Preflight Checklist
What's Wrong?
Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
rm -rf on a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking for
user confirmation.
Steps that led to data loss
- User asked Claude to organize PDF files according to a classification system
- Claude moved (not copied) all 3,467 original PDFs from their source directories
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
- User corrected the classification system to use, so Claude created a second
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
- Claude then ran
shutil.rmtree() on the first folder (now empty)
- The second reorganization had issues, so Claude ran
rm -rf on the second folder
— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
- All files were permanently deleted. No confirmation was requested before deletion.
Expected behavior
- Claude should NEVER run
rm -rf or shutil.rmtree() on folders containing user
data without explicit confirmation
- Claude should recognize when files have been moved (not copied) and that the
destination folder contains the only copies
- Destructive operations on large amounts of user data should always require user
approval, regardless of context
Environment
- macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- Claude Code CLI
- Model: claude-opus-4-6
Impact
- 3,467 PDF files permanently lost (~7 GB)
- Files were medical study materials (Clinical Practice Guidelines / GPC)
that took significant time to collect and organize
- Partial recovery possible via Wayback Machine URLs and Google Drive links
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
What Should Happen?
Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
rm -rf on a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking for
user confirmation.
Steps that led to data loss
- User asked Claude to organize PDF files according to a classification system
- Claude moved (not copied) all 3,467 original PDFs from their source directories
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
- User corrected the classification system to use, so Claude created a second
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
- Claude then ran
shutil.rmtree() on the first folder (now empty)
- The second reorganization had issues, so Claude ran
rm -rf on the second folder
— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
- All files were permanently deleted. No confirmation was requested before deletion.
Expected behavior
- Claude should NEVER run
rm -rf or shutil.rmtree() on folders containing user
data without explicit confirmation
- Claude should recognize when files have been moved (not copied) and that the
destination folder contains the only copies
- Destructive operations on large amounts of user data should always require user
approval, regardless of context
Environment
- macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- Claude Code CLI
- Model: claude-opus-4-6
Impact
- 3,467 PDF files permanently lost (~7 GB)
- Files were medical study materials (Clinical Practice Guidelines / GPC)
that took significant time to collect and organize
- Partial recovery possible via Wayback Machine URLs and Google Drive links
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
Error Messages/Logs
## Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
`rm -rf` on a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking for
user confirmation.
## Steps that led to data loss
1. User asked Claude to organize PDF files according to a classification system
2. Claude moved (not copied) all 3,467 original PDFs from their source directories
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
3. User corrected the classification system to use, so Claude created a second
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
4. Claude then ran `shutil.rmtree()` on the first folder (now empty)
5. The second reorganization had issues, so Claude ran `rm -rf` on the second folder
— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
6. All files were permanently deleted. No confirmation was requested before deletion.
## Expected behavior
- Claude should NEVER run `rm -rf` or `shutil.rmtree()` on folders containing user
data without explicit confirmation
- Claude should recognize when files have been moved (not copied) and that the
destination folder contains the only copies
- Destructive operations on large amounts of user data should always require user
approval, regardless of context
## Environment
- macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- Claude Code CLI
- Model: claude-opus-4-6
## Impact
- 3,467 PDF files permanently lost (~7 GB)
- Files were medical study materials (Clinical Practice Guidelines / GPC)
that took significant time to collect and organize
- Partial recovery possible via Wayback Machine URLs and Google Drive links
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
Steps to Reproduce
Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
rm -rf on a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking for
user confirmation.
Steps that led to data loss
- User asked Claude to organize PDF files according to a classification system
- Claude moved (not copied) all 3,467 original PDFs from their source directories
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
- User corrected the classification system to use, so Claude created a second
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
- Claude then ran
shutil.rmtree() on the first folder (now empty)
- The second reorganization had issues, so Claude ran
rm -rf on the second folder
— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
- All files were permanently deleted. No confirmation was requested before deletion.
Expected behavior
- Claude should NEVER run
rm -rf or shutil.rmtree() on folders containing user
data without explicit confirmation
- Claude should recognize when files have been moved (not copied) and that the
destination folder contains the only copies
- Destructive operations on large amounts of user data should always require user
approval, regardless of context
Environment
- macOS (Darwin 25.4.0)
- Claude Code CLI
- Model: claude-opus-4-6
Impact
- 3,467 PDF files permanently lost (~7 GB)
- Files were medical study materials (Clinical Practice Guidelines / GPC)
that took significant time to collect and organize
- Partial recovery possible via Wayback Machine URLs and Google Drive links
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
Claude Model
None
Is this a regression?
Yes, this worked in a previous version
Last Working Version
No response
Claude Code Version
1
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
No response
Preflight Checklist
What's Wrong?
Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
rm -rfon a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking foruser confirmation.
Steps that led to data loss
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
shutil.rmtree()on the first folder (now empty)rm -rfon the second folder— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
Expected behavior
rm -rforshutil.rmtree()on folders containing userdata without explicit confirmation
destination folder contains the only copies
approval, regardless of context
Environment
Impact
that took significant time to collect and organize
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
What Should Happen?
Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
rm -rfon a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking foruser confirmation.
Steps that led to data loss
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
shutil.rmtree()on the first folder (now empty)rm -rfon the second folder— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
Expected behavior
rm -rforshutil.rmtree()on folders containing userdata without explicit confirmation
destination folder contains the only copies
approval, regardless of context
Environment
Impact
that took significant time to collect and organize
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
Error Messages/Logs
Steps to Reproduce
Summary
Claude Code permanently deleted ~7 GB of user data (3,467 PDF files) by executing
rm -rfon a folder containing the only copies of the files, without asking foruser confirmation.
Steps that led to data loss
into a new organized folder structure ("Catálogo Organizado ENARMAD")
reorganized folder ("Catálogo CENETEC Organizado") and moved the files there again
shutil.rmtree()on the first folder (now empty)rm -rfon the second folder— which contained the ONLY copies of all 3,467 PDFs
Expected behavior
rm -rforshutil.rmtree()on folders containing userdata without explicit confirmation
destination folder contains the only copies
approval, regardless of context
Environment
Impact
that took significant time to collect and organize
stored in metadata files, but not all files are recoverable from these sources
Claude Model
None
Is this a regression?
Yes, this worked in a previous version
Last Working Version
No response
Claude Code Version
1
Platform
Anthropic API
Operating System
macOS
Terminal/Shell
Terminal.app (macOS)
Additional Information
No response