"Empty Trash" Deleted Folders From My Desktop

Liza

Liza

Registered
I usually empty my trash up to three times a day, and earlier today when I did it I got a message that something couldn't be deleted because it was in use. The item in question was not in use and also not important (that's why I'd trashed it) so I clicked continue.

Next thing I know, the folders on my desktop are disappearing!!!

I clicked cancel as quickly as I could - although it took me a second to respond because I was quite stunned by what was happening - but of the three folders I keep on my desktop I lost two in their entirety and some of the contents of one (I was able to retrieve some of it after cancelling).

Does anyone have any idea why something like this would have happened?

I'd been working on a few things, doing some Google searches, but I hadn't downloaded anything new or done anything different from my usual activities.

I have FileSalvage running at the moment to see what, if anything, can be recovered (don't worry, I'm not using the machine that it happened on - Mac Mini - I'm working on the iBook). It's not too stressful because I did a backup less than a month ago, just really frustrating to lose a few weeks worth of work.

Any insight so that this can be avoided in the future would be appreciated.
 
Well... I've never seen this before. I thought that maybe it was merely _moving_ things to the trash, because you might have hit Cmd-Backspace instead of Cmd-Opt-Shift-Backspace. But then again... No, no?
 
Nope. I right-clicked on the trash can and clicked Empty Trash. The folders on my desktop then started being swallowed by the trash can.

Strange but true.
 
I emptied my trash, which had a lot of files in it (i'm a photographer and had put many raw files in during the previous week).

While it was emptying I had MS Entourage open as well as ichat.

While the trash was busy emptying, i was multitasking and selected F11 to get to my desktop to grab a jpg to ichat to a friend.

While trying to send that file to a friend my entire desktop transformed before my eyes and the hundred or so folder and files i had were gone. THEY WERE EMPTIED IN THE TRASH.

The only thing out of the ordinary that i did earlier in the day was installed the 10.4.8 combined ppc install.

i am using a powerbook 64 1.67 1.5rm hd.

if anyone can help i'd greatly appreciate it, i need to restore my files. some very important info was deleted that wasn't backed up.

i purchased data rescue ii last night but i'm having mixed results.
 
Sorry to hear about that parkerrolfson, I know the feeling.

Since this thread has been up for a week with no ideas from anyone as to what causes this, I think the best thing is to learn from it and protect ourselves in the future.

I've now bought ChronoSync and am syncing my data between my two macs daily, so if one goes down I'm saved by the other, instead of doing monthly backups which I was doing before.

I have to wonder though... you said you had MS Entourage open when it happened to you, and I did too... could this somehow be related to a MS problem? Hmmm...
 
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