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Question

Items in trash won't delete

Jun 2, 2011 3:15PM PDT

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER"><span id="INSERTION_MARKER"> <span id="INSERTION_MARKER"> <span id="INSERTION_MARKER"> <span id="INSERTION_MARKER">I have a couple of items in the Trash that won't delete, or when they are delete will re-appear. It is two files -- both say they are aliases and take up zero KB of space. The file names are gibberish.
<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">

<span id="INSERTION_MARKER">Any suggestions as to what the files are and how I get rid of them>

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Empty Trash
Jun 6, 2011 9:06AM PDT

Open Terminal at the prompt, the following commands:
sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

Note: This post was edited by a forum moderator to correct command syntax at poster's request on 06/07/2011 at 9:57 PM PT

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Zip Drive
Jun 6, 2011 2:37PM PDT

I discovered that the items in the trash are from a zip drive. When I removed the zip drive, the items disappear from the trash.

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Put the ZIP drive back on
Jun 6, 2011 9:44PM PDT

and then delete the trash

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That should actually be
Jun 6, 2011 11:28PM PDT

That should actually be

sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*

So you delete what's IN the trash folder, not the folder itself. Yes, it would almost certainly be regenerated in this case, but it's important to remember the command line eschews all the safety nets of the Finder. The command line is a very unforgiving place, so you want to be sure to get those commands right. A subtle difference in commands can often times make the difference between doing what you intended and creating a whole lot of collateral damage.

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Thanks
Jun 7, 2011 9:10AM PDT

Jimmy, I stand corrected, and yes I need to slow down and copy the entire line or stay away from such commands. Thanks.