How to secure empty trash mac sierra mac os x#
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When the job is done, type “exit” (minus the quotes) and press Enter/Return before quitting Terminal. Note that the cursor will not move and none of the characters you type will be shown.

How to secure empty trash mac sierra password#

You will likely be prompted for your administrator password – type it and press Enter/Return again. This command temporarily takes advantage of the Root user (the “sudo” part) and deletes the data in your own user account’s Trash directory. Launch Terminal, which is located in Applications > Utilities, and type the following command. Backing up before proceeding is always a good idea, just in case. I should warn you that executing the following command in Terminal could erase all of your data if you do not follow directions exactly. Now we’re getting into the ugly (but apparently necessary) stuff. When finished, restart your Mac and try to force empty the Trash (as described above). Repeat the “Repair Disk” and “Repair Disk Permissions” process for any external volumes or drives listed in Disk Utility as well. Next, click the “Repair Disk Permissions” button and let it scan the drive. If any errors are listed when it’s done, click “Repair Disk” again to make sure the error doesn’t come up a second time. Click on your hard drive in the list to the left, then click the First Aid tab, and finally the “Repair Disk” button. When the disc has finished loading, go to “Disk Utility” under the Installer or Utilities menu (depending on your version of OS X).

How to secure empty trash mac sierra mac os x#

Insert your Mac OS X disc and boot to it by holding down the C key as your Mac turns on. Sometimes files become corrupt and need some attention before they can be deleted. It just might be the answer to your prayers.

How to secure empty trash mac sierra free#

Try downloading and installing the free Trash It! program. Therefore, they’re worth a shot before moving on. While applications from third party developers aren’t ideal for fixing OS X issues like this, they are a lot easier (and safer) than the next two techniques. Try Option-clicking the “Empty” button now. If that doesn’t work, right-click on one of the stubborn files/folders and select “Get Info.” Is the “Locked” option checked? Uncheck it, close the Get Info window, and repeat this process for other locked items in the Trash. Do they have weird names? Remove any unusual characters (especially slashes), then try emptying the Trash again. Still nothing? How about going to the Finder menu and selecting “Secure Empty Trash”? Unlocking & renaming filesĪre you getting an error that says the operation could not be completed because the item is locked? The first thing to do is look at the file(s) or folder(s) that are stuck. Hold down the Option key while clicking the “Empty” button. Click on the Trash icon in the Dock to open it in Finder. But if you still can’t completely empty the Trash after restarting, let’s try forcing the issue. So, naturally, that is where we will start. It’s amazing how many computer issues a simple system restart can fix. By the end, something should resolve your problem.

We’ll start off with the easiest and most common techniques first, then gradually move to the complex stuff that should only be attempted in the most dire situations. So, much like MacYourself’s ultimate guide to ejecting a stuck disc article, we will explore a number of potential fixes. Unfortunately there is no single solution for fixing a Mac with a Trash that won’t empty. There’s no shortage of possible scenarios. Other times, files on the main boot drive are in use by running applications and cannot be removed. Manually deleting Time Machine backups via Finder – which is a big no-no – commonly triggers these problems, for example. In many (but not all) cases, troublesome files reside on an external volume or drive.

How to secure empty trash mac sierra code#

Perhaps a message like “You do not have sufficient privileges” or “Error code -8003” kept popping up. If you can’t empty your Mac’s Trash, try some of these techniques to get rid of those nasty errors and clear out the junk.Īs a Mac user, you’ve probably found yourself in a situation where you needed to force empty the Trash. Mac OS X occasionally gets hung up on stubborn files and refuses to easily delete them.