Deleting Files off External - No Really How do I?

[Rapmastac1]

Whenever I delete files off my external hard drive (or any usb drive for that matter) it doesn't really delete them, I can see the files still there in the hidden files view and the space is still taken up. It feels like deleting files off of a CD-RW, if I want my space back, I have to reformat the whole thing, which when you have 300 gigs, isn't something you really want to do just to get back a gig of space... I have heard of emptying the trash but this doesn't really seem to work... Any truth to this?

 

[funkychunkz]

What do you mean by 'doesn't really seem to work'? The files get moved to a .Trash on the external... that part is normal.

 

[Mernak]

Whenever I delete files off my external hard drive (or any usb drive for that matter) it doesn't really delete them, I can see the files still there in the hidden files view and the space is still taken up. It feels like deleting files off of a CD-RW, if I want my space back, I have to reformat the whole thing, which when you have 300 gigs, isn't something you really want to do just to get back a gig of space... I have heard of emptying the trash but this doesn't really seem to work... Any truth to this?

First, are you sure the external drive is either FAT32 of HFS+, sounds like it is but I figure that I may as well ask. dragging stuff from the HD to the trash and emptying the trash has always worked for me.

 

[comictimes]

just empty the trash after you delete the files

 

[funkychunkz]

just empty the trash after you delete the files

If that part bugs you, you can always delete the .trash folder on the drive using the rm command in the terminal, than create a file (not a directory) called '.trash' to replace it. All subsequent deletes will present you with a warning that the files will be immediately erased.