Secure Empty Trash utility stuck

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I have undertook a secure empty trash a couple of hours ago.

When I returned to my computer, the same number of trash items were registering as the initial number at the start.

I then endeavoured to stop the emptying of the trash - -----it says stopping. However, this message has show for the last 15 min. I am also unable to exit (the x is greyed out).


Please advise
thank you

Sue
 
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Turn off your computer,take no notice of this stopping. Turning the computer off will stop this, also if you are lucky your trash should empty. I did not find the answer on this site.
I found it on Answers.com, also i have an application called Super Empty Trash. If this does not work give me an answer back. Biffo
 
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When you do a " Secure Empty Trash ", the OS will overwrite the deleted files with a random pattern, so they can not be recovered.
This writing of the pattern takes time and depending on the number of items in the trash, and the size of the files in the trash this will take time ..... a lot of time.

My suggestion ..... let it finish ....

@ Biffo ..... Turning your computer of when something is not going as expected is so ..... windows. Not good advice.

Cheers ... McBie
 
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I agree, turning the computer off while an operation is in progress could lead to corruption and the likes, which really isn't healthy for the computer.

- Simon
 
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Thanks for your input - At the time I had little choice as the Secure Empty trash was stuck it had not moved from the amount needed to be trashed for at least 1 hour -
 
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Sorry i know this is old but i just encountered this in Lion and found relaunching the finder solved it, i then proceeded to empty the trash again and everything was fine!
:)
 
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Not too late Jim - thanks for this- much appreciated

Sue
 
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secure empty trash stopped and then stuck

Sorry i know this is old but i just encountered this in Lion and found relaunching the finder solved it, i then proceeded to empty the trash again and everything was fine!
:)
Eureka! that worked for me when nothing else did. Thank you so much!
 

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