We're making changes to the Community, so you may have received some notifications - thanks for your patience and welcome back. Learn more here.
Forum Discussion
enjayare
6 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Locked folder that can't be removed?
Hello Forum members, I have a folder that was sent to me by a client a couple of years ago that I can't remove from my Dropbox. The folder has a grey padlock on the bottom left corner and also an X ...
- 6 years ago
enjayare, may be something else have happened. Probably immutable flag have been set. If so, you can trow it out using: "sudo chflags nouchg /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee" and/or "sudo chflags noschg /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee". Try it, just to be sure.
Finally give the result from "ls -lO /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee" or just take a look on get info window to check is "Locked" is still checked.
Здравко
Legendary | Level 20
enjayare, another option, without to know root password, is while log in as 'test' to execute "sudo chown njrcon /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee". In such a case no so much privileges will be need.
Здравко
6 years agoLegendary | Level 20
enjayare, may be something else have happened. Probably immutable flag have been set. If so, you can trow it out using: "sudo chflags nouchg /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee" and/or "sudo chflags noschg /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee". Try it, just to be sure.
Finally give the result from "ls -lO /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee" or just take a look on get info window to check is "Locked" is still checked.
- enjayare6 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Thank you I will try all these tomorrow and let you know what happens.
- enjayare6 years agoExplorer | Level 3
The Folder is in the Bin!!!
Thank you so much everyone for your on going help, it was "sudo chflags noschg /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee" that unlocked the folder.
Cheers Nick.
- Willem Groenewald5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
I have recently loaded my Personal Account on a Business Account and due to a locked file on my Dropbox-folder on my Macbook the Dorpbox-app can no longer sync.
On Finder it says I have no permission to delete the locked folder and I cannot unlock the folder. What to do?
- Lusil5 years agoDropbox Staff
Hi Willem Groenewald, thanks for nudging us on this thread.
Since you mention that you're unable to delete a folder from your account, could you send me a screenshot (without any personal info) of the notification that you get when you try to remove it?
Keep me posted - thanks!
- Willem Groenewald5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Hi Lusil, please send me your email address so that I can send you the screenshots of the locked file.
I will need to take a decision soon whether to continue with Dropbox or not. My folders are not syncing and it seems as if no-one has an answer to resolve the lock-file issue that prevents syncing.
Regards, Willem
- enjayare5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Hello Willem, this is what worked for me last year, just substitute "Tender 160 Brook St Coogee" with your file name accordingly.
"sudo chflags noschg /Users/njrcon/Dropbox/Tender\ -\ 160\ Brook\ St\,\ Coogee" that unlocked the folder.
- Willem Groenewald5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Thank you for the assitance!
Please guide me where to incert the new file name on Finder? I am working on macOS Mojave Version 10.14.6
- enjayare5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
I am not an expert with this sorry but I think you need to go to applications, then utilities, then terminal to enter the filename etc.
- Willem Groenewald5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
Hi, the following worked for me:
Typing " sudo rm -r " in the Terminal and thereafter dragging the folder from the Finder into the Terminal to get the path - worked to delete the locked files and folder.
Thank you!
- enjayare5 years agoExplorer | Level 3
That is great glad I could be of assistance for you.
About Delete, edit, and organize
Solve issues with deleting, editing, and organizing files and folders in your Dropbox account with support from the Dropbox Community.
Need more support
If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.
For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.
If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!