Not enough permission to securely empty trash

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Jan 23, 2010
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Air / 1.86GHz / 2 GB / Version 10.6.2
Hello,

I was deleting items from my USB plugged into my MacAir.

When I attempt to securely empty trash, I get an error saying I don't have permission to do this.

When I eject the USB, the trash is gone. But at soon as I plug in the USB, the trash has returned. It is the same files I am trying to delete.

I tried re-starting the MacAir, no luck.


What gives?
 
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Trashing doesn't actually delete the item(s), it just marks them as unwanted, so the USB stick needs to be in USB slot for this to happen.

As to permission, can you do a straight empty trash ?

If you restart the MacBook, can you then secure trash ?

Try pressing alt key when you click on trash.

Or use a prog called iEmpty.
Deletes every time I have an error message.
 
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jhoomjhoom
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Your Mac's Specs
MacBook Air / 1.86GHz / 2 GB / Version 10.6.2
Trashing doesn't actually delete the item(s), it just marks them as unwanted, so the USB stick needs to be in USB slot for this to happen.

As to permission, can you do a straight empty trash ?

If you restart the MacBook, can you then secure trash ?

Try pressing alt key when you click on trash.

Or use a prog called iEmpty.
Deletes every time I have an error message.


How do I perform a straight empty trash?

I am able to open the trash. If I delete something from my MacAir, I am able to do secure delete, however the items from my USB still remain.

Clicking ALT didn't help....:(
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Way... way too many specs to list.
Click on Finder in the menu bar, then on Empty Trash.

see if that works.
 
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How do I perform a straight empty trash?

I am able to open the trash. If I delete something from my MacAir, I am able to do secure delete, however the items from my USB still remain.

Clicking ALT didn't help....:(

Menus....

Finder
Preferences
Advanced
De-select Secure empty trash

Empty trash will now default to (non secure) empty trash.

If that doesn't work, download iEmpty and use that to clear USB trash, whilst USB stick still plugged in

Same thing goes for other USB memory, inc external HDD's
 
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jhoomjhoom
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Hello everyone,

I went to Finder, unselected Secure Empty, and now, I can empty my trash.

Thank you!!!
 
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Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
And remember Windows works in exactly the same way. USB stick must remain connected during the empty trash operation.
 

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