Trash Icon Not Changing, Can Only Empty Using Terminal

Yes, but persuading someone not to bother with a test doesn't help anyone unless you have the actual answer to the problem.

There is a reason troubleshooting feels scripted, it's a learned process that becomes ingrained over the years…

Think about the problem at hand…

Take guesses at what may cause it …

Evaluate the guesses by applying specific tests…

Input the results back into step 1 & repeat, hopefully isolating & narrowing the issue as you continue.

You know all this anyway and yes it would be really nice if every user had a single person helping them 'one on one' with tailored replies but that is not the way this works, the genius bar is there for that (& they love you telling them how to do their job IMO) 🙂

Well it's only you & Michael Mortilla that have reported it unless any of the 'More Like This' sidebar links can help.

You seem to want a response that has individually typed just for you. Here's one.

This is a public discussion forum, and often pointless comments are made by people who have nothing to contribute except ignorance. If you allow yourself to be distracted by those comments, your problem won't be solved.

Well sir(s) it would seem an apology is in order. The fact that you took the time you did to set me straight is proof that my theory is invalid. You do read the posts and apply the troubleshooting method you think is a good first step. My apologies for boneheaded thinking.

I'm the first to admit when I'm wrong, Unfortunately, I'm often the last one to know. Thank you for your assistance!

Michael - you are not the only one experiencing this issue. I have it right now. A quick search of the interwebs reveals that several other people are having the same issue. I, too, will try the prescribed fix, but that doesn't mean that we should allow Apple to let this situation exist. Many OS X users will never search a forum for support, and even fewer would be willing to attempt to fix the issue on their own.

I have been able to successfully solve the issue, at least for me. 1. Reboot into Safe Mode 2. Empty Trash as normal 3. Open Disk Utilities, first verify permissions on boot disk, then repair prermissions on boot disk. 4. Reboot normally.

Hopefully this routine will also work for others.

I see a lot of complicated solutions here but I had the same problem with my brand new (a few hours old) MacBook Pro (as of 2/8/14).

Check this article: http://www.tekrevue.com/tip/the-complete-guide-to-customizing-mac-os-xs-dock-wit h-terminal/

Two quick terminal commands and problem solved!

first command:

defaults write com.apple.dock trash-full -bool NO

(if it's YES, the trash icon will always appear full so make it NO)

Second command (to rebuild the dock):

killall dock

That worked for me anyway! Hope this helps.

That did the trick for me. Thanks!

I too have encountered the issue with the Trash Icon ... for some reason it periodically does not seem to make the proper indication that there are files in the trash. I cannot offer any thoughts on 'when' this happens but it is certainly not consistent.

As for command line deleting - I have not had to do that ... I can double-click on the trash icon and in the finder window click the 'empty' button and trash is dealt with accordingly.

System Info:

MBP Retina Late 2012

OSX 10.9.2

SSD & 8GBDDR

I thought I will create a HOW-TO with step-by-step instruction (+ some screenshots) how to sort this problem out.
Have a look at here -> http://stonebreaker.calka.org/index.php?id=how-to-fix-a-problem-with-trash-dustb in-icon-in-mac-os-x-shown-always-empty

For those who don't trust the external sources I placed the article below. There are 2 options worth to try, which should resolve the issue:

Option I

Before you start, make sure your trash (dustbin) is NOT empty. If it is, just create new folder on your desktop and move it to the trash (dustbin).

Start the Terminal application (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal.app) and run the below command:

defaults read com.apple.dock trash-full

It should return '1’ (but you get '0' I guess). If that's the case run the command below:

defaults write com.apple.dock trash-full -bool TRUE

and next the below one to check again:

defaults read com.apple.dock trash-full

you should now get '1' correctly.

Empty the trash (dustbin) now and put something into it. The icon should change to the full. Empty trash (dustbin) and check the icon again.

I hope everything is ok now. If not, this might be an issue with the permissions of the Trash (dustbin). To fix this just finish the steps from Option II.

Option II

To fix problem with permissions use Disk Utility to restore permissions to the folders across the computer.

Start Disk Utility application (Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility.app)

Select the disk your Mac OS is installed onto (usally named Macintosh HD) and under First Aid tab press Repair Disk Permissions

That's it - I hope this has resolved the issues.

This worked for me. Thank you!!!

I had same problem - very temporarily.

The icon showed empty after putting files in as you described and I did not have the option to empty Trash when I clicked on it.

I did however have the option to empty Trash under Finder / File menu. I did that and after that, emptied the Trash, put a folder in the Trash and the icon then showed it had content. The Empty Trash option was also available.

I have noted the problem continually. However, it seems the only time I encounter it is shortly after iTunes has performed App updates. In every instance where the trash icon appears "empty" and there are "unlinked files" - I also find a few iPhone app files in the trash folder.

I naturally cannot be certain this is related and not merely coincidental ... but it has been consistent.