7 Ways to Fix Error Code 36 on Your Mac [2022 Guide]

A Mac OS error code is usually rare and hard to find. Mac users tend to have a very reliable experience with their devices; however, there are times when something goes wrong with a Mac too.

An error code -36 on a Mac usually indicates bad news. The error isn’t very common and usually occurs when you transfer data to or from your Mac.

It is likely to occur to photographers and other Mac users who frequently copy image files to and from their Macs.

What is code 36 on my Mac?

Whenever error code 36 occurs, it shows the message The finder can’t complete the operation because some data in .DS_Store can’t be read or written.

This implies that storing data on your Mac’s hard drive might have some sort of problem. It could also be caused by a problem with how your Mac’s Finder accesses data. Some common reasons for this error are:

  • Your hard drive might be corrupted
  • Maybe the files you are trying are locked
  • The required file might be in use
  • The file path is too long.

Now you know what error code 36 is on Mac, but how can you fix it? Here are some solutions that might help you.

How do I fix error code 36 on Mac?

1. Unblock folder or file

  1. Right-click on the folder you are trying to share and select Get Info.
  2. Make sure that the Locked checkbox is unchecked.

You may also receive Finder error code 36 when you don’t have permission to modify that folder or file. If you own a Mac, make sure that the folder or files have the necessary permissions.

2. Run the First Aid in Disk Utility

  1. Click on Go in the upper toolbar and select Utilities.
  2. Locate and then click on Disk Utility.
  3. Then, select the drive from the sidebar.
  4. Click on First Aid.
  5. A popup menu appears. Click on Run.

Now, check if the Mac Finder error 36 has been resolved or not.

3. Update your OS

  1. Click on the Apple icon and select System Preferences from the dropdown menu.
  2. Then, locate and click on Software Update.
  3. Check the checkbox of Automatically keep my Mac up to date.
  4. Enter your admin password and click Unlock.

Mac error code 36 has been reported to be specific to some older macOS versions, particularly macOS version 10.9.2 and older.

The problem will be resolved by updating their Mac computer to the latest available version.

4. Delete the.DS_Store files

  1. Search the terminal in the finder and click on Terminal.
  2. Enter the following command in the Terminal and press Enter: sudo find / -name “.DS_Store” -depth -exec rm {} \
  3. Then enter your admin password and press Enter.
  4. The process begins after deleting the files; restart your Mac.

5. Forcefully quit Finder

  1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left corner of the screen and press Force Quit Finder.
  2. Select Finder and click on the Relaunch button.

Mac’s Finder is an important component responsible for the way we interact with the system. However, sometimes it does not get initialized correctly, resulting in the Finder error code 43.

By forcefully quitting the Finder, you can easily resolve this problem.

What are the most common Mac errors?

Some of the most common errors mac users might face are:

-> Mac Error Code -3001F

A Mac error code -3001F occurs when the system tries to restore backup files. In the event that this attempt fails to process and load requests, it crashes severely.

When trying to restart their computer after wiping the disk to prepare the system for a macOS reinstallation, several Mac users have encountered this error.

-> Mac Error Code -1008F

The Mac error code -1008F occurs when users attempt to complete the internet recovery process on their Mac. After running Catalina, the error code often appears when reinstalling macOS Mojave.

-> Mac Error Code 100006

A Mac Error Code 100006 indicates that a specific program, feature, or operation is malfunctioning. Your screen will continue to display this error unless you fix it. A Mac infected with viruses or malware is a common cause of this error.

Many users reported getting An error occurred during activation message on FaceTime, yet our guide can help them. Even more, some reported the Normal.dotm error on Mac. This can be rather annoying, but there’s a way to fix it.

We hope that our article helped you understand the error code 36 on Mac and provided some solutions to fix it. If you have any other questions or queries, feel free to reach out to us in the comments section below.

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