Can't empty trash

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 28, 2009

I have these recovered files in my trash that will not empty out... Any thoughts as to how to get rid of them?

Thanks.

thegoldenmackid · Jul 28, 2009

Click on Trash Can.
Click on Finder.
Click Secure Empty Trash.

See if that works.

boast · Jul 28, 2009

try

Code:

rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

in terminal

r.j.s · Jul 28, 2009

1. Press and hold the mouse button on the Trash icon in the Dock. The context menu for Trash will display.

2. Press and hold the Option key.

3. Select Empty Trash from the context menu for Trash.

4. Release the Option key.

rfrankl · Jul 28, 2009

Have you rebooted then tried to empty the trash?

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 28, 2009

thegoldenmackid said:
Click on Trash Can.
Click on Finder.
Click Secure Empty Trash.

See if that works.

Tried that - they stay there...

boast said:
try

Code:

rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

in terminal

Didn't work either - but thanks...

celticpride678 · Jul 28, 2009

Have you tried a Repair Permissions? Disk Repair in Disk Utility?

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 28, 2009

rfrankl said:
Have you rebooted then tried to empty the trash?

Just tried that - no go...

celticpride678 said:
Have you tried a Repair Permissions? Disk Repair in Disk Utility?

Repaired permissions - still would not delete...

Disk verify came out fine - no disk repair needed.

sidewinder · Jul 28, 2009

Try this:

sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

S-

celticpride678 · Jul 28, 2009

Do you by any chance have a BootCamp or VirtualMachine of Windows?

sidewinder said:
Try this:

sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

S-

Um, that was already posted in this thread. Please read the thread, before posting.

tdgrn · Jul 28, 2009

I had this happen to me at some point last year. To this day I do not know what caused it. The only way I could get rid of it was by doing a reinstall... Good luck

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 28, 2009

celticpride678 said:
Do you by any chance have a BootCamp or VirtualMachine of Windows?

I do...

celticpride678 · Jul 28, 2009

AJ-in-AZ said:
I do...

Do you have anything in the Trash in Windows? If, yes remove it.

Then try to look at Mac OS X.

If not, then I ran out of ideas. Sorry I could not help.

sidewinder · Jul 28, 2009

celticpride678 said:
Um, that was already posted in this thread. Please read the thread, before posting.

How about following your own advice BEFORE you post.

Next time why don't you actually look at the command line I suggested versus the one already suggested.

Dodo......

S-

sidewinder · Jul 28, 2009

celticpride678 said:
Do you have anything in the Trash in Windows? If, yes remove it.

Please. Neither BootCamp nor a Windows VM would put their trash files in the user's ".Trash" directory.

S-

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 28, 2009

sidewinder said:
Try this:

sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

S-

Didn't work... thanks.

celticpride678 · Jul 28, 2009

AJ-in-AZ said:
Didn't work... thanks.

What about BootCamp?

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 28, 2009

celticpride678 said:
What about BootCamp?

Just tried that - nope.

sidewinder · Jul 28, 2009

Please execute this command in Terminal and post the results here:

ls -al ~/.Trash

S-

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 29, 2009

sidewinder said:
Please execute this command in Terminal and post the results here:

ls -al ~/.Trash

S-

It shows an empty directory...

sidewinder · Jul 29, 2009

Okay. Do this command:

sudo find / -name "Recovered file*" -print

This should show you were the "Recovered files" directories are so you can manually delete them.

S-

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 29, 2009

sidewinder said:
Okay. Do this command:

sudo find / -name "Recovered file*" -print

This should show you were the "Recovered files" directories are so you can manually delete them.

S-

OK - they are located in:

/Volumes/DOCUMENTS/.Trashes/501/

How do I manually delete them?

celticpride678 · Jul 29, 2009

AJ-in-AZ said:
OK - they are located in:

/Volumes/DOCUMENTS/.Trashes/501/

How do I manually delete them?

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22318- Run this script.

Then, navigate to that folder and try to remove the files.

sidewinder · Jul 29, 2009

celticpride678 said:
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/22318- Run this script.

Then, navigate to that folder and try to remove the files.

Don't waste your time doing that. What are you thinking celticpride678?

Just navigate to that directory:

cd /Volumes/DOCUMENTS/.Trashes/501/

And then type:

sudo rm -rf *

If that does not work, issue this command and post the results:

ls -al

S-

AJ-in-AZ · Jul 29, 2009

sidewinder said:
Don't waste your time doing that. What are you thinking celticpride678?

Just navigate to that directory:

cd /Volumes/DOCUMENTS/.Trashes/501/

And then type:

sudo rm -rf *

If that does not work, issue this command and post the results:

ls -al

S-

Here is what happens when I run the sudo rm command:

Code:

rm: Recovered files/\004␀␀␀õ\001␀␀.\024␀␀: File name too long
rm: Recovered files: Directory not empty
rm: Recovered files #1/\004␀␀␀õ\001␀␀.\024␀␀: File name too long
rm: Recovered files #1: Directory not empty

and ls -al gives me the directory listing with the 2 Recovered files folders...

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