Changed mbox but can't empty trash...

Hi,
Following advice, I've put my Mail directory on an external drive and used an alias on the internal drive to point to it. I then deleted the Mail directory that had been on /Users/me/Library/ but when I try to empty the trash, I get, +impossible to complete the operation: element "Messages-1" is being used+. When I do 'continue', I see the same error for every folder that was previously used by Mail.app.
Anyone know how I can delete these folders? Anyone know why Mac OS-X is telling me that I can't delete 'em? Are they really being used? If and when I finally get rid of them, is Mail.app going to keel over and die on me again (strictly speaking, this shouldn't happen as I have multiple back-ups of the entire Mail directory)?
Oh and a strange thing happened. I logged out and back in and when my session opened, Mail.app opened with the +Welcome to Apple Mail+, but when I hit cancel and then opened Mail.app manually, I got all of my mailboxes back.
Any advice would be welcome. Thanks.

Use "TinkerTool System 1.72" to delete the folders and files.
<http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/13662>
-put all the folders and files in one folder on your desktop
-launch TinkerTool System and click on "Files" - then "Force Delete"
-check-mark "Allow deletion of bundle or folder containing files"
Good luck,
Tom

Similar Messages

Want to run an archive and install, but can't empty trash to free space

I don't know where to begin... at some point recently something caused problems with several applications, so after trying to repair permissions and repair disk with no luck, I decided to archive & install. Now I want the old problems back: Word/Excel/Photoshop will not open because of some library error (Carbonlib?), and my network settings keep going screwy such that if my computer goes to sleep, I couldn't pick up my wireless signal anymore without restarting (and then ta-da, there it was like there was never any problem).
So in trying to archive and install I keep stalling at the very beginning... I'll leave it for hours hoping it would proceed but it wouldn't. I've repaired disk several times, with the same errors ultimately coming up. So without being able to archive and install I figured I'd better back everything up and do an erase & install. Started backing things up in prep for moving them onto a server, but when I plugged the server in, my computer said it couldn't get on. Same exact server wire had just come out of my work computer which connects just fine. So now I've got duplicates of all my files on the desktop, so I try to trash them and when I select 'empty trash' or 'secure empty trash', I get the box that says "preparing to empty trash" and then everything except my wallpaper goes away, and eventually comes back as if I've restarted. Now I definitely can't archive and install because with duplicate copies of all my files I have only 1.7gb available and need 1.9 to install just the required files.
I'm at a total loss! Incidentally, my ipod won't mount if I try to plug it in.
Are there other options in disk utility that I can try? I don't know enough to feel comfortable just trying something, and I don't know what the "Restore" option does.
Oh goodness, I hope somebody knows something that can help me out of this.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=3366422
Odd, the link works for me.
-mj
[email protected]

Emailing Excel sheets-can't empty trash

I notice anytime I send someone an Excel spreadsheet & then dump that excel into trash I can't empty trash, why is this? I close down all excel worksheets. I even trash the sent mail that had the excel attachment. Why does it think there's still an open Excel running? Is there a simpler solution then having to use Mac Janitor or Onyx everytime I do this?

Sometimes the Mail application will hold up the process. I can't explain why, but next time try quiting Mail when you have that problem. Then you should be able to empty the trash.

Can't empty trash in OSX10.6.8. Used Trashit unsucessfully. If I run sudo rm -ri ~/.Trash, terminal crashes

Can't empty trash in OSX10.6.8. Used Trashit unsucessfully. If I run sudo rm -ri ~/.Trash, terminal crashes. PowerMac G-5

This should do the job without all the Ys. BUT you must be 100% certain you have entered the command EXACTLY as written below. One typo and you could lose all the data in your user. Copy/paste only and TRIPLE check it's entered properly in Terminal. The -f option, instead of the -i option will force empty and delete immediately. No questions. (rm is remove/delete, -r is everything inside the folder, -f is force, no questions)
sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash
There is a single space between sudo and rm
" rm and -rf
" -rf and ~/.Trash
NO SPACES IN ~/.Trash
It may take a while, depending on how many items are being deleted. You'll know it's done when you get a new $ sign prompt.

My Apple ID is my old email and I want to change it but can't because my rescue email is my current one.

