can I selectively empty trash on usb stick without emptying desktop trash?

If you want to completly empty it just use disk utility to erase it...

Or go to a PC and delete all the "deleted" files from the flash drive that way.

Works every time

The PERFECT SOLUTION....

works perfectly, does what is needed, for all of us who use our trash bins as circular filing cabinets.

Thanks to Jacques Rioux and iorganutan

I use this script AppleScript, save it as Application :

on open these_volumes

set t_id to user ID of (system info)

repeat with i in these_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

end open

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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.

on open these_volumes

sett_idto user ID of (system info)

set volToEject to {}

repeatwith i in these_volumes

if (kindof (info foriwithoutsize)) 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

ifvolToEjectisnot {} thentellapplication "Finder" toejectvolToEject

end open

Discussion over.

Discussion was over a long time ago. Mark the thread as answered.

Pete

Just installed this to solve exactly the same problem as the OP. It didn't work.