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Trash won't empty. error code -8003 comes up

I am trying to empty trash but get 'The operation can't be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -8003). Any help gratefully received! Thanks, Nick


OSX 10.6.8 MacPro 2x2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon, 11GB ram

Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), 11 Mb Ram

Posted on Jun 18, 2012 5:15 AM

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Posted on Jun 18, 2012 11:53 AM

http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/trash.html

5 replies

Jul 18, 2015 9:18 AM in response to X423424X

I had the same problem with error -8003. I have no idea why, but when I broke the contents of the Trash and emptied the trash bit by bit, the error did not recur. First I put all the contents of Trash into a folder on the desktop. Then I put the contents back into Trash, one file type at a time: first JPEGs, then I emptied trash; no problem. Then I put Word files in the trash and emptied the trash without a problem. And so on. No -8003 error, and now all the trash is gone! 😮

Oct 5, 2016 8:53 PM in response to Nick.H

I tried using Trash It!, force empty, and several of the other methods here, which didn't work, unfortunately - for a malware application installed on my Mac which I was trying to delete.


What eventually worked was that I right clicked on the app (while out of the trash) and chose to "View Package Contents". Then, I was able to one at a time drag various folders and elements to the trash, and then Empty the trash. Some of the items would still give me the -8003 error code, so I would have to drag them back out of the trash, and then click Show Package Contents for that file as well, dragging its subfolders and items one at a time to the trash and Emptying again. The process took about 15 minutes, but eventually all the top level files which were not able to be emptied eventually were able to be deleted by this method, basically dismantling them from the inside out.

Trash won't empty. error code -8003 comes up

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