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How to force delete a stubborn file
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2012
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On an iMac with OSX 10.7.4 I have a file that cannot be: opened, trashed, moved, renamed - I can't even get a "get-info" or "show inspector" on it. Neither does it show up in the Finder windows, just sits there on the desktop taking up space. I've tried Excel 2011 and Numbers 09.
File is named "ADEFAA00" and appears to have an Excel icon with a tiny label "XLXS" but there is no visible extension on the name.
I don't know whether it's an app, or folder or file and I know no way to find its permissions, etc. No idea where it came from, I just want to get rid of it.
Any suggestions???
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Dec 2001
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Try rebooting in Safe mode by holding the Shift key while starting up.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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I would suggest running Disk First Aid, this file might be the result of file system corruption.
Are you comfortable using the Terminal? If might be a good idea to take a look at it there. I can provide you with instructions if you can indicate your comfort level using Unix.
I'm not sure what Safe Mode will accomplish.
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Senior User
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Try repairing permissions on the drive. That might unlock it.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Originally Posted by Curiosity 
Try repairing permissions on the drive. That might unlock it.
If he didn't have permission to delete the file get info would still work.
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Moderator  Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Originally Posted by Curiosity
Try repairing permissions on the drive. That might unlock it.
Highly unlikely. Permissions "repair" does exactly one thing: it runs through the default settings in each install receipt and resets the existing prefs to that. Unless some application meant to install a file to the desktop, that isn't going to be it.
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The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
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Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
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Can you even click it? Perhpas has someone changed your desktop image lately? 
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Moderator Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Oh, good one. I'll have to try that some time.
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The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Yes, I can click the icon, and it gets the usual frame and highlighted name - but that's all that it does. It's not part of my desk image, but that was an interesting thought. Thanks.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
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BTW, I tried the permissions and disk repair options suggested above without any change to the invading file.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Originally Posted by WCONNELLY
BTW, I tried the permissions and disk repair options suggested above without any change to the invading file.
Did Disk First Aid find any problems that needed repairing?
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
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No, none. Disk repair said everything was fine.
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Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: inside 128, north of 90
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If you clean up the desktop, does it get moved?
Suspicious. Can you try viewing invisible files (http://www.brooksandrus.com/blog/2007/03/23/mac-os-x-show-hide-hidden-files-in-finder/) and then maybe you can do something else with it?
(the first suggestion was based on an old MacAddict April Fools Joke I read about... )
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Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001
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Clinically Insane
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I'm wondering if this file has its immutable bit set. It's time to crack open the Terminal to really get to the heart of this. You said this file is on your Desktop, right? Can you paste in the output of:
ls -lOh ~/Desktop
You can delete the lines that list other irrelevant files, if you wish.
Not even root can delete files with the immutable bit set, hence my thinking along these lines. What would have created an immutable file on your Desktop I don't know, but...
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
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Besson - I know the terminal exists, I have seen it used a time or two, but have no, none, nada, zero personal experience using it. I've even forgotten how to pull it up. It is still a mystery how or exactly when the file popped up. Recently a colleague downloaded and used the g-mail video calling (his PC has no camera), but that's the only time its been out of my control. I recall no downloading from an e-mail or any other recent installations. The file has been there now for about a week.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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The Terminal application is in your Applications -> Utilities folder. Just launch it, paste in my command (which doesn't make any changes), press return, and paste in the output here.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
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I did as you said, and there's no file/folder/disk that I don't recognize in the list. The offending file does is not listed. I also hope there are no nuclear launch codes revealed . . .
