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I was trying to copy a bunch of files from an external drive to my Mac, and suddenly I got this “Error code -36” pop-up. It failed midway, and now every time I try again, it stops at the same file.
The weird thing is, I noticed the filename has a dot at the beginning and maybe an underscore too.
Is this some kind of hidden file issue?
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Replies (5)
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Participant
1 year ago
May 02, 2025
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Yep, that sounds like it. Error code -36 usually pops up when finder can’t handle certain hidden files—especially ones with a “.” at the beginning and an “_” in the name. These files can get corrupted, and when that happens, Finder struggles to move, copy, or delete them properly.
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Participant
1 year ago
May 03, 2025
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That makes sense. So how do I fix it? Do I just delete those files or…?
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Participant
1 year ago
May 06, 2025
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No need to delete anything. Here’s a quick fix using terminal:
- Open terminal from Applications > Utilities.
- Type dot_clean (with a space at the end).
- Then drag the folder containing the files into Terminal—it’ll fill in the path automatically.
- Press return.
That command basically merges hidden metadata files with the main ones, which usually clears up the issue. After that, try copying or moving the files again.
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Participant
1 year ago
May 08, 2025
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Also, just to add—sometimes it’s a permission thing. You can right-click the file, hit Get info, scroll to Sharing & permissions, and make sure your user has Read & write access. You might need to unlock it with your admin password to change the settings.
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Participant
1 year ago
May 10, 2025
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Ahh I see. I’ll try the terminal method first-it sounds simple enough.
If that doesn’t work, I’ll double-check the permissions. Thanks for the help, both of you!
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