Nov 04, 2023 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Mac is one of the most popular operating systems in the world over. It offers a wide range of features to its users – one of them is its Trash folder. When we delete something from Mac, it is moved to the Trash folder for us to recover afterward. Though, there are times when users can't seem to delete trash on their system or struggle to undelete trash on Mac as well. To resolve this, we have come up with this in-depth guide on how to delete trash on Mac.
To begin this guide, let's learn how to delete any file or folder on a Mac system. When a file is deleted from Mac, it is moved to the Trash folder for future recovery scope. Ideally, there are different ways to get rid of anything on Mac. Let's get to know about the two main approaches.
The easiest way to get rid of a file is by dragging it moving it to the trash folder.
Mac has made it very easy for users to delete trash simply by using the keyboard shortcuts.
If you have accumulated a lot of data on your Mac, then emptying the trash becomes very important. It would release the storage from the trash completely and make your system run faster at the same time. So, to create this space, and to permanently delete trash on Mac, follow the step by step guide mentioned below.
Sometimes, users don't wish to get rid of the entire trash can as they may have to recover a few files back later for future use. So, to get rid of just a single item, you can follow these simple steps.
If you no longer have any useful content stored in the trash, you can delete multiple items in the trash as well.
We've already learned how to secure delete trash on Mac. As you can see, emptying the trash is an easy and uncomplicated process. But, what if you're not able to delete items in the trash or you get an error like the trash won't empty. If this happens to you, do not worry, there are several solutions through which the user could empty trash by repairing Mac OS X.
The first situation could be when the user is unable to delete the file in use, so if you wish to know how to delete the files that are being used, follow these steps:
The second obstacle that the users might face in deleting a particular file is when the file appears to be locked. When the operating system shows us this error message that the file is locked. Simply, hold the down option and again choose to empty trash. The OS X would overwrite the file, resulting in deleting it.
Still, if the user is not able to delete or empty the trash. The steps below to get all unwanted files out of the system permanently may seek great help to them.
Trash is one of the overlooked aspects of OS X that users think of only if they get stuck. Though, if you get to learn how to manage the trash folder on Mac, then you can easily make the most of our data and speed-up the processing of your system as well. Here are some more tips to add that could be really advantageous for a Mac user in the long run.
I. If you wish to undelete trash on Mac, you can simply download Recoverit Mac Trash Recovery Software and get back all of your precious files/folders/pictures/videos in 3 simple steps. It can recover all sorts of files that have been removed from the Trash folder in a user-friendly way. The data recovery tool supports all the leading Mac versions and has one of the highest recovery rates. It features different data recovery modes for users to get back their lost data in all scenarios.
II. If you wish to remove items from the Trash automatically after 30 days, simply open advanced options from the settings and choose to remove items from the Trash in 30 days.
III. If you want to secure delete trash. Deleting the trash without getting any error is another important feature that Mac provides to its users. To activate it, follow these steps:
IV. If you want to delete trashes file on Mac USB: A lot of people find it hard to delete the trash from a connected USB source. The rm command of the terminal works well in this case. File(s) can be deleted from USB by following 4 simple steps:
V. How to undo delete trash Mac: Sometimes, we end up deleting something we didn't wish to remove. Mac has an option to simply undo and recover the files back. You can do this in 4 easy steps:
VI. How to automatically empty the trash: If you wish to manually empty the drive, then follow this technique. Just access an amazing feature on Mac from the Apple menu > About this storage > Manage. You will find an option to automatically empty the trash. Click on it and be free from the hassle of emptying trash again and again.
After reading this article, you'll definitely be able to delete, undelete, and recover data from the Trash. In case if you have accidentally deleted something, then try Recoverit Data Recovery. Apart from that, you can also follow some of our suggestions to manage trash in Mac like an expert.
Sue Wayne
staff Editor