How do I remove locked items in my trash on a Mac?

Question

How do I remove locked items in my trash on a Mac?

Answer 1

In Mac OS X 10.3 Panther or later, you can securely delete items by choosing Secure Empty Trash from the Finder menu.

If you change your mind about deleting the item before you choose Empty Trash:

Click the Trash icon in the dock.

Drag the item out of the Trash.

If you can't empty the Trash or move a file to the Trash

For example, this message might appear when you try to empty the Trash: "The operation could not be completed because the item '(item name)' is locked."

First, try holding the Option key as you choose Empty Trash from the Finder's File menu.