Error -43 on Mac: File Not Found

Error -43 in macOS is a standard system message indicating that the requested file or folder cannot be found. This issue can arise in various situations: when trying to open a file through Finder, when working with external drives, or network disks.

Causes of Error -43

Error -43 can occur for several reasons:

• File was deleted — the item was moved to Trash or permanently deleted
• Incorrect path — the link to the file points to a non-existent location
• Drive issues — the external disk was improperly disconnected
• Metadata corruption — the file record in the system is corrupted
• Access rights — the user does not have permission to access the file

How to Fix Error -43

Method 1: Check the Trash

The first thing to do is to open the Trash and check if the file was accidentally deleted:

1. Double-click the Trash icon in the dock
2. Locate the desired file
3. Drag the file back to the desired folder or click “Put Back”

Method 2: Use Spotlight to Search

If the file was moved but not deleted:

1. Press Cmd + Space to bring up Spotlight
2. Type the name of the file (or part of it)
3. When the file appears in the results, click on it

Method 3: Restart Finder

Sometimes the issue lies in a temporary glitch with Finder:

1. Hold Option + Right Click (or right-click with Option) on the Finder icon in the dock
2. Select “Relaunch”
3. Wait for Finder to restart

Method 4: Check the Disk with Disk Utility

To diagnose issues with the drive:

1. Open Disk Utility — find it through Spotlight
2. Select your disk in the sidebar
3. Click “First Aid”
4. Wait for the check to complete and follow the on-screen instructions

Method 5: Check Access Rights

If the error occurs with system files:

1. Open Terminal
2. Enter the command to check access rights for the folder:

   ls -la /path/to/folder
   

3. If you need to restore permissions, use:

   sudo diskutil resetUserPermissions /dev/disk1s1
   

Preventing Error -43

To avoid encountering error -43 in the future:

• Always use “Eject” for external drives
• Regularly back up using Time Machine
• Do not delete files immediately — first move them to Trash
• Check disks for errors every few months

Conclusion

Error -43 on Mac is a common issue that is usually easy to resolve. In most cases, checking the Trash, using Spotlight to search, or restarting Finder is sufficient. If the problem recurs frequently — check the disk for errors and ensure the stability of the connection to external drives.