weekend, and used Time Machine in an external HD to move my data. I had TM set up since February, with no options/exceptions.
As far as I can tell, everything migrated to the new computer perfectly (applications, preferences, documents, music, cookies, etc) except there is nothing on my Desktop after migration. It just so happens that I have (had?) a folder in my Desktop with all my graduate school work.
I have already looked in TM in all the backups since February, and there is no Desktop folder in my user account folder in any of them. Does this mean that TM has never backed up my Desktop from the beginning???
yes, that's what it means.
I don't understand. Why would it be that TM did not backup my Desktop? The Geniuses were not able to answer this question. I'm completely sure I didn't mark any exceptions when I set it up in February, and I've read other people also had similar problems with some of their folders and/or files (there's another thread where another user lost his Downloads folder; I accidentally replied to it instead of creating this new topic -- my apologies).
(BTW, I'm also having trouble to simply search for specific files when I look into the TM backup folder in my external HD. Whenever I use Spotlight, it only finds stuff on other folders in that external HD, but it doesn't return any hits from the TM backup folder, even when I look for files that I can see there just by browsing. How can I solve this?)
you have to use spotlight from TM interface, not directly from finder. start TM, scroll to a backup and use the search field to start a search.
That worked great; thanks. Is there a way to search across different backup dates in one go, or do I have to keep clicking back through time with the same search string?
If it's true that TM never backed up my Desktop, my problem is then getting to my Desktop in the old computer. Trouble is, I had Leopard reinstalled at the Apple Store when I bought the new computer
I don't understand why
you did that. did you have some problems with your old computer?
I didn't have any problems with the old computer. I was actually giving it to my mother for Mothers Day as her first Mac, and I wanted to make sure she would have as 'brand new' Mac experience as I could provide her.
, since the system was supposedly backed up. As far as I know, the old computer was wiped clean and Leopard reinstalled in about 20 minutes by a Genius.
I have been told by them after the fact to use Data Rescue II to try and scour the old computer's internal drive by booting it up in target mode, but I haven't attempted it yet.
this is your one and only hope of getting anything back if you did an erase and install. if you did an archive and install then old your old data will be in the "previous systems" folder at the top level of the hard drive.
Message was edited by: V.K.
Thanks. You reckon professional data recovery services would come up with more stuff (especially filenames and folder structures) than I would be able to, if I tried using DR myself? I'm terrified of going through my whole HD and sorting out the hundreds of thousands of files that weren't in the desktop in the first place.
I appreciate your help, V.K.; I still cannot get over the fact that TM can be so unreliable. What could have caused this catastrophe on my computer and in other users? They were lucky that they still had their data when they noticed TM wasn't backing it up, and the solutions were bone-chillingly similar to Windows voodoo tricks (e.g. delete the old TM plist, hard reboot, pray, and see if it works now). If this is the case, I can't see any options other than doing full manual backups periodically, but that defeats the TM purpose in the first place. Any thoughts or ideas?
Thanks!

"Desktop" folder on external hard drives

Hi all,
I have regularly seen a folder called "Desktop" appear on my external firewire and usb drives. I usually delete it and think nothing more but today I attached a new external drive and there it was again......
Why is it there? What use is it?
Does anyone know????

It is probably a relic of Apple's old OS, which lives on partly in the Carbon library. Used to, you could have two paths:
Macintosh HD:Desktop Folder:latest_updates.doc
Macintosh HD:Desktop Folder:latest_updates.doc
and they would refer to two distinct files. In some respects, the good 'ole days weren't all that good.

Desktop Folder Redirection slow access

Ok, I've scoured the network for weeks now trying to resolve this.
Using Windows 7 fully patched, and file servers are 2012 R2
We have folder redirection in place for Documents and Desktop.
The folders are redirected to one of their mapped drives. When accessing the mapped drive, the drive hangs whilst the green progress bar occurs when trying to display the desktop folder. Once accessed, this can be ok for further accesses but
then may recur again later. It is only the desktop folder. Documents is fine. I've tried customising the folder for item type, removed the icon cache, indexed the server, recreated local profiles, moved information off and deleted the folder
on server to allow to recreate etc etc. The issues as I say is intermittent but extremely frustrating.
The group policies originally redirected to a mapped drive when the home directory was set up in AD. However, we've moved away from that, and now the group policies use unc for the redirected folders. All permissions on the server are set up
correctly according to the MS kbs. Some people don't appear to have the issue.
The desktop in favorites in Windows Explorer appears to respond fine even when the mapped drive doesn't. Occasionally the mapped drive is fine, and in this case the Desktop in Favorites isn't.
I've checked the registry, all values in Shell Folders and User Shell Folders are set up correctly.
I've reached the end of what could be wrong, and have no idea what is causing this issue. Any help greatly appreciated.
Regards
Ian

Hi lan cope,
Please take a try to uncheck the "Automatically detect settings"
under
Internet Options -> Connections -> LAN Settings -> Automatic Configurations.
Check if this could help here.
Besides, disable TCP autotuning with the following command and check again:
netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=disabled
Reference: (Description of the Receive Window Auto-Tuning feature for HTTP traffic on Windows Vista-based computers )
Best regards
Michael Shao
TechNet Community Support

How can i modify or delete desktop files and folders in Mac OS 10.6.8 ?

i have Macbook pro running on Mac OS X, Snow Leopard ver. 10.6.8 . I am not able to delete rename and modify my desktop folder and files. even through the admin account and all previleges i cant move them to Thrash. as i try to delete them it asks for password and then no action takes place. i have even used repair permissions from disk utility, used the terminal window method but nothing happened. the "get info " shows read and write permision but still i cannot even rename them there.. can anyone please help me ?

Is the Desktop folder inside the Users -> Yourname folder with the same contents of your Desktop? If it isn't, then you've moved the Desktop folder to a place that can't be accessed by the account called Yourname.

Deleted Desktop Folder

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