Each time I try to empty trash ("Secure Empty Trash") I see a message telling me that I have some locked, and some unlocked files/folders/content in the trash. Regardless of which selection I make (delete all, or just delete unlocked) Empty Trash quits. What's that about, and how can I corret the problem?
iMac, OS X Mountain Lion
Hold the Option key when emptying the trash, and this should allow you to force-empty it even if there are locked items. If this still does not work, then reboot the system (optionally in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key at startup), and then try emptying the trash again.
Hold the Option key when emptying the trash, and this should allow you to force-empty it even if there are locked items. If this still does not work, then reboot the system (optionally in Safe Mode by holding the Shift key at startup), and then try emptying the trash again.
Seems to be working. Thanks. But, just curious: what causes this? I have 2 iMacs and 1 Macbook Pro, and this occurs now and again.
Apple has a flag option to lock files and prevent them from being modified. This can be seen by getting information on a file, where you can see the "Locked" checkbox and its status. When deleting these files, instead of having to get info on all of them to unlock them, you can simply hold the Option key to clear them from the trash.
Why can't I empty Trash?
