OS X Yosemite :: How To Speed Up Secure Delete Of Trash Folder
Dec 4, 2014
I have a MacBook Air with 256 GB of SSD and am running very close to the limit of available memory. To recover additional memory I issued an empty trash command while holding down the options key. The process has been underway for a few hours now.
There are over 1,238,000 items to be deleted. Items are being deleted at the rate of about one every five seconds. At that rate it is going to take forever for the process to finish.
Is there any way to speed up the process? Or an alternative the empty trash command?
Info:
MacBook Air, OS X Yosemite (10.10)
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Jun 26, 2014
I have a late 2012 Macbook Pro version 10.9.3.
Attached to this are two external hard drives: Both are SeaGate, USB 3.0, 3TB, and are formatted to the ExFAT system.
I use these mainly for purposes associated with my job as an wedding video editor.
About a month ago, I received a few files from a client that they wanted to attach to their video and upon editing them I tried to delete the originals but was unable to as I got this message: "The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items". However, all other trash that I put in there is deleted when I secure delete so I'm sure it's not a problem with the system but rather with those files.
I have researched the problem online and have found some suggested solutions:
1. That I need to change the permission on the file in order to delete it. When I checked the file information it reported that I was able to "Read and Write" as with every other file.
2. I attempted the following suggestion that I found on another forum: Advanced tip about deleting locked filesIf there are several locked files in the Trash, you can unlock them all at the same time at the command line. Follow these steps:Open Terminal. It's located in /Applications/Utilities.Type: chflags -R nouchg Note: Type one space (not pictured) after nouchg in the line above, so that it ends in "nouchg ". Do not press Return yet.Double-click the Trash icon in the Dock to reveal the contents of the Trash. If necessary, arrange the Finder window so that a portion of the Terminal window is still visible.Press the Command-A key combination to select all files in the Trash.Drag the files from the Trash to the Terminal window. Note: This automatically enters the pathname for each file. This eliminates the need to individually empty multiple Trash directories, particularly when multiple disks or volumes are present.Press Return. No special text message will be shown indicating that the command was successful.Empty the Trash.
This did not work either as when I attempted to delete the same message appeared.
So my question is this, how do I permanently delete these files? Do I need to buy third party software to do this?
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Feb 17, 2012
I want to delete backup files that are more than a year old from my time machine. I moved them to trash and although it then asks if I want to remove secure items and I check yes, it then stops. As a result I can't securely delete any new files either since each time the same thing happens if I add a new file, none of it deletes.
Info:
MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009), iOS 5.0.1
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Dec 10, 2014
Dumped files to trash. but when I go to empty each file says its in use.
Info:
MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)
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Dec 3, 2014
I have a MacBook with Yosemite. No matter what I set in mail preferences, my trash is only saved for seven days. I can set it to a month or never but it always deletes after seven days. Is there a conflict with the settings for my Mail when I use iCloud on the web?I've got that set for a month. For some reason it doesn't have the same choices as Mac mail.
Info:
MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1)
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Dec 8, 2014
I have recovered files sitting in my trash bin and cannot delete them ...
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Mar 9, 2009
I have tried everything and I cannot delete this folder from my trash. It's an empty folder because everything inside it is already deleted. I get this message when I try to empty trash.
"The operation cannot be completed because the item "xxx" is in use."
I have tried going into Terminal and typing "sudo rm -rf" etc etc. Get the message "directory not empty".
Tried secure empty trash.
Tried using Cocktail.
Tried using Permanent Eraser.
Tried holding down "option" and emptying.
Tried logging out, logging in then emptying. Tried restarting and emptying.
Nothing seems to work. I've looked through every thread on every forum I could find on google. I can move the folder back to my desktop. I can rename it. It's not locked or anything. Also, I tried emptying it in safe mode, but I can't seem to start up on safe mode!!! I turn off the computer, turn it on, hold down shift after I hear the startup noise, release shift when the grey apple logo comes up, and then it just shuts down on me. I can't boot up on safe mode!! It's so weird!
I'm gonna try repairing disk permissions, but before I do.
I'm on a PowerBook G4. Running Version 10.4.11. Everything is up to date.
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Nov 1, 2009
So, while cleaning up my macbook pro from old files, I mistakenly get into the NO NAME partition that appears in the OS X partition, but which holds some kind of Windows XP directories. I don't know how I managed to do so, but I somehow deleted a folder under NO NAME/Documents and Settings/[user name] and all the files in that directory.
Not much harm was done, since it seems as though the folder was merely duplicated into the trash and still remains in its original directory in NO NAME. The problem is that every time I try to delete it from the trash it says I don't have permissions. It's only folders and they're all unlocked and I am logged on as admin. I've tried dragging the folder out of the trash but it merely duplicates it (although I have no issues deleting the duplicate). So I have folders that have no use being in or outside the trash, which are proving to be very difficult to delete. I tried verifying my disk fwith Disk Utility, but it resulted ok.
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May 10, 2010
I have about 60 GB of data on a new 750 GB drive that I want securely erased as I am passing that drive on to someone else.
Zero out the drive or do a 7 pass is secure BUT takes a long time for 750 GB
What if I drag those files to trash and do a SECURE EMPTY TRASH - much quicker as I am not writing 750 GB of zeroes but is it as secure?
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Feb 28, 2012
When I try to delete my email messages a pop down box shows up on the screen telling me that "The message (whatever one it may be) could not be moved to the mailbox 'Deleted message-mail.comcast.net does not allow messages to be moved to it.
Is it possible for me to have deleted the original trash box from the left hand column of the mail page?And that is why these email message cannot be delelted?
I have been given all kinds of sites to go to in hopes of correcting this problem but none of them has been the one that works to correct it for me I have over 45,000 messages that I need to get rid of and I just can't figure out how to get them to move to the trash file or folder and it doesn't work.