My Apple ID is my old email and I want to change it but can't because my rescue email is my current one. How do I change it?

There are instructions on this page for how to change your rescue email address (you may need to log out and back into your account before trying to use it as your main address) :
Navigate to appleid.apple.com using your web browser.
Click "Manage your account"
When prompted, sign in using your Apple ID and password.
Click Password & Security
You'll be asked to answer 2 of your 3 security questions before you can make any modifications. If you are unable to remember your answers, you can choose to send an email to your rescue email to reset your security questions.
After you've validated your identity by correctly answering your security questions, click Edit to the right of your rescue email address.
Once you've finished editing your rescue email address, click the Save button directly below the email field.

Can't Empty Trash

When I drag a file to the trash, and then try to empty it, I get a message "The operation cannot be completed because the item "Safari" is in use." If I close Safari, I still get the message, and it happens regardless of the type of file.
Also, when I open the trash to see if the file is locked or something, the trash shows and empty folder "Safari" instead of the file that I dragged to the trash. A search in Spotlight shows the file as being in the trash.
Using "Trash it" works, but I'd like to fix the problem. Any ideas?
Thanks in advance
Oh, it's an iBook G4 1.33 GHz, 1GB ram, OS 10.4.9

Option-empty trash and secure empty trash don't work and give the same error. Here's what happens:
1. I drag a file to the trash (a Word document, for example)
2. I click on the trash and select "empty trash" and get the error message
3. If I open Trash, the Word document isn't there, but there is an empty folder called "Safari"
4. If I search for the Word document in Spotlight, it lists is as beingin the trash.
5. The app "Trash It" does work in emptying the trash, but not Option-empty trash or secure empty trash.

Have file in Trash and can not empty trash . Showing 63 files and tried to shut down and restart and still will not empty

Have file in Trash and can not empty trash . Showing 63 files and tried to shut down and restart and still will not empty.Anyone know what can be done?

You are welcome. Glad I could help/
Allan

HT5463 I changed password but can not use new password on phone. Why?

I changed password but can not use new password on phone. Why?

Start with the Settings app
Settings > iTunes and App Store > tap on your Apple ID and then tap on Sign Out
Then sign in with your correct Apple ID and password.

How can I empty trash? It won't empty. I received error code -8003.

How can I empty trash? It won't empty. I received error code -8003.

Usually rebooting clears it so you can empty the trash, otherwise:
Can't empty trash:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1526?viewlocale=en_US
How to Force Empty the Trash:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/trash.html#Anchor-Force-11481

Can't empty trash because of error code -8003

I can't empty trash which contains numerous items because of error code -8003. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Read other postings. Downloaded Trash It. Problem solved. EC

-8003 Error "Can't Empty Trash" only with specific item

Tried to get rid of a folder for an applicaiton that I'd downloaded & installed on a trial basis, then decided not to buy.
Any time I trash this folder with the app and related files, I get the "Can't Empty Trash -8003" error.
If I remove that folder, I can empty the trash fine.
Any ideas?
(the download app is Extensis Portfolio 8.5)

You could try using TrashIt!
Here's a cnet article about -8003:
Here's another discussion on the same topic.
Here's a general article on solving trash problems.

Can't empty trash and icon never indicates files are in the trash.

What could cause this? Despite having several files in the trash, its icon never changes (always shows an empty trash) and the "Empty Trash" option is dimmed (that is, cannot be used). OnyX ws the only solution but it's temporary. What's the fix I should apply to Mac OS X?
Also, why is it that every time I want to move a file to trash I must enter my password? It's annoying to say the least.
Please help me as I don't want to go through the royal pains of installing everything again, Windows-style. I think Mac OS X should be better than that. Or is it? Let's hear it, guys and gals!
Thanks!
Fernando

