Deleting files from an external hard drive...

[ben681359]

I have a Macbook core duo and a Western Digital Passport 80GB external hard drive.

I am having a problem when deleting files from the hard drive. When I delete files from the hard drive using finder it removes the file from the hard drive, but doesn not free up any more memory in the hard drive.

For example, if the hard drive has 5gb free space left and i delete a 3gb file the hard drive still displays only 5gb free, not the 8gb i would expect.

The only way I can free up the space again ont he hard drive is to erase the entire hard drive using disc utility.

Any ideas of how I can solve this problem?
Many thanks

 

[xUKHCx]

When you experience this have you emptied the trash?

When you hit delete it doesn't actually delete the file, just moves it to trash, you have to empty your trash for the space to be recognised as free again.

 

[PlaceofDis]

emptying the trash while the drive is connected will empty what you've deleted/trashed.

 

[0007776]

make sure that you have emptied the trash and that should free up the space.

 

[ben681359]

thank you

works a treat!
I diddnt expect such such an easy solution to a problem that had really been bugging me!

thanks very much for your help

 

[neyoung]

This same thing confused me for quite some time. Its funny how sometimes the simplest things can be so frustrating.

 

[MacBastard]

for me the problem goes DEEPER!

I have been using an external lacie hardrive now for a long time to restore a lot of school notes and other notes in it. Sometimes I delete some notes and add other notes or delete films that I have watched and so on. It took a long time for me to realize that macbook doesnt delete the file untill I empty the trash and I was always wondering that why does the deleted file disappear so fast like it was not even deleted..

I have been emptying my trash all the time without my hardrive connected to the mac and now it is beginning to reach its capacity limit. If the computer is the memory for my changes made, then I have no idea how to get ridd of the files I have earlier deleted. Are they hidden somewhere, or still visible by me just not noticing making my archives a dead cathastrophic spiral mess that I will never solve, or is there a way to get over this problem and for me to be able to have my archives as I have intended them to be by deleting what I wanted and keeping what I wanted.


I also just realized that I have been seeing some folders that have appeared to some locations in my hardrive folders, and like a real genious I have highlited and deleted them! So this must have been a very smar thing to do also.. I think these are thumbnails or what, that the operating system has placed to keep track on changes?