Can you help me identify these strange files in my root directory?

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cleifperrycleifperry
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
I noticed some strange files/folders in my root directory and have no idea where they might have come from:



(Link to image)

https://files.me.com/chris_perry/ahl6p4



Here are some of the file names, if you can't view the image for some reason:

/?%98%DE%FF%FB%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%A0

/%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%FF%DA%FF%FB%FF%FF%FF%A0

/%D4%DE%FF%FB%FF%FF%FFq%D9%FF%FB%FF%FF%FF

/B87571A5-45B3-4811-A035-3B592F1CE296



Also, while I'm asking, I don't remember ever seeing a "mds" or "private" directory here before.



Anyone have any ideas? I can't help but be curious about these things. My root directory used to be nice and tidy; only "Applications", "Library", "System", "Users"... Now I feel like I'm running Windows or something with all this random crap there...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    Marvinmarvin Posts: 15,522moderator
    mds is spotlight and private is a system folder so leave those. They should be hidden though. You can hide them using the terminal:



    chflags hidden /mds

    chflags hidden /private



    The files with odd names shouldn't exist so you can just delete them. The B875... looks like a serial code. They may have been files dumped by an application installation or something, maybe a system crash.
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  • Reply 2 of 3
    cleifperrycleifperry Posts: 4member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post


    mds is spotlight and private is a system folder so leave those. They should be hidden though. You can hide them using the terminal:



    chflags hidden /mds

    chflags hidden /private



    The files with odd names shouldn't exist so you can just delete them. The B875... looks like a serial code. They may have been files dumped by an application installation or something, maybe a system crash.



    Thanks! I deleted the files and it didn't seem to affect my system (whew!) I managed to hide the mds folder too, but the private one wouldn't hide. It said I didn't have permission to do it...
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  • Reply 3 of 3
    Marvinmarvin Posts: 15,522moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cleifperry View Post


    Thanks! I deleted the files and it didn't seem to affect my system (whew!) I managed to hide the mds folder too, but the private one wouldn't hide. It said I didn't have permission to do it...



    You will have to use sudo for that one:



    sudo chflags hidden /private



    and it will ask for your admin password. It won't type anything but hit return when you finish putting the password in.
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