I can’t empty the Trash on Mac OS X.
Try the steps listed in this article from Apple Support:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106272
In Mac OS X, each user account has a separate, invisible Trash folder that is in the home folder. When you view contents of the Trash, you see only items you placed there and not the Trash folder of any other accounts. If other writable volumes are present, you may also have individual Trash folders on these volumes.
How to delete a file:
Drag an item’s icon to the Trash (in the Dock), or select the item and press Command-Delete.
Choose Empty Trash from the Finder menu.
Tip: If you’re trying to delete a file that wasn’t completely downloaded or copied, check out this document.
Tip: In Mac OS X 10.3 Panther or later, you can securely delete items by choosing Secure Empty Trash from the Finder menu.
If you change your mind about deleting the item before you choose Empty Trash:
Click the Trash icon in the dock.
Drag the item out of the Trash.
If you can’t empty the Trash or move a file to the Trash
For example, this message might appear when you try to empty the Trash: “The operation could not be completed because the item ‘(item name)’ is locked.”
First, try holding the Option key as you choose Empty Trash from the Finder’s File menu.
Otherwise, you can check for these conditions:
Is the file locked?
If files are locked, unlock them before deleting or delete using the tips in the “Deleting locked files” section below. Also, see Mac OS X: Unable to Move, Unlock, Modify, or Copy an Item .
Do you have correct permissions to modify the file?
Every file and folder in Mac OS X has some permission settings to help define what you or other users can do with the file or folder, for example whether you may modify it or not. If see an alert box with a message that says you do not have “sufficient” privilege or permission, see the tips in the “Emptying the Trash” section of “Mac OS X: Troubleshooting Permissions Issues”.
Does the file or volume have special characters?
Usually, Mac OS X can delete files whose names contain special characters, but sometimes you might need to follow this advice.
Note the name of the volume which the files are being deleted from. If you are not sure of the item’s location, you can verify that by selecting it then choosing Show Info from the File menu. If the name of the volume contains any special ASCII characters, such as a bullet or trademark character, temporarily rename the volume so that it does not contain these characters.
Example: If you cannot delete files from a volume named “•Dox”, rename the volume to “Dox”. After the Trash is empty, restore the volume’s original name as desired.
Examine the name of the files or folders you cannot delete. They should not contain a solidus (“slash”, “/”) character or any other special ASCII character such as a trademark, quotation mark, or copyright symbol. If the file does, remove the special character or slash from its name, then delete it.
Example: If you cannot delete a file named “Things/Stuff•”, rename the file to just “t”, then delete it.
Deleting locked files:
Locked files can easily be deleted if you press Shift-Option or Option key combination while emptying the Trash (in Mac OS X 10.1 and later). For Mac OS X versions 10.0 to 10.0.4, use Show Info to deselect the item’s Locked checkbox.
If you still cannot delete the item, start up your computer from the Mac OS X CD-ROM and choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu of the first screen. Use Disk Utility to verify and, if necessary, repair your disk.
Tip: When started up from CD, do not click Continue. Disk Utility is only available in the first screen. If you click Continue, restart the computer from the CD.
If a file can’t be unlocked, you may not have permission to unlock it. See “Mac OS X: Troubleshooting Permissions Issues” to learn how to get write permissions.
If the issue persists, use Disk Utility’s Repair Permissions feature to check your Mac OS X volume. For Mac OS X 10.1.5 only, download and use Repair Privileges Utility 1.1 instead.
Advanced tip about deleting locked files:
If there are several locked files in the Trash, you can unlock them all at the same time at the command line. Follow these steps:
Open Terminal. It’s located in /Applications/Utilities.
Type: chflags -R nouchg
Note: Type one space (not pictured) after nouchg in the line above, so that it ends in “nouchg “. Do not press Return yet.
Double-click the Trash icon in the Dock to reveal the contents of the Trash. If necessary, arrange the Finder window so that a portion of the Terminal window is still visible.
Press the Command-A key combination to select all files in the Trash.
Drag the files from the Trash to the Terminal window.
Note: This automatically enters the pathname for each file. This eliminates the need to individually empty multiple Trash directories, particularly when multiple disks or volumes are present.
Press Return. No special text message will be shown indicating that the command was successful.
Empty the Trash.
If the Trash does not empty or if you see a message in Terminal that says “usage: chflags [-R [-H | -L | -P]] flags file…” you most likely did not type the text in step 2 as indicated or did not leave a space. Repeat the steps if this happens
When you need help, Sweetwater has the answers!
Our knowledge base contains over 28,000 expertly written tech articles that will give you answers and help you get the most out of your gear. Our pro musicians and gear experts update content daily to keep you informed and on your way. Best of all, it’s totally FREE, and it’s just another reason that you get more at Sweetwater.com.
Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. Select manufacturers may require that only the manufacturer’s products qualify towards the minimum purchase amount needed to be eligible for promotional financing. Otherwise, an invoice that meets the minimum purchase amount and contains at least one qualifying manufacturer product is eligible for promotional financing. No interest will be charged on promo purchase balance, and equal monthly payments are required on promo purchase until it is paid in full. The payments equal the amount financed divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded up to the next whole dollar. These payments may be higher than the payments that would be required if this purchase was a non-promo purchase. During the last month(s) of the promo period the required monthly payment may be reduced due to the prior months’ rounding. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases. New Accounts as of 07/31/2025: Purchase APR is 34.99%. Penalty APR is 39.99%. Min Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.
Offer applies only to single-receipt qualifying purchases. No interest will be charged on the promo balance if you pay it off, in full, within the promo period. If you do not, interest will be charged on the promo balance from the purchase date. The required minimum monthly payments may or may not pay off the promo balance before the end of the promo period, depending on purchase amount, promo length and payment allocation. Regular account terms apply to non-promo purchases and, after promo period ends, to the promo balance. New Accounts as of 07/31/2025: Purchase APR is 34.99%. Penalty APR is 39.99%. Min Interest Charge is $2. Existing cardholders: See your credit card agreement terms. Subject to credit approval.
The estimated required monthly payment shown which excludes taxes and delivery equals the amount financed divided by the number of months in the promo period, rounded up to the next cent. During the last month(s) of the promo period the required monthly payment may be reduced due to this rounding. These payments apply only with the financing offer shown. If you make these payments by the due date each month, you should pay off this amount financed within the promo period, if it is the only balance you are paying off. If you have other balances on your account, this payment will be added to any other minimum monthly payments.
Applies only to select items from this manufacturer. Ask your Sweetwater Sales Engineer for more details.