How to empty the Trash only on an external drive?

See http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/trash.html. BTW, using the Trash as a storage area is so windoze-like and is not advised with Macs. I normally empty the trash immediately after dumping stuff into it.

Calls for being bit creative. Basic command is:

sudo rm -ri /Volumes/"name of ext HD"/.Trash

substituting using the ext HD's actual name and retaining the quotes.

Hi,

I use this script AppleScript, save it as Application :

onopenthese_volumes

sett_idtouser IDof (system info)

repeatwithiinthese_volumes

if (kind of (info for i without size)) is "Volume" then

set tPath to (POSIX path of i) & ".Trashes/" & t_id

do shell script "/bin/rm -Rf " & (quoted form of tPath) & "/*"

end if

endrepeat

endopen

----------------------------------------------

Drag/Drop Volume(s) on the application.

This script removes the items from your trash (user ID) folder on the volume.

if other users use the volume this script will not delete the items from their trash folder, otherwise the script would need an administrator password to do that.

----------------------------------------------

If you want to eject the volume after emptying the trash, use this script.

onopenthese_volumes

sett_idtouser IDof (system info)

setvolToEjectto {}

repeatwithiinthese_volumes

if (kind of (info for i without size)) is "Volume" then

set tPath to (POSIX path of i) & ".Trashes/" & t_id

do shell script "/bin/rm -Rf " & (quoted form of tPath) & "/*"

set end of volToEject to contents of i

end if

endrepeat

if volToEject is not {} then tell application "Finder" to eject volToEject

endopen

Erase/reformat the thumb drives with the Disk Utility app.

I use the program "Trash It!"

Seems to be impossible with then native OS options as it is

I found a way to delete some files that were locked in an external drive's .Trash folder. I tried EVERYTHING, all sorts of "-f" and "-rf" attached to "rm" command, chmod, everything. Looked at so many web pages. In the end this is what worked and it's SIMPLE. No script needed, iow. You need to use the Terminal initially to get them somewhere where you can use "Get Info" to uncheck that "Locked" box:

1. Setting the scene: Evil files lived several subdirectories down into ".Trashes" folder in a thumb drive.

2. Open Terminal application

3. $ cd /Volume

4. $ ls [You'll now see a list of Volumes and one will be the name of your thumb drive. Call it "MESS"

5. $ cd MESS

6. $ ls -a [now you'll see the hidden files in MESS, like .Trashes or .Trash

7. $ cd .Trashes/502/one-directory/two-directory/three-directory [use your own directory path names of course, to get to your own evil files]

8. Here's where the two evil files are that won't go away, call them evil.doh and evil2.doh

9. $ mv *.doh ..

10. $ cd ..

11. $ ls [now I see they have moved up a directory]

12. repeat step 9 until you've got them OUT of .Trashes

13. Now look at them through Finder cuz now they're visible there. Control-click on them and 'Get Info". Uncheck "LOCK"

14. DELETE

15. You might have to cd back into .Trashes and delete them there too, but at least they'll delete now!

I guess this is close to heresy, and maybe someone else mentioned it, but you can just plug your flash drive into a PC. The .Trash. files show up. Just select them and hit delete. The Mac will put new ones on when you plug back in.