Error codes in Mac OS are very rare to find. Maximum users who use Mac have said that they are very much satisfied with the experience of using the device. But if you are going through a bad time with your Mac, you could see your device break quite spectacularly. And when it happens, you could face the error code – 36 on Mac.
You can solve this error by the following methods –
- Run the disk utility and check the drive’s health,
- Check whether you have permission to copy the file,
- Use Command Line to copy the file,
- Reset PRAM,
- Check for an external media connection that is more stable,
- Remove.DS_Store files,
- Run Dot_clean Command using Terminal.
This very annoying Mac error code 36 is in the news nowadays. Some Mac users have reported that they are facing this issue while they try to copy something on their Mac. They are having this particular issue on Mac Minis, Macbook Pro laptops, iPhones, and many more devices. And here in this article, you are going to have the solution to overcome this Mac error code 36.
What Is Mac Error Code -36?
Error code 36 in Mac is the error that affects the program finder. A program finder is a system tool that you use to search, browse, or delete files on your Mac OS. and this error happens particularly when you try to copy any file and paste it to another destination. It can be a video file, music file, text file, or picture-like png file error code 36 on Mac.
This error does not depend on the source of the file. It can happen on any sort of device like a pen drive, memory card, or even a local Mac hard drive.
Causes for Mac Error 36
Whenever you get this error, you will see the following message –
- “The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “FileName” can’t be read or written. (Error code -36).”
- The main culprit of this error is the hidden.DS_Store files, a property of the Mac X OS system. It is responsible for holding the metadata and attributes of the folder in which it resides.
- But it is not a general issue that comes with a definite solution. Still, if you try the methods I am going to tell you, I hope you will get at least some benefits.
How To Fix Error Code 36 On Mac? (July)
Use the methods I have mentioned below if you want to solve this annoying error on your Mac OS.
1. Run Disk Utility And Check The Drive’s Health
Mac OS has an in-built First Aid application. You can use this application to check your both external and internal disk’s health. This checking can identify the problem if there is any existing one.
- Go to the Apple menu.
- Launch Finder.
- Click Go.
- Click Utilities and open Disk Utility.
- Click the drive you want to check.
- Click First Aid.
- Run Verify Disk utility.
- If you find any dispute when the process finishes, you can choose First Aid and try to get a logical fix.
2. Check Whether You Have Permission To Copy The File
Apply the steps stated below.
- Locate the files that you are trying to copy using Finder.
- Click Get Info.
- Check if there is any Locked File. make sure that the Locked File option is unchecked.
- Find the Sharing and Permissions tab.
- Select Everyone.
- Make sure it is read/write enabled.
By this, you will get permission to copy the file(s).
3. Use the Command Line To Copy The File
To perform this method, apply the steps mentioned below.
- Open Terminal.
- Go to the Source folder.
- Copy the files and paste them to your local disk.
4. Reset PRAM
Here you will know how you can reset the PRAM. if you reset PRAM, error 36 will not show on your Mac OS. check below for the steps.
- Shut down your computer.
- Turn it on again.
- Before the gray screen appears, press and hold Command + Option + P + R, and release all of them when you hear the startup sound three times back to back.
5. Check For An External Media Connection That Is More Stable
If the external hard drive you are using has stability issues in the connection, then you might face this error 36 on that hard drive. To check whether it is the external hard drive that is creating the problem, test another hard drive with better stability.
6. Remove.DS_Store files
.DS_Store Files are nothing but cache files. But these files remain hidden in Mac OS. so you can try to fix this issue by deleting these files.
Follow the steps stated below –
- Open Finder on Mac.
- Click on Go.
- Press Utilities from the pop-up menu.
- Click twice on the Terminal option.
- Give the Administrator password if asked.
- Give the common Sudo find / -name “.DS_Store” – depth -exec rm {} \; in the proper box of Terminal.
- Hit Return.
- This action will start deleting.DS_Store Files. You might have to enter the Administrator password again.
7. Run Dot_clean Command Using Terminal
This error code 36 can be triggered by the archived process of Finder. If this is happening on your system, then the problem begins when the dot-underscore files are getting mismanaged. And to remove this, you can use the dot_clean command.
- Search for Terminal.
- Give the following command in Terminal –dot_clean
- Press Return.
- Reboot your computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How do I get rid of error 36?
- Run the disk utility and check the drive’s health,
- Check whether you have permission to copy the file,
- Use Command Line to copy the file,
- Reset PRAM,
- Check for an external media connection that is more stable,
- Remove.DS_Store files,
- Run Dot_clean Command using Terminal.
Q2. What is error code 36 on the Mac photo library?
Ans: If you try to copy any file from the Mac photo library and you see the message “The Finder can’t complete the operation because some data in “FileName” can’t be read or written. (Error code -36).” you can say you have got the error code 36 on Mac photo gallery.
The Final Words
Error code 36 can happen anytime whenever you try to copy any file from a source and paste it to a different folder. It can be a video file, text file, music file, or picture file. It can happen on both internal and external hard drives. And I hope if you have gone through this entire article, now you know how to deal with this error. So, all the best!
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