Mac: Trash Problems

Force the Trash to empty using the Option key

This technique uses a hidden feature of Mac OS X to force the Trash to empty. Perform the following steps in the order specified:

1. Press and hold the mouse button on the Trash icon in the Dock. The context menu for Trash will display.
2. Press and hold the Option key.
3. Select Empty Trash from the context menu for Trash.
4. Release the Option key. 

Moving locked files to the Trash

Locked files display a lock badge in the lower-left corner of their icons. Under Leopard, the lock badge only appears if Show icon preview is deselected in the View Options (View > Show View Options) of the Finder window containing the locked file.
Use the following procedure to unlock a file so that it can be moved to the Trash.

1. Open the Get Info window for the file by either:
   1. Selecting the file’s icon in Finder and pressing the Command-I keyboard combination.
   2. Control-clicking the file’s icon in Finder and selecting Get Info from the file’s context menu.
2. In the General panel of the file's Get Info window, deselect the Locked checkbox. The check mark will disappear, indicating the file is now unlocked.
3. Close the Get Info window for the file.
4. Trash the file.