Can't emtpy Trash

[Gold68]

I upgraded Snow Leopard to Maverick, and now can not empty trash. I have run OnyX several times, but when try to empty secure trash, I get the message....The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items. I am the only person on my Mac. I have the new version of OnyX Any suggestions would be welcome

 

[vansmith]

Where are these files from? Were they from an external drive? Are they locked (is there a little padlock overlaying the icon)?

 

[MacInWin]

Also try repairing permissions.

 

[Rod]

Try this site:
Force Empty Trash in Mac OS X When File is Locked or In Use | OSXDaily
but be very careful if you are using the Terminal command line. To avoid problems copy and past the commands from the site into the Terminal window don't try to type them, making a mistake could be disastrous. If you are unsure about this at all DON"T do it.
Just get back to this forum.

 

[ashwell]

From where you imported those files onto your Mac?

 

[Gold68]

All the files that are in the trash, deal with my Epson printer. I downloaded drivers from the Epson site for my windows box. I then THOUGHT that I moved them to a thumb drive . When I looked in Finder last night I saw they were still on my drive. So I moved them to the trash. There are a few pictures from the printer that were scanned also. No file have a locked file on them.

 

[vansmith]

Make sure the thumb drive is plugged in when you try to empty the trash. External discs need to be plugged in when emptying the trash if it includes content from the drives. This is because the trash serves as little more than symbolic representations of external content.

 

[Gold68]

Make sure the thumb drive is plugged in when you try to empty the trash. External discs need to be plugged in when emptying the trash if it includes content from the drives. This is because the trash serves as little more than symbolic representations of external content.

On the right track here. I had forgotten that I left the thumb drive in when I tried to empty the trash. When taken out, the trash is emptied. BUT, when I put the drive back in, even though I had moved the drives content to the trash and it is empty, the files still show up in the trash bin.

 

[Gold68]

Thanks all for the replies. Found I left thumb drive in. When I took it out, trash emptied

 

[MacInWin]

And it will probably reappear when you plug the drive in again.

 

[rubaiyat]

Just clarifying what MacInWin said.

The Trash is showing the files to be emptied off every mounted volume on your Mac, including the Flash Drive.

If the Flash Drive is not mounted the files that are supposed to be deleted off it don't show in the Trash.

You appear to have some files on the Flash Drive that are flagged in use or locked. Holding down the option key as you choose delete should get rid of them. Failing that reformat the Flash Drive in Disk Utility.

 

[Gold68]

And it will probably reappear when you plug the drive in again.

Yes it did, but after I download an exe. file on my Mac and transfer that info to a windows box, I USUALLY format it on the win box. But apparently this time I didn't. It is what happens when we get in a hurry eh?...THANKS ALL