can not empty trash

If it's saying the items in the Trash are in use, try restarting (or just logging out and logging back in). Then, empty the Trash again.

try shift+opt+apple+backspace

or

use terminal and go to files that You can't delete from finder. delete them with:

rm -f *

or, if You wan to delete folder(s) with its content, use:

rm -Rf *

BUT FIRST, BE SURE THAT YOU ARE IN FOLDER WHERE THE FILES ARE (it should be .Trash folder)

Did that work? I also can't empty trash, Mac OS X 10.7.5. I have restarted with shift+R, did the repair, and I still can not empty the trash, or add to it. Progress bar spins forever but doesn't move.

In case you have installed some background process (that runs automatically when you log in) that is interfering, try doing a Safe Boot. This will perform a startup with only the minimal required system processes running.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1564

Start up with the Shift Key held down.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455

Then, try emptying the Trash while running in Safe Mode.

mantral wrote:

try shift+opt+apple+backspace

or

use terminal and go to files that You can't delete from finder. delete them with:

rm -f *

or, if You wan to delete folder(s) with its content, use:

rm -Rf *

BUT FIRST, BE SURE THAT YOU ARE IN FOLDER WHERE THE FILES ARE (it should be .Trash folder)

This procedure solves my problem as may case always says that the affected files/folders are still being used/open.

I, too, am unable to empty the trash. Every time I get a message saying "

some data in the file can’t be read or written.

(Error code -36).

Is there a work around?

Thank you for your suggestion to do a safe boot. I did that and was able to delete everything in my trash bin.

Kenichi Watanabe wrote:

In case you have installed some background process (that runs automatically when you log in) that is interfering, try doing a Safe Boot. This will perform a startup with only the minimal required system processes running.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1564

Start up with the Shift Key held down.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455

Then, try emptying the Trash while running in Safe Mode.

Appreciate all these suggestions.

Turns out, the items in my trash, that I am unable to empy, are associated with 2 peripheral drives where I store back up data.

When I launch in Safe mode, the trash comes up as empty in as much as the two peripheral drives do not appear on my desktop.

Is there another approach to clearing trash from these peripheral drives when they only appear when I boot in normal mode?

Thanks.

open up force quit and quit all items except finder then go into trash and empty