trash won't empty

Are the items in the Trash on an external storage device? If you're not sure, unmount all such devices and see whether they go away.

SilverMiner wrote:

I am trying to empty trash. For maybe ten minutes it appears as if nothing is happening in "Trash" window. Then this message appears, "The finder can't complete the operation because some data in "" can't be read or written. (Error code-36). I then have the option to "Stop" or "Continue."

iMac 7, 1, OS X 10.9.5, 2 GHz Intel ore 2 Duo, 4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, Storage Capacity 21517 GB, 155.22 GB available

If it is recovered files from an application crash - starting the application and then ending it without error may release the files.

Had a crash with Adobe CS3 Bridge - some files showed up in trash and could not be deleted until I started the Bridge and had a norma end.

CLICKY CLICK---> http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1526You can't empty the Trash or move a file to the Trash

CLICKY CLICK---> What to do when the Trash won’t empty

Please restart the computer and try again.

The file system on the startup volume has been corrupted. That's always the result of a drive malfunction or some other hardware fault. If you want to try to continue using the machine as is, you'll need to erase the volume, reinstall OS X, and then restore all your other data from a backup. But that's not what I recommend.

Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service provider. You may have to leave the machine there for several days.

Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional—ask if you need guidance.

If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.

Keeping your confidential data secure during hardware repair

Apple also recommends that you deauthorize a device in the iTunes Store before having it serviced.

*An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.

Linc: I had problem with a back-up hard disk after I trashed files. The I couldn't empty my trash. I followed what you said and it cleared up the problem. Thanks muchly