Info:
iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.6)
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Sep 11, 2014
I don't know which folder to use clearing out old messages, spam, junk and other detrious I might want to recover in the future and which folder for highly sensitive or personal in formation I want to keep confidential.
Info:
kMail, Mac OS 9.0.x
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Dec 4, 2014
I need space and my mobilesync folder in my applications support folder has over 88GB of space. I want to delete it.
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May 14, 2012
I made a clean install of lion as i had a little bit of a problems after few years i was uning my iMac.. All of the issues were gone but know i got a new problem with the trash ..
Every time i delete something (i.e: a folder that i dont need any more) i requires a password.. Then instead of that folder to appear in the Trash (as it should be), it is automatically gone and do not appear in the trash! what is this but i am suspicious that is the password protection thing that is responsible for that!
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Jun 28, 2014
How do I delete a folder directly in an external HDD (connected to Mac Book Pro), without moving to Trash?
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Oct 4, 2009
Since I got SL and had a small trashcan, opened it up, and instead of emptying it via dock and just hit the "secure" button in the window out of laziness, every time I empty the trash, it does it securely, which takes a lot of time. I have a very large trash load and don't particularly feel like devoting the full CPU to writing over files I simply don't need anymore (mostly old downloads). Is this a feature? How do I disable it?
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Aug 31, 2009
I moved a bunch of files to the trash can after installing Snow Leopard, mainly backup files from OmniFocus.
I clicked Secure Empty Trash and over 500,000 items began deleting. These 500,000+ items deleted at the rate of 2-3 items a second. This would total 138 hours equaling over 5 days to Secure Empty the trash.
This is just ridiculous in my option so I just did the "Empty Trash" feature, showing me only 350 items, which deleted quickly in under 5 minutes...
So far I know with Secure Empty Trash that the trash is securely layered with 0's & 1's....but wonder what happens with just "Empty Trash?"
How easily accessible is it for someone to retrieve something that i've deleted?
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Oct 11, 2010
Basically, I am 'securely emptying my trash' as we speak. With that said, why exactly does it say that it currently has to empty around 400 something files? Does that include every single file I've deleted in the past, not using the 'secure empty trash'?
Also, once if I deleted my download history, not using 'secure empty trash', is there a way to retrieve it and use 'secure empty trash' to empty it once again?
I'm just a little confused about the 400 something files being deleted using 'secure empty trash'.
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Apr 5, 2010
Under my finder list on the top of my IMac, I used to be able to click empty trash. Now its turned into secure empty trash. Secure empty trash always locks up and I have to relaunch finder, search for empty trash in help and use it that way. Does anyone know how to get the empty trash option back under my finder list?
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Nov 13, 2010
How come when I enable the "Secure Empty Trash" feature and put something into the trash and then empty the trash it says it's emptying 4 things even though I only put one single item into the trash bin?
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Jan 24, 2009
I'ves been trying to do some research on the "secure empty trash can" option and i can't find anything useful.
I've been having this problem where i can't simply "empty trash" and have to click on "secure empty trash" as it the only thing that appears !
To empty a trash can, it deletes 1 item per second and it's getting very tiring and long. Before, i didn't have the "secure empty trash" and wish to get the normal "empty trash"
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Dec 9, 2009
When I was looking up what the Secure Empty Trash option does I happened across a site that said that "this method might shorten the hard disk lifespan." Is there any truth to this?
source of quote: [URL]
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Feb 8, 2010
I went to empty trash (secure empty trash more specifically) and a few minutes into the process, the hard drive revved WAY WAY up and is whining horribly. Time for a new hard drive or is there anything I can do? Also getting the beach ball with almost everything I do now.
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May 22, 2012
I have mac pro having os x lion. I am facing problem of not emtying my trash basket.
I have tried it from finder and also with command key+empty secure icon.
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Aug 28, 2014
when I try to securely empty the trash it tells me some items are locked and asks to continue with all? If I indicate yes, it stops and says I don't have permissions for all files. the files that remain are mainly old apps and .mp3 from iTunes.How do I fix these permissions to get them deleted?
Info:
iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)
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Jun 23, 2009
I searched the forum threads and couldn't find anything on this, apologies in advance if I missed it.
Like an idiot, I started "secure empty trash" and trashed some folders that are massive. The computer is getting hot (MacBook Pro 1st gen) and there are a lot - as in thousands - of files to go. I tried stopping the process, shutting down, and it wouldn't let me. Does anyone know how to do this?
I'm running OSX 4.11.
I know this was dumb. Did it right after a physical therapy appointment while multitasking and I wasn't thinking straight.
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Feb 23, 2010
i just deleted some files+emptied the trash... and just now read up about "secure empty trash", is there anyway to make sure the files i have already deleted are unrecoverable?
MBP uni 13" snow leopard.
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May 8, 2012
I am running Lion on a fairly new iMac 21.5 (bought it last September). Apparently I have changed the Empty Trash method to Secure Erase. I really do not need this nor do I want it as it takes forever to empty the trash. How can I get back to the old method of just emptying the trash?
Info:
iMac, Mac OS X (10.7)
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Jun 27, 2014
Working in Mavericks on an iMac 27. Secure Empty Trash starts but disappears and nothing is deleted. Is it safe to use Erase Free Space in Disk Utility?
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Apr 23, 2012
I have two folders in my trash which I cannot empty. No matter how many times I try these folders will not go away. I have open the "info" link and marked them read and write without success.
Info:
iMac
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Jun 26, 2014
How do you delete individual items from Trash without emptying entire Trash? If I highlight one item in Trash, the only option is the Empty button. I'm afraid it will empty the whole thing. I don't want to do that.
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