# Having problems deleting
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093
**Category:** Mac
**Created:** [May 5, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093 "2021-05-05T00:33:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2021, 12:33am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/1 "2021-05-05T00:33:42Z")
Holding down alt/option to delete file, I get this error:
"couldn’t be moved to the trash because you don’t have permission to access it."
Click ok, doesn't delete/move file to trash.
I have given mp3tag full disk access, what gives?
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2021, 9:08am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/2 "2021-05-05T09:08:23Z")
Does this happen on a local file or on an external file system (if so, which)?
How did you load the file: as part of a folder, as individual file, via drag and drop?
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### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2021, 12:01am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/3 "2021-05-06T00:01:41Z")
External hard drive formatted to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), Full read & Write for my account and staff, everyone is read only.
Loaded as part of a folder.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2021, 6:58am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/4 "2021-05-06T06:58:32Z")
I suspect macOS sandboxing at work. Can you try the following:
1. Open Mp3tag and load the root folder of the external drive. You don't have to wait if all files are loaded, you can also cancel the operation once the progress sheet is appearing.
2. Load the files in question and try deleting.
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### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2021, 11:41am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/5 "2021-05-06T11:41:14Z")
A lot more on the drive than just my music folder. Mostly music related, Pro Tools, Maschine, etc.
So I can cancel the progress bar/window once it starts, don’t have to let it fully load?
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2021, 11:44am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/6 "2021-05-06T11:44:27Z")
The latter, as I've said:
> [@Florian](#):
>
> You don't have to wait if all files are loaded, you can also cancel the operation once the progress sheet is appearing.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/7 "2021-05-06T15:06:02Z")
I did some further research on this issue and it seems like deleting files is failing if nothing has been previously deleted for the external file system.
This has the result that there doesn't exist an dedicated `.Trashes` directory in the root of the file system and the file cannot be moved accordingly.
If you delete something via Finder it should create the appropriate hidden folder (it also has the ID of your user account as subfolder) and deleting via Mp3tag should work too.
All of this is just a working theory after hours of testing 😃 So it would be great if you could try and share your findings.
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### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 6, 2021, 9:28pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/8 "2021-05-06T21:28:37Z")
Will test later when I get home. I have deleted/moved to trash from the external hdd before.
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### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 7, 2021, 12:41am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/9 "2021-05-07T00:41:06Z")
Well I did both, deleted from external using finder (have done it in the past), started to load whole external drive. Worked, was able to delete in MP3Tag.
Now the question is...do I have to do this everytime I shutdown/restart?
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### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/10 "2021-05-09T14:52:48Z")
Looks like this behavior resets itself on every power up/restart. Not too big of a deal, but is this something that is going to be worked on?
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2021, 7:25am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/11 "2021-05-10T07:25:45Z")
I think it would only reset itself if you somehow delete Mp3tag's settings, where it stores a security-scoped bookmark that is needed for sandboxed access to the files on the external disc.
Another option where it looses previous access is, if you rename the external drive to something different than before.
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### Author:  [@ReyRaym](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ReyRaym)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2021, 12:15am UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/12 "2021-05-11T00:15:47Z")
How would I somehow delete settings? I just close Mp3tag when I'm done.
I never disconnect the external drive, it mount at boot.
Something is going on???
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### Author:  [@system](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/system)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/having-problems-deleting/53093/13 "2021-06-15T17:00:56Z")
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