Don't have permission to empty trash

Every time I try to empty the trash, I get an error message saying that: "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items." This is for ANY file I try to delete - whether pdf, jpg, dmg, video file, txt, anything.
I have checked the properties of the files and I have read/write, and the files aren't locked.
If I reboot, I can usually then do a normal empty trash but I don't see why I should have to wait for a reboot before being able to delete files.

Sometimes enabling "Empty Trash securely" may cause this.
Finder > Preferences > Advanced > "Empty Trash securely"
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16163001#16163001

Similar Messages

I don't have permission to empty the trash securely.

The initial cause of the problem may be that accidentally dragged my downloads folder from the tool bar into the trash. I do not see the downloads folder in the trash. When I try to empty the trash, I see indication that many files are being deleted. I eventually get a message telling me that I do not have sufficient permission to empty the trash. My options are STOP or CONTINUE. Seems that no matter what option I choose, no more trash disappears. Please advise. Thanks in advance.

Repairing permissions is important, and should always be carried out both before and after any software installation or update.
Go to Disk Utility (this is in your Utilities Folder in your Application folder) and click on the icon of your hard disk (not the one with all the numbers).
In First Aid, click on Repair Permissions.
This only takes a minute or two in Tiger, but much longer in Leopard.
Background information here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25751
and here:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=302672
An article on troubleshooting Permissions can be found here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2963
By the way, you can ignore any messages about SUID or ACL file permissions, as explained here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1448?viewlocale=en_US
If you were having any serious problems with your Mac you might as well complete the exercise by repairing your hard disk as well. You cannot do this from the same start-up disk. Reboot from your install disk (holding down the C key). Once it opens, select your language, and then go to Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Select your hard disk as before and click Repair.
Once that is complete reboot again from your usual start-up disk.
More useful reading here:
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1417?viewlocale=en_US
For a full description of how to resolve Disk, Permission and Cache Corruption, you should read this FAQ from the X Lab:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/repairprocess.html

Time Machine informs me I don't have permission to open trashed folders, when Iam the sole user of my 20" imac.

I upgraded to Lion, and have encountered problems with passwords needed often in mail,calendar and Time machine restores.
I changed my apple ID password, nothing else. Can anyone assist? Would moving to Mountain Lion be the solution?
Thanks for reading.

See Pondini's TM FAQs, for starters.

The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items. ive moved these files from my sd card to the trash, when i take out the sd card the trash empties but then fills up when i put it back in, it wont empty.

The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items. ive moved these files from my sd card to the trash, when i take out the sd card the trash empties but then fills up when i put it back in, it wont empty.

In the Finder, press the key combination shift-command-C, or select
Go ▹ Computer
from the menu bar. A window will open showing all mounted volumes. Select the one in question and open the Info window. What is shown as the Format in the General section?

Trying to empty the Trash and it tells me I don't have permission. It's my computer.

I can't get my trash to empty. The error message tells me I don't have permission to perform some of the functions. I'm that Admistrator of my own computer. Help please...

1. Triple-click the line below to select it:
~/.Trash
2. Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Show Info
from the contextual menu.* An Info dialog should open.
3. The dialog should show "You can read and write" in the Sharing & Permissions section. If that's not what it shows, click the padlock icon in the lower right corner of the window and enter your password when prompted. Use the plus- and minus-sign buttons to give yourself Read & Write access and "everyone" No Access. Delete any other entries in the access list.
4. In the General section, uncheck the box marked Locked if it's checked.
5. From the action menu (gear icon) at the bottom of the dialog, select Apply to enclosed items and confirm.
6. Close the Info window and test.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard (command-C). Open a TextEdit window and paste into it (command-V). Select the line you just pasted and continue as above.

Why cant i empty my trash it says i don't have permission to access some of these items

why cant i empty my trash it says i don't have permission to access some of these items

Right click on the hard drive icon and select Get Info. (If there is no right click on your mouse, click once then type command + i - two keys together).
This is the bottom part of the pane that comes up:
1. Click on the padlock and authenticate with your password.
2. Look at your name and make sure it says "Read & Write. If it does not, change it by clicking on whatever is there.
3. Click on the gear, and select "apply to enclosed items".
This will take some time. When it is done close this pane.

The folder ".Trashes" can't be opened because you don't have permission to see its contents.

I cleaned out my hard drive right before upgrading to 10.9.2 and now I discovered I was a bit too heavy with the spring cleaning. I want to restore my iphoto library from the trash on my external hard drive but when I try and open it ( first I un-hid it ) I get the error
The folder “.Trashes” can’t be opened because you don’t have permission to see its contents.
So how do I get permission?

Open the AppleScript Editor and run the following:
tell application "Finder" to quit
if (do shell script "defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles") is "1" then
do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 0"
else
do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 1"
end if
delay 2
tell application "Finder" to run
Select the .Trashes folder in the Finder, choose Get Info from the File menu, give yourself read and write access in the Sharing & Permissions section of the window, repeat this process with the 501 folder if needed, move the library out, and run the script again.
(105513)

HT201250 i'm getting message: can't be opened because you don't have permission to see its contents. and he operation can't be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -8003).