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 41K Oct 23 2009 1023d_aiamaryland10.jpg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 2.0M Aug 24 14:07 8th ave sketch.pdf
lrwxr-xr-x 1 willconnelly staff - 37B Jun 27 11:59 AccXES-Tools -> /Applications/AccXES/AccXES-Tools.app
drwxrwxrwx@ 14 willconnelly staff - 476B Mar 26 14:39 Allegiances
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.2M Apr 5 19:21 Auto-pay auth.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 25 2012 Avant Garde (bold).suit
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 25 2012 Avant Garde Mono ITCTT.suit
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 25 2012 Avant Garde.suit
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 6.0K Jun 14 17:07 Brewery.intaglio
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 4.8M Dec 18 2008 Brieftasche.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.1M Mar 26 13:23 Brin Randall and Will 101.JPG
drwxr-xr-x 16 willconnelly staff - 544B Feb 14 2012 Brin d'Amor
drwxr-xr-x 10 willconnelly staff - 340B Sep 5 15:18 C&C
drwxr-xr-x 15 willconnelly staff - 510B Aug 20 15:45 CCA
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 12K Apr 10 14:24 CCAlogo.jpeg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 4.2M Apr 5 18:45 Campbell Redemption.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 2.6M Apr 5 18:53 Campbell basis.pdf
drwxr-xr-x 8 willconnelly staff - 272B Mar 26 13:23 Capuchin site pics
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B Apr 13 16:05 DETAILS-pdf
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B Jan 13 2012 Data Conversions
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 281K Sep 5 15:19 Dropbox
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 59K Jan 13 2012 Font Key Page.pages
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 35M Jan 30 2009 GoogleEarthMac.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 56M Jan 13 2010 GoogleSketchUpMEN-1.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 133K Jan 20 2012 IBC IRC Ecodes Receipt.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly wheel - 133K Feb 5 2009 JaneMaryanne.jpg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 41K Aug 31 16:41 Kids Gifting Allowances.xlsx
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 4.6M Jun 22 16:58 Kids MedCo letter.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 4.4M Jun 22 16:55 Kids WF accounts.pdf
drwxrwxrwx@ 55 willconnelly staff - 1.8K Dec 14 2010 Label Files copy
drwx------ 23 willconnelly staff - 782B Sep 27 2011 LaunchPad
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.8G Jun 25 13:12 MI DVD.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 16K Sep 5 17:09 Office Lease 2ndAmend.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 471K Jan 28 2011 PLI-Application-WEB.pdf
drwxr-xr-x@ 27 willconnelly staff - 918B Sep 5 15:16 PROJECTS
-rwxr-xr-x@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 1.1M May 17 2010 Pax Logo EPS
-rwxr-xr-x@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.1M May 10 11:20 Pax Logo EPS copy
drwxr-xr-x@ 17 willconnelly staff - 578B May 10 11:19 Pax Natura BU 5-9-12
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 845K Aug 10 12:34 Pax VER Cert - Bell.pdf
drwxrwxr-t@ 38 willconnelly staff - 1.3K Dec 2 2011 Power Mac G4 HD
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 90K Mar 14 15:10 Promissory Note Template copy.doc
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 132K Feb 6 2012 Promissory Note Template.pages
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 10M May 28 2009 REScheck_OSX.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 141K Jan 13 2012 S. White Promissory.pages
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 564M Sep 23 2008 TC-Mac-2d-Essentials.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 38K May 19 20:25 Typ Arch fee.xlsx
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 615M Feb 24 2012 Use Wood 02-23-12 .pptx
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 336K Sep 5 15:19 WCR-ATC alias
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B May 16 14:02 WLC Stationery
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B Aug 28 16:07 eAccess
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 4.1M Oct 2 2009 final_pdd_english_pax.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 29M Dec 23 2008 googleearth-plugin-mac.dmg
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 3.8M Dec 23 2010 horse painting.jpeg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 13M Sep 7 2009 mikogo.dmg
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 8.0K Jan 12 2009 paxfrog.jpeg
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 12K Nov 6 2007 paxlogo.tiff
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 24K Jan 15 2009 vitruvian.jpg
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Those are the files you have on your Desktop?
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
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yes. Current work and frequent references.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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How about:
ls -alOh ~/Desktop
(adding the "a" flag will show hidden files too)
[COLOR=#181818" face="Lucida Grande, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans serif]Does that reveal the file?[/COLOR]
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Moderator Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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What happens if you just search for that filename in Spotlight? Make sure to include system files.
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The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: yes
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If the file is not showing up in the Terminal, his file system is probably corrupt (although I don't know why Disk First Aid would not show that).
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
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Here are the results of the revised terminal query. Only the first 4 lines shown are different from the previous list. No sign of the file on either list.
drwx------+ 60 willconnelly staff - 2.0K Sep 7 13:16 .
drwxr-xr-x+ 22 willconnelly staff - 748B Sep 7 13:15 ..
