Locked files in trash

How do I delete locked files on Mac? Article Guide Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. And cleaning up our Mac entails emptying the Trash. However, at one point in time, you might encounter that you cannot empty your Mac device Trash. One reason would be the files you are trying to delete are still being utilized. Another reason would be the files are actually locked or damaged and needs to be fixed. Some file with names that have special characters in it cannot be deleted as well.

Another reason for files being unable to be deleted is due to the reason of system integrity protection. In this article, we will tell you how to delete the files depending on the reasons we have stated above. When you tried to delete a file, sometimes it cannot be deleted because Mac says that the file is being used. There are some solutions to this problem that you can implement in order to actually delete the file. The first thing you should try is to restart the Mac device. This allows you to ensure that all applications have been closed.

Even application files that are running in the background that uses the said file you want to quit can be closed from restarting the Mac device. Another thing you can do is to empty the Trash and be able to delete the files in Safe Mode. Usually, the file is being used because it is utilized by a login or startup item.

It also can remove your purgeable space on Mac to get more space, just click here to check how it works. Below are the steps to use the said software:. Get A Free Trial Now! Download the software and launch it on your Mac. Click the option named Master Scan on the left side of the screen. Press the Scan button to find all junk files. Once the process is complete, it will show junk files in various categories such as System Logs, Application Cache, System Cache, etc.

Select System Trash in this case. Click the button named Clean. Wait until the cleanup process is complete. It helps you scan your entire Mac device for junk files, unnecessary files, clutter, and old files. You are free to use the application for the first megabytes of data. After it scans your entire Mac device, you are free to preview each file before actually deleting it.

The files you preview can be sorted into various categories depending on what you want. The user doen't have to drop to a terminal to clean the trash manually why bother having a GUI trash applet if it can't empty the trash? Otherwise the write protected files do not disappear as expected, there is no "permissions" error popup, the files continue to take up space, and confuse users.

For last half an hour it has been waiting and waiting. I have made several attempts without success. Did you substitute your log-on name for "myname"? The command should be run from the command line and should not be opening any browser. It should ask for your password and then after completing the command return to a normal prompt. Be careful - 'sudo rm' can be a very dangerous command if you don't use the correct path!

I did use the log-in name. That was not a problem. Now that I know how to delete them, I am even more curious to know how they ended up that way. Could someone explain the "why" of files becoming locked--or, if there is a place to find this kind of information about Ubuntu 8, just tell me where that is.

I think it has the doc, pdf and midi file that were on the harddrive. Is there any way to get into such a file and "lint pick" if there are coherent pieces left? Again, if this information is already somewhere on the Ubuntu site, please just give me a link. I also have this Trash issue. Open nautilus with the following command. They will be recreated the next time you delete something. All rights reserved. Sign in Sign in Sign in corporate.

Browse Search. Ask a question. User profile for user: Svetlana13 Svetlana Question: Q: Question: Q: How do I delete locked items in my trash Ever since I downloaded files from a friend's usb I have been unable to remove anything from my trash. More Less. Reply I have this question too I have this question too Me too Me too.

Helpful answers Drop Down menu. View answer in context. Oct 1, PM in response to japamac In response to japamac Thank you - done and sorted. Much appreciated. Loading page content. Reply Helpful 2 Thread reply - more options Link to this Post. Reply Helpful 1 Thread reply - more options Link to this Post. User profile for user: bpfournet bpfournet. Aug 25, PM in response to japamac In response to japamac thanks.

Reply Helpful Thread reply - more options Link to this Post. User profile for user: burgold2 burgold2. Aug 27, AM in response to bpfournet In response to bpfournet Worked for me also.