"empty trash" command missing from Finder

Welcome to the forums Max! 🙂

Done any maintenance like Verify the HD or Repair Permissions lately?

Max--

Still no joy. Am resisting clean install but may have to go there. Hoping for a less drastic solution.

Have you tried creating a different user? If the menu item shows up in a different user's account, then it's a preferences setting and not a damaged Finder application.

Since your signature indicates you have other Macs, you could try copying the Finder app over from one of the other ones if it does look like it's damaged. Obviously, it's a really good idea if they're running the same version of the OS, with all the same patches and updates. And they should be the same architecture (i.e., both PPC or both Intel).

The Finder is in /System/Library/CoreServices. You'll probably have to relaunch the Finder in order to see the new one. First try it with the "Force Quit" menu item in the Apple menu, then log out and log back in or reboot...

charlie

Hi Max
have a try with "Empty and recreate your account's Trash." at [XLab|http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/trash.html]
Hope that helps P

If Charlie's great suggestion of another User works, then you just have to trash this for your main user...

/Users/YourUserName/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

Now I will stay up nights trying to find just what I did to change a pref I have never known to be a user variable...

Nah, just write it off to one in a quintillion bits getting flipped, or a passing Gamma Ray, it's not likely something you did by accident, or even on purpose! 🙂