I took my computer in to have the Backup restored onto my computer after having a new harddrive put onto my 1year 1/2 old MacBook Pro. When i got it home there was a new User that i had to logout of to getting into my normal user. Don't know why this was, just figured the Mac guys that installed my backup did this for some odd reason. Today i could not open any of my files in the backup on the time machine. All the folder had line going thought them and when i clicked on them I revieved this message: can’t be opened because you don’t have permission to see its contents. After talking with that same mac store. I decided to just delete all the files out of the time machine as it was just put back on my computer and i have everything i need. Hours later when i tried to empty the trash i got this messsage: the operation can’t be completed because an unexpected error occurred (error code -8003).
Any advise how to fix my problem?
thanks in advance

While you see a single trash can, in reality there are trash folders on each mounted volume. I don't use TM but what you are describing implies that a TM drive is no different with the way trash is treated. So when the TM is unmounted the trash folder on there is gone and thus the trash looks empty. Remount the drive, the trash folder on it now causes the trashcan to look like something is in it.
If TrashIt! could not remove the file, I'm sorry, you will need to use the terminal. We can do this one step at a time so you only have to copy/paste the lines into terminal (except the first time). So launch Terminal (in utilities). You might want to make the window that is shown a bit larger with the grow box since it's pretty small.
This first line is the only exception to the copy/pasting since you have to enter some information.
sudo ls -laR /Volumes/your-TM-volume-name/.Trashes
where your-TM-volume-name is the name of your TM volume. That's the part you have to fill in since I don't know it.
When you hit return the sudo in that command will cause a prompt for your admin password. Enter it and hit return again. Note the password will not be shown as you type it. Post the results so I can tell you what to do next.
Note this ls command is not doing anything but listing the files in the TM's .Trashes folder. Remember I said each drive has it's own trash folder. .Trashes is it.

I keep getting the error message "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items."

When I try and move an application to my application folder from the installer and when I try to empty the trash, I get the error message, "The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items." This has only been an issue since I upgraded to Lion. I'm using a July '07 white Macbook 2.16 Intel Core 2 Duo. In my trash I only have an older version of a software that I updated (Divy). The software I'm trying to install is Angry Birds Rio.

Always use the same websites you are having problems with so you can monitor the changes.
Try the reset for Safari:
And for Firefox:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6874158_keyboard-working-certain-websites-firefox.html
Try logging in to the guest account as well to see if you have the same problems there, it might be a logging in issue.

Trying to reload firefox and getting this message, when moving to the applications folder: "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items."

Been having problems with Firefox/internet for several days, and all my updates seemed current. I decided to try to reload and have removed the other icons/download attempts from the app file. When I try to drag the icon into apps, I now get this message:
The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items.

* Download a new copy of the Firefox program: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html
* Trash the current Firefox application to do a clean (re)install.
* Install the new version that you have downloaded.
Your profile data is stored elsewhere in the [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox Firefox Profile Folder], so you won't lose your bookmarks and other personal data.

Why am I being told that a JPEG file that I made changes to in Photoshop 6 (CS6) can't be saved? The message I get says that either the file is locked and I don't have permission to execute this or another program is using this file.

i recently purchased a 21.5 iMac with Yosemite (10.10.1) and was disappointed to discover that my CS6 programs are not functioning correctly. I am unable to use the "Save As" command when making changes to a JPEG file in Photoshop. The message I get says that either another program is using the file or it is locked and I don't have permission to execute that command. I'm experiencing a similar problem in Bridge when trying to move an unwanted file to the Trash. Again, I get a message telling me that i don't have permission to do this. Lastly, I'm unable to open any Camera Raw files. Any suggestions? I had no problems with the Mavericks OS on my old iMac and although it's much slower, I'm tempted to go back to using my old iMac. At this point, I feel as if I've just wasted $2300+ (tax included).

Back up all data before proceeding.
This procedure will unlock all your user files (not system files) and reset their ownership, permissions, and access controls to the default. If you've intentionally set special values for those attributes on any of your files, they will be reverted. In that case, either stop here, or be prepared to recreate the settings if necessary. Do so only after verifying that those settings didn't cause the problem. If none of this is meaningful to you, you don't need to worry about it, but you do need to follow the instructions below.
Step 1
If you have more than one user, and the one in question is not an administrator, then go to Step 2.
Triple-click anywhere in the following line on this page to select it:
sudo find ~ $TMPDIR.. -exec chflags -h nouchg,nouappnd,noschg,nosappnd {} + -exec chown -h $UID {} + -exec chmod +rw {} + -exec chmod -h -N {} + -type d -exec chmod -h +x {} + 2>&-
Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.
Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.
Paste into the Terminal window by pressing command-V. I've tested these instructions only with the Safari web browser. If you use another browser, you may have to press the return key after pasting.
You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. Type carefully and then press return. You may get a one-time warning to be careful. If you don’t have a login password, you’ll need to set one before you can run the command. If you see a message that your username "is not in the sudoers file," then you're not logged in as an administrator.
The command may take several minutes to run, depending on how many files you have. Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign ($) to appear, then quit Terminal.
Step 2 (optional)
Take this step only if you have trouble with Step 1, if you prefer not to take it, or if it doesn't solve the problem.
Start up in Recovery mode. When the OS X Utilities screen appears, select
Utilities ▹ Terminal
from the menu bar. A Terminal window will open. In that window, type this:
resetp
Press the tab key. The partial command you typed will automatically be completed to this:
resetpassword
Press return. A Reset Password window will open. You’re not going to reset a password.
Select your startup volume ("Macintosh HD," unless you gave it a different name) 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.

Secure Delete gives me a "don't have permission to access some of the items

I am cleaning up my drives on a MBP and it came time to delete files from my trash.
Lots went but I ended up with several that blocks the delete process and I get a message "don’t have permission to access some of the items."
Well I did repair my permissions and tried the secure delete again and got the same message.
I do not have the option of doing just a plain delete.
Does anyone have a fix