Try Option-clicking the “Empty” button now. If that doesn’t work, right-click on one of the stubborn files/folders and select “Get Info.” Is the “Locked” option checked? Uncheck it, close the Get Info window, and repeat this process for other locked items in the Trash.

Do they have weird names? Remove any unusual characters (especially slashes), then try emptying the Trash again. Still nothing? How about going to the Finder menu and selecting “Secure Empty Trash”? Unlocking & renaming filesĪre you getting an error that says the operation could not be completed because the item is locked? The first thing to do is look at the file(s) or folder(s) that are stuck. Hold down the Option key while clicking the “Empty” button. Click on the Trash icon in the Dock to open it in Finder. But if you still can’t completely empty the Trash after restarting, let’s try forcing the issue. So, naturally, that is where we will start. It’s amazing how many computer issues a simple system restart can fix. By the end, something should resolve your problem. We’ll start off with the easiest and most common techniques first, then gradually move to the complex stuff that should only be attempted in the most dire situations.

So, much like MacYourself’s ultimate guide to ejecting a stuck disc article, we will explore a number of potential fixes. Unfortunately there is no single solution for fixing a Mac with a Trash that won’t empty. There’s no shortage of possible scenarios. Other times, files on the main boot drive are in use by running applications and cannot be removed. Manually deleting Time Machine backups via Finder – which is a big no-no – commonly triggers these problems, for example. In many (but not all) cases, troublesome files reside on an external volume or drive. Perhaps a message like “You do not have sufficient privileges” or “Error code -8003” kept popping up. If you can’t empty your Mac’s Trash, try some of these techniques to get rid of those nasty errors and clear out the junk.Īs a Mac user, you’ve probably found yourself in a situation where you needed to force empty the Trash. Mac OS X occasionally gets hung up on stubborn files and refuses to easily delete them.

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