So, you updated to MacOS Catalina, and you realize that there is a new folder shortcut, named “Relocated Items”, created by macOS on your desktop. And you are trying to figure out that where this new folder came from and why is there and what’s in it. This article explains what you can do If you see a Relocated Items folder on your Mac.
Relocated Items
macOS may create this folder during an update process. Basically, macOS reviews all of your files to ensure that your files are undamaged and some of them may be placed in this new folder. macOS may relocate some of your files that could not be handled by the update and macOS moved these files to this folder. If you open this folder, you will see a PDF file explaining the content of the folder. It is located in the Shared folder.
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Theoretically, this folder is supposed to include junk items that were found in the root folder. They aren’t loaded. What we recommend is that carefully review the content of the folder. Do you have anything there you may want? For example, some users have said that their relocated items folder include their entire photo library. If this is the case, do not delete this folder. Keep this file.
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Deleting Relocated Items Folder
After examining, if you think there are items you may need, you may delete this folder. It can be deleted without messing up macOS.
You can delete it by dragging the item to the Trash in the Dock then empty the Trash.
Please note when deleting this folder, you may have some problems. You may get error messages saying something like “….can’t be modified or deleted because it’s required by macOS” or “The operation can’t be completed because the item “…” is in use”. If you are getting a message like this while trying to delete this folder, you will need to turn off System Integrity Protection on your Mac (and you should turn in on again after). Here is how you can delete this folder.
- Turn off your Mac
- Turn of your Mac and immediately hold down Command-R
- This will reboot your Mac into Recovery Mode
- Click Utilities
- Click Terminal
- And enter the following command and hit enter:
- csrutil disable
- Now restart your Mac normally (without pressing any keys)
Now you can delete this folder and then empty trash. After this what you want to do is to re-enable System Integrity Protection which you really should.
- Follow the same steps and reboot into Recovery Mode
- Open Utilities and Terminal
- And enter the following command and hit enter
- csrutil enable
- Then restart your Mac normally again without pressing any keys.
See also: macOS Catalina Application Damaged, Can’t Be Used
My Relocated items looks includes the following files:
v Security
v System
v Library
vCoreServices
v Directory Servicies
v DefaultLocalDB
Default
v vm
swapfile0
As well as What Are Relocated Items
Is this right?
This is all fine and good, but I want to put those file folders back where they were on my hard drive. It says that I can move them just not back where they were. Well, duh. From now on I work out of a folder on my desktop. I’m sure there is a way around this, I just cannot find it. Everything that was on my desktop, folders, files, photos, are still right where they were and working. My hard drive has Applications, Library, System ,Users, and a folder with snapshots. The snapshots folder has two time machine backups that were made during installation. It is the same five folders. I do not want everything in the cloud. I do not have a business. I’m sure Catalina is great for the business world. I do not want to keep everything in a folder on my desktop. How to I change the location?
I am having numerous problems following your Catalina update. Especially frustrating that I cannot either open or delete the Relocated Items file. This mysterious file also keeps sticking to my cursor, preventing me from using it, and forcing me to keep restarting my iMac.
I had a few issues after installing Catalina. My dock disappeared as well as having a “relocated Items” file put on my desktop. I contacted Apple support (chat) and after about 15-20 minutes with nothing resolved, the session but with a message “temporary session issue”.
Why do this complicated recovery mode boot instead of just using ‘sudo’ in a terminal ?
I have recently installed Catalina successfully. But as I want to sing in to my iCloud with my correct username and password, I got “Verification failed. an Unknown error occurred”.
I can sign in to my appleid via apple website, but in my Mac system preferences I cannot.
I have even reset my password.
I have used a VPN tunnel.
I have tried more than 10 times in a row.
I have connected to a top speed wifi internet connection.
BUT non of above worked.
help please.