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Remove AppleDouble ._ Files with dot_clean

The built-in tool for the hidden ._* files that litter non-HFS volumes and clog network shares.

macOScleanupapple-doubledot_cleannetwork-driveLow risk
Run `dot_clean -m /Volumes/Drive` to merge each ._ AppleDouble file back into its real file and delete the junk.

01Command

Command
$ dot_clean -m /Volumes/Backup

02What it does

When macOS stores extended attributes or resource forks on a filesystem that can't hold them natively (FAT, SMB shares), it writes sidecar files named ._filename. These confuse other platforms and some backup tools. dot_clean is Apple's purpose-built fix: -m merges the metadata into the file itself, while plain `dot_clean` just deletes the sidecars. It's also the first thing to try when a NAS folder stubbornly shows duplicated invisible files.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
!Warning: -m folds resource-fork data into the data fork, which is irreversible.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

Last verified: 2026-09-17 · Category: Files & Folders

06Related solutions

Inspect Package Receipts and File Lists with pkgutil
macOSpkgutilcleanuppackage

List what an installer actually put on your disk, long after the installer window closed.

Low risk ✓ 2026-09-17