# What is BootX, why in Trash, how to unlock?



## Durbrow (Jan 5, 2006)

Can some kind soul tell me:

1. What is BootX?
2. It is in my trash and is locked. I can't unlock and delete it. Any tips on how I can?

Many thanks.


----------



## nixgeek (Jan 5, 2006)

BootX is a boot manager that is used by "OldWorld" Macs (those that used hardware ROMs instead of Open Firmware) to allow the Mac to boot into another operating system (like Linux/ppc).  Here's more information about it.

As for emptying it, have you tried holding down Option while emptying the trash?  This worked in Mac OS 9 and below for force emptying the trash.  I think it still holds for OS X.


----------



## Durbrow (Jan 5, 2006)

Thanks. This works. But I still have one more file that refuses to die. QuickSilver.old 1

Tried: Secure Delete, option delete, fixed permissions, made sure it was unlock, made sure permission set to my account or to system. No go. Any ideas? Thanks.


----------



## bobw (Jan 5, 2006)

Open the Terminal Application (in Utilities folder) and type:

cd ~/.Trash 
    hit return

sudo rm -rf 

put a space after the f and drag the item you want deleted to the terminal so that its path is automatically entered, then press return

give it your admin password and hit return


----------



## john1946 (Jan 6, 2007)

i've followed this thread but I still have BootX in my trash. When I try to take it onto the desktop to unlock, the original still remains in the trash. I can get the copy from the desktop to delete. The BootX is in a nest of folders, System/Library/CoreServices/BootX. I've tried changing the folder names. When I tried

cd ~/.Trash 
hit return

sudo rm -rf 

I got illegal Command. Any other ideas??


----------



## nesika41 (Feb 5, 2007)

I got the same result, with Terminal commands. Still hope to get rid of #*F# bootX! And don't know why it's there!


----------



## Patron (Feb 5, 2007)

I'm having the same problem, but I don't care about bootX. I'm trying to delete a video file(half a gig) and it says it's already in use? I follow all these steps, and when I put in my password it just says incorrect password.


----------



## nixgeek (Feb 5, 2007)

What bobw meant was the following:

1. Open up Terminal
2. Type "cd ~/.Trash" (no quotes, and remember that commands are case sensitive).  Hit the Return key.
3. Type "sudo rm -rf" (no quotes) followed by a space after the "f" and then drag the icon that's in the Trash to the Terminal window.  This will automatically place the path of the file on the command line after what you typed.  Once it does that, hit the Return key.
4. If prompted for a password, type your user password and hit the return key.

That should remove the file in the Trash, be it BootX or that large movie file Patron is trying to delete.


----------



## Patron (Feb 5, 2007)

nixgeek said:


> What bobw meant was the following:
> 
> 1. Open up Terminal
> 2. Type "cd ~/.Trash" (no quotes, and remember that commands are case sensitive).  Hit the Return key.
> ...



Thanks a lot, turns out the problem was I had to turn my accounts Admin status on.


----------



## chandar (Apr 9, 2007)

I was having the same problem and this worked:

1. Open up Terminal
2. Type "cd ~/.Trash" (no quotes, and remember that commands are case sensitive). Hit the Return key.
3. Type "sudo rm -rf" (no quotes) followed by a space after the "f" and then drag the icon that's in the Trash to the Terminal window. This will automatically place the path of the file on the command line after what you typed. Once it does that, hit the Return key.
4. If prompted for a password, type your user password and hit the return key.

thanks.


----------



## Shoesetter (Jul 17, 2008)

Thanks Nixgeek, you're the man!


----------



## nixgeek (Jul 17, 2008)

Wow!   Well, I'm glad my old posts can still help others in need.


----------



## pavan534 (Sep 22, 2009)

bobw said:


> Open the Terminal Application (in Utilities folder) and type:
> 
> cd ~/.Trash
> hit return
> ...



thanx.......


----------

