Pictures on my Flash Drive

[kclove29]

Hi! When I plug my flash into my computer to share documents and pictures, when I'm done I just highlight everything in the flash drive and move it to the trash. But when I hooked my flash up to one of those picture printers at Target everything I've ever had on there popped up. How do I permanently delete everything on my flash when I hook it up to my mac? Thanks!

[Kevriano]

When you have dragged the items to the trash, you have to empty trash with the flash drive still plugged in. This then deletes it from the drive.

[kclove29]

what if i've emptied my trash several times already with out it plugged in? lol

[Sawday]

what if i've emptied my trash several times already with out it plugged in? lol

Then it won't have deleted the trash from the flash drive!

[EndlessMac]

what if i've emptied my trash several times already with out it plugged in? lol

To expand on what Sawday said, your Mac has to have access to what it is trying to delete. Since your hard drive is permanently connected to your Mac deleting anything in the trash bin will delete files from your hard drive that is placed there.

Apple has yet to invent telepathy for computers so until you physically connect your flash drive it won't be deleted. If your flash drive has a wireless network it would work. It's the same for external hard drives. In other words anything placed in the trash bin is still on your hard drive, flash drive, or external drive waiting for you to delete it. The Mac OS is just displaying what will be deleted when you empty the trash. It can't delete files without some type of connect to the device.

[kclove29]

thanks!