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 24K Sep 7 13:16 .DS_Store
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 9 2012 .localized
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 41K Oct 23 2009 1023d_aiamaryland10.jpg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 2.0M Aug 24 14:07 8th ave sketch.pdf
lrwxr-xr-x 1 willconnelly staff - 37B Jun 27 11:59 AccXES-Tools -> /Applications/AccXES/AccXES-Tools.app
drwxrwxrwx@ 14 willconnelly staff - 476B Mar 26 14:39 Allegiances
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.2M Apr 5 19:21 Auto-pay auth.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 25 2012 Avant Garde (bold).suit
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 25 2012 Avant Garde Mono ITCTT.suit
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 0B Jan 25 2012 Avant Garde.suit
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 6.0K Jun 14 17:07 Brewery.intaglio
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 4.8M Dec 18 2008 Brieftasche.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.1M Mar 26 13:23 Brin Randall and Will 101.JPG
drwxr-xr-x 16 willconnelly staff - 544B Feb 14 2012 Brin d'Amor
drwxr-xr-x 10 willconnelly staff - 340B Sep 5 15:18 C&C
drwxr-xr-x 15 willconnelly staff - 510B Aug 20 15:45 CCA
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 12K Apr 10 14:24 CCAlogo.jpeg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 4.2M Apr 5 18:45 Campbell Redemption.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 2.6M Apr 5 18:53 Campbell basis.pdf
drwxr-xr-x 8 willconnelly staff - 272B Mar 26 13:23 Capuchin site pics
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B Apr 13 16:05 DETAILS-pdf
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B Jan 13 2012 Data Conversions
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 281K Sep 5 15:19 Dropbox
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 35M Jan 30 2009 GoogleEarthMac.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 56M Jan 13 2010 GoogleSketchUpMEN-1.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 133K Jan 20 2012 IBC IRC Ecodes Receipt.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly wheel - 133K Feb 5 2009 JaneMaryanne.jpg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 41K Aug 31 16:41 Kids Gifting Allowances.xlsx
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 4.6M Jun 22 16:58 Kids MedCo letter.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 4.4M Jun 22 16:55 Kids WF accounts.pdf
drwxrwxrwx@ 55 willconnelly staff - 1.8K Dec 14 2010 Label Files copy
drwx------ 23 willconnelly staff - 782B Sep 27 2011 LaunchPad
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.8G Jun 25 13:12 MI DVD.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 16K Sep 5 17:09 Office Lease 2ndAmend.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 471K Jan 28 2011 PLI-Application-WEB.pdf
drwxr-xr-x@ 27 willconnelly staff - 918B Sep 5 15:16 PROJECTS
-rwxr-xr-x@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 1.1M May 17 2010 Pax Logo EPS
-rwxr-xr-x@ 1 willconnelly staff - 1.1M May 10 11:20 Pax Logo EPS copy
drwxr-xr-x@ 17 willconnelly staff - 578B May 10 11:19 Pax Natura BU 5-9-12
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 845K Aug 10 12:34 Pax VER Cert - Bell.pdf
drwxrwxr-t@ 38 willconnelly staff - 1.3K Dec 2 2011 Power Mac G4 HD
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 90K Mar 14 15:10 Promissory Note Template copy.doc
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 132K Feb 6 2012 Promissory Note Template.pages
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 10M May 28 2009 REScheck_OSX.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 141K Jan 13 2012 S. White Promissory.pages
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 564M Sep 23 2008 TC-Mac-2d-Essentials.dmg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 38K May 19 20:25 Typ Arch fee.xlsx
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 615M Feb 24 2012 Use Wood 02-23-12 .pptx
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly staff - 336K Sep 5 15:19 WCR-ATC alias
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B May 16 14:02 WLC Stationery
drwxr-xr-x 6 willconnelly staff - 204B Aug 28 16:07 eAccess
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 4.1M Oct 2 2009 final_pdd_english_pax.pdf
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 29M Dec 23 2008 googleearth-plugin-mac.dmg
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 3.8M Dec 23 2010 horse painting.jpeg
-rw-r--r--@ 1 willconnelly 503 - 13M Sep 7 2009 mikogo.dmg
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 8.0K Jan 12 2009 paxfrog.jpeg
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 12K Nov 6 2007 paxlogo.tiff
-rw-r--r-- 1 willconnelly 503 - 24K Jan 15 2009 vitruvian.jpg
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2012
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The file does not show in Spotlight. I'm not sure how to post a screenshot to this thread, but I've tried to attach it below.
5435/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Now I feel really, really, REALLY dumb. With all the things I've been attempting to do - with your kind & generous help - I never tried the most basic of all: a Restart. I did, and the file was nowhere to be found afterward.
Problem solved! 
Sorry to have wasted all your time.
(But I am still very curious what would make an icon behave that way - totally inaccessible and untouchable?)
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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Before you restarted the output of lsof (LiSt Open Files) would have been interesting to see if anything was accessing it.
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Mar 2001
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Originally Posted by mduell
Before you restarted the output of lsof (LiSt Open Files) would have been interesting to see if anything was accessing it.
Yes, good point!
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