What is error code 43 on Mac?

A lot of users are asking for help on the internet after running into a certain problem on Windows or macOS. Recently, I find error code 43 troubled many Mac users. Some said they run into the error when trying to copy or move some files on Mac; others said the error 43 appears to stop them from sending some data to Trash. What happened? Can you fix error 43 on Mac yourself?

It's quite an unpleasant experience to receive a system error when working or studying on a computer. This will stop you from finishing what you're doing. Recently, I noticed an error message bothering various users: error code 43 Mac.

Tip: It’s easy to recover files lost from a Mac computer as long as you have the powerful data recovery software that supports macOS. The Stellar Data Recovery for Mac, jointly designed by MiniTool and Stellar, is worth a try.

What Is Error Code 43 Mac

If you search online, you’ll find a lot of users have ever met the error code - 43 Mac. Some said the error code 43 appears in a prompt window when they try to copy a file on the hard drive; some said they see the error 43 during the file moving process; others said they receive Macintosh error code 43, stopping them from deleting files successfully.

As you can see from the picture, the detailed error message is:

The operation can’t be completed because one or more required items can’t be found.

(Error code -43)

In short, code -43 is a file not found error that appears now and then on Mac OS X El Capitan or OS X 20.2.

How To Fix Error Code -50 On Mac When Copying Or Moving Files?

Error Code 43 Mac Copying File

I am getting an error with Code -43 when trying to move a folder on my Mac. Any ideas?

Hello, today I was trying to copy some files (including some folders and aliases) from my hard disk to my Dropbox folder that I have in my Finder. I wanted to copy some files into my Dropbox via Finder, because I consider that more convenient than uploading via my internet browser. Everything went well until about 80% of the files were copied. Finder gave me an error code -43, saying it was unable to locate some of the files or its destination (I'm not very sure what the frase exactly was, it was a confusing message anyway). What does this error -43 mean and what can I do to fix this?- asked chscag in the Mac Forums

Chscag said he was trying to move a folder on Mac by copying & pasting, but the process failed when it went to 80%. Then, he received the error code -43 on Mac and wants to know how to fix the problem.

Another frequently used way to move a folder on a computer is cutting & pasting. If you don’t know how to copy/cut and paste on Mac, please read this page with care:

Error Code 43 Mac Can't Delete File

How to fix Error Code -43?

Error code – 43: Can't throw a file into the trash, getting the following error message - The operation can’t be completed because one or more required items can’t be found. (Error code -43)- posted by dhillonladdi in Apple Support Communities

Dhillonladdi said the system didn’t allow him to delete a file (send it to Trash), giving the error 43 on the screen. He wants to fix the error by asking for help on the internet.

Your access to the file may also be denied on Windows 10 (copying or moving file is not allowed):

7 Main Causes of Macintosh Error Code 43

The following reasons will lead to error 43 on Mac when you're working with your files.

Tip: It's also possible to see the error code 43 on Macintosh when you’re trying to move, copy, or delete files saved on a USB drive connected. The possible causes and fixes for USB error code 43 are basically the same, so you just need to read the following content to know what happened and how to settle down the problem.

1. Characters in File Name Are Incompatible

If one or more special characters (the so-called illegal characters) are found in the name of a certain file you try to copy/move/delete, the error will be caused. Incompatible characters include: @, !, #, %, ^, and $. Also, over 30 characters in the file name could be problematic to the delete or move action.

2. File Is in Use or Locked

If you’re trying to copy or delete a file that is used in the background or by other applications, you’ll fail. Meanwhile, you won’t succeed if the target file is locked for preventing unwanted changes or accidental deletions. Please stop using the file or unlock it; then, try to perform the copy or delete action again.

3. Hard Drive Is Failed

If your hard drive or the partition that holds the file is damaged or corrupted somehow, you’ll run into error -43.

Is My Hard Drive Failing: Causes And Signs.

4. There’s No Shared Point

If there is no shared point available for the file you try to copy or move, Mac finder cannot access it.

5. The Download or Copy of the File Is Incomplete

If a file isn't downloaded or copied entirely from its source, it can’t be moved.

6. Files Are Damaged

Your files may corrupt suddenly due to lots of reasons. If the file you’re trying to move or copy is damaged, you may also receive error code 43 on macOS.

How to recover corrupted files to minimize possible losses:

7. You Don’t Have Enough Permission

There are chances when you’re not provided with enough permission to access or manage a certain file.

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Fix Error Code 43 on Mac in 5 Useful Ways

There are 6 frequently used ways to get away from the error code 43 on your Mac.

#1. Force Quit Finder

Force quitting Finder is the simplest way to fix Macintosh errors like error code 43.

1. Look for the Apple logo located on the left side of the top menu bar.
2. Click it and then select Force Quit from the drop-down menu.
3. Scroll down in the Force Quit Applications window to find Finder.
4. Select Finder and click on the Force Quit (or Relaunch) button at the bottom right.

Another quick way to open the Force Quit Applications window is by pressing Command + Option + Escape.

#2. Reset PRAM/NVRAM

PRAM stands for Parameter Random Access Memory, while NVRAM stands for Non-volatile Random Access Memory. Some of your system’s settings are stored there: system configuration, display settings, hard disk configuration, etc.

The error 43 can be caused when the PRAM/NVRAM is corrupted. And the easy way to fix the error is by resetting PRAM/NVRAM.

How to Reset PRAM/NVRAM on Mac

If your Mac has an Apple T2 Security Chip:

1. Shut down your Mac as you usually do. (How to fix when Mac keeps shutting down randomly?)
2. Disconnect all unnecessary peripherals.
3. Turn it back on by pressing the Power button.
4. Press Command + Option + P + R immediately when it starts to boot (before the grey screen is displayed).
5. Release the keys until you see the Apple logo appears and disappears three times (or after 20 seconds).
6. Let Mac restart and check the System Preferences settings.

If your Mac doesn’t include T2 Security Chip, you should repeat steps 1 to 4 -> release the keys until you hear the startup sound three times (or after 20 seconds) -> check the settings.

#3. Run First Aid in Disk Utility

Disk Utility is a tool built-in Mac to check disks for errors and then repair them.

1. Open Disk Utility: Finder -> Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility.
2. If you want to run Disk Utility from startup: restart Mac -> hold down Command + R -> select Disk Utility.
3. Select the disk containing the file you’re having trouble with from the left sidebar.
4. Click on the First Aid button at the top.
5. Click Run and then Continue in the confirmation dialog box.
6. Wait for the process to end.

What Do Different First Aid Reports Mean

Situation 1: if First Aid reports your disk is about to fail, you should back it up at once before doing anything else.

Situation 2: if the First Aid report indicates the “overlapped extent allocation” error, it means one or more files are occupying the same portion of your drive.

1. Please find these files in the DamagedFiles folder.
2. Try to open them (in general at least one of those files is corrupt).
3. Recover the corrupt file or delete it if it's not important.

Situation 3: if the First Aid report shows “The underlying task reported failure”, things will be worse. You need to run First Aid again.

• If the error still persists, you should backup data at once and then reformat the drive.
• If this happens to be your system drive, please reinstall macOS.

Situation 4: if the report doesn't contain any problems, please continue with the next fix.

Note: First Aid is also very useful when you find an external hard drive not showing up on Mac.

#4. Delete Locked Files

You should move or delete locked files in Terminal.

How to Open Terminal

1. Click on the Finder icon in the Dock.
2. Choose Applications.
3. Select Utilities.
4. Click Terminal.

How to Delete Locked Files

Delete files in Trash:

1. Type and execute this command in Terminal: chflags -R nouchg (space).
2. Double click on the Trash icon to open it.
3. Press Command + A to select all files and folders.
4. Drag & drop them from Trash to Terminal.
5. Press Return on the keyboard.

Delete files from other locations:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Type this command: rm (space).
3. Navigate to your file that can’t be moved/deleted.
4. Drag the file and drop it to Terminal.
5. Press Return.

You can also type the exact location of your file in Terminal to force delete it.

If the above methods failed, you should restart your Mac in Safe Mode and try again.

#5. Show Package Contents

Some Mac users said they have fixed error code 43 by following steps.

1. Search for the session file on your Mac.
2. Right click on this file.
3. Select Show Package Contents from the context menu.
4. You’ll see Media, Resources, and Alternatives folders.
5. Open the Resources folder, search for files named plist, and delete them.
6. Open the Alternatives folder and do the same things.

How to Recover Lost Data after Fixing Error 43 Mac

While you’re performing actions to fix error code -43 (or doing other things) on Mac, some of your files (that are still useful) may be deleted. Please don’t worry too much when that happens to you. Why? That is simply because you’re able to recover deleted/lost files on Mac easily with the help of a powerful tool.

Please click this link if you want to retrieve deleted files on your PC.

Preparation for Mac File Recovery

First of all, you need to choose a data recovery utility that can work on macOS and won’t bring any damage to the system.

Secondly, you should download the utility to your Mac hard drive. Please remember that you can’t save the setup program to the drive that keeps the lost files; otherwise, it may lead to data overwriting.

Thirdly, you should install the utility on your Mac properly by following the on-screen instructions. (This step is not necessary since you can use the utility directly in some cases.)

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3 Steps to Recover Files from Mac

Step one: select what to recover.

1. Please run the Stellar Data Recovery for Mac on your computer.
2. When you see the main software window, you should specify the types of files you want to recover: 1. Turn ON Documents, Emails, Videos, Audio, and Photos manually; 2. Turn On Recover Everything directly.
3. Click Next in the lower right corner to continue.

Step two: select location.

You should figure out on which drive your lost files are located. Just select it and click on the Scan button at the bottom right.

Notice: you can enable the Deep Scan mode at the bottom left to get the best recovery result.

Step three: recover files.

1. Please browse the scan results carefully.
2. Add a checkmark in front of the files and folders you want to recover.
3. Click on the Recover button in the bottom right corner.
4. Click Browse to select a storage destination.
5. Click on the Save button to start recovering selected files.
6. Wait for the process to finish.

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Please note: Stellar Data Recovery for Mac is also useful for recovering data from dead MacBook or getting files off failing hard drive.

Bottom Line

It’s very easy to copy, paste, remove, or delete files on a Mac computer. However, problems occur now and then to stop Mac users from doing these things. For instance, the error code 43 Mac may show up on the screen. What does this error mean? Why it appears? How to fix Macintosh error 43? The above content answers them all. Besides, it teaches you how to recover files after they were deleted or lost from macOS. Hope this article can help you get out of the woods.