External drive - Deleting files

[cocoalex]

Hi,

I just bought my first Imac, so still learning here.
I deleted some files from an external drive, but the capacity of the drives remain the same. The Trash bin is empty, so the system must still keep those files somewhere.

The Finder shows 2 folders on my External driver: Recycler and System volume information.

Am I suppose to delete the files from somewhere else too?

Thanks!

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Have you checked Finder > select external HDD >> GET INFO >>> Format and Sharing & Permissions yet?

FAT32 (File Allocation Table)

• Read/Write FAT32 from both native Windows and native Mac OS X.
• Maximum file size: 4GB.
• Maximum volume size: 2TB

NTFS (Windows NT File System)

• Read/Write NTFS from native Windows.
• Read only NTFS from native Mac OS X
  [*]To Read/Write/Format NTFS from Mac OS X: Install NTFS-3G for Mac OS X (free)
  
• Some have reported problems using Tuxera (approx 33USD).
• Native NTFS support can be enabled in Snow Leopard, but is not advisable, due to instability.
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support NTFS
• Maximum file size: 16 TB
• Maximum volume size: 256TB

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System, a.k.a. Mac OS Extended)

• Read/Write HFS+ from native Mac OS X
• Required for Time Machine or Carbon Copy Cloner backups of Mac internal hard drive.
• To Read/Write HFS+ from Windows, Install MacDrive
• To Read HFS+ (but not Write) from Windows, Install HFSExplorer
• Maximum file size: 8EiB
• Maximum volume size: 8EiB

exFAT (FAT64)

• Supported in Mac OS X only in 10.6.5 or later.
• Not all Windows versions support exFAT. See disadvantages.
• exFAT (Extended File Allocation Table)
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n) and Time Capsule do not support exFAT
• Maximum file size: 16 EiB
• Maximum volume size: 64 ZiB

 

[cocoalex]

Hmm. Here it's mine.

 

[fivedots]

Hmm. Here it's mine.

That drive needs to be reformated to the HFS+ shown above. It's currently NTFS, which is Windows. Mac OS X can read it, but can't write/change it natively.

If you have stuff you need on it, copy it over to your Mac, then reformat using Disk Utility, then move it back.

Remember that Windows won't be able to work with it after doing so, however.

 

[cocoalex]

A friend told me that installing Tuxera should fix the problem. The hard drive use to be read only, but now I can copy and delete files. I was hoping that I won't have to move all my files and formate it.

 

[cocoalex]

I just noticed that after I deleted some files Mac os won't update the info regarding the hardware capacity, but if I check it with Disk Utility I have the correct and new hardware free space capacity.

How can I reset / refresh the Finder so that it will show the correct info too?