How to Empty Trash on a Mac

The Trash is the Mac equivalent of the Windows Recycle Bin. In order to erase a file from a hard drive, a user must move the item to the Trash and then empty it. If the user only transfers the data to the Trash but does not empty it, the files will continue to take up space on the hard drive.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mac running OS X 10.4 or later

1. Click anywhere on the desktop to switch to the Finder.

2. Click on the Trash icon in the Dock. A Finder window will open displaying all of the items currently in your Trash.

3. Make sure that you want to permanently delete all files in the Trash.

4. Go to the "Finder" menu at the top of the screen and choose the "Empty Trash" option. Your computer will now ask you to confirm the decision.

5. Click "OK" to confirm the decision. The files in your Trash will now be deleted.

References

• About the Mac Trash