Sorry, I posted my last message in the wrong thread without realizing it. This is what I meant to post:
Repairing the permissions of a home folder in Lion is a complicated procedure. I don’t know of a simpler one that always works.
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the page that opens.
Drag or copy — do not type — the following line into the Terminal window, then press return:
chmod -R -N ~
The command will take a noticeable amount of time to run. When a new line ending in a dollar sign ($) appears below what you entered, it’s done. You may see a few error messages about an “invalid argument” while the command is running. You can ignore those. If you get an error message with the words “Permission denied,” enter this:
sudo !!
You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up.
Next, boot from your recovery partition by holding down the key combination command-R at startup. Release the keys when you see a gray screen with a spinning dial.
When the recovery desktop appears, select Utilities ▹ Terminal from the menu bar.
In the Terminal window, enter “resetpassword” (without the quotes) and press return. A Reset Password window opens. You’re not going to reset the password.
Select your boot volume if not already selected.
Select your username from the menu labeled Select the user account if not already selected.
Under Reset Home Directory Permissions and ACLs, click the Reset button.
Select  ▹ Restart from the menu bar.

Can't empty trash in iPhoto 9.1.1

At some point, probably since upgrading to iPhoto 9 ('11), I stopped being able to empty the iPhoto trash.
When I bring up the trash album, it shows the number of items in the trash (currently up to 2300), but there are no photos listed. Clicking Empty Trash from any of three places - inside the trash folder, by right-clicking on Trash, or under the "iPhoto" menu - all do nothing except generate a system beep.
Deleting new photos makes the number of items in the Trash increase, but it seems like iPhoto thinks there's nothing in the Trash.
I tried to figure out where iPhoto stores Trash info. The best I could find was /iPhoto Library/Database/Albums/trashAlbum.apalbum which is modified regularly, but that's a nearly empty file (only 4KB, whereas most other "albums" are larger).
I've tried all the different recovery options (Repair library, repair permissions, recover orphaned photos, etc) 3 or 4 times each, but no change.
Rebuilding my library from scratch isn't an option. I can't lose 7 years' worth of comments and things.
Any ideas??

Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.
Regards
TD

Uh oh! Disc space full, can't empty trash because I don't have privileges

AND...I can't print or save anything from iWork. Yikes yikes yikes.
Thanking in advance for help

Hi bdtphd, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Are you using Filevault perchance?
Filevault- "There isn't enough space on your hard disk..." alert ...
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1974
Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4: FileVault - How to verify or repair a home directory image ...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2631?viewlocale=en_US
This will give you a bit more space, not much, but maybe enough to work with...
Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), it will try to repair your Disk Directory while the spinning radian is happening, so let it go, run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, then do a Get Info in the Finder on some big file(s) you can afford to trash, then unlock the Lock at the bottom, change Permissions so you can Trash them, Empty the Trash while holding the Option Key down.
Where aiming for 20+% or 10+ GB whichever is more for free space.
When you get a little elbow room...
How much free space is on the HD, where has all the space gone?
OmniDiskSweeper is now free, and likely the best/easiest...
http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnidisksweeper/

Can't empty trash, time machine files into it

I put my old backup time machine files in the trash. I can't empty it.
I get: The operation can’t be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -8003).
Message was edited by: cglusman

Hi, and welcome to the forums.
Unfortunately, Apple doesn't do a very good job of warning folks: +*never move, change, or delete things from your backups via the Finder.+* It can hopelessly corrupt them. You shouldn't have to delete things, since Time Machine will do that automatically, but you can. See #12 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
If you're trying to delete all the backups, just erase the disk with Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder). That will get the trash on that disk, too.
If not, try holding down the Option key while deleting the trash (but do not use Secure Delete).
If that doesn't help, try this:
Open the Terminal app (in your Applications/Utilities folder). Be *very careful* with this app. It's a direct link into UNIX, the underpinnings of OSX, but without the protections of OSX.
In Terminal, the prompt looks like this: user-xxxxxx:~ <your name>$
(where <your name> is your short user name). It's followed by a non-blinking block cursor.
Type the following exactly as shown, placing the name of your Time Machine partition between the quotes, and be sure to place spaces where shown:
cd /Volumes/"Time Machine Backups"/
and press Return. The prompt should then change to include the name of your Time Machine drive. Then copy or type:
sudo rm -rf .Trashes
and press Return. It should then ask for your Admin password (which won't be displayed). Press Return.
If there were many items involved, this may take quite a long time. Unless there are problems, once the deletion is complete, you'll see another prompt (there's no completion message).
Once you get the trash emptied, repair your backups, per #A5 in Time Machine - Troubleshooting (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).

Changed mbox but can't empty trash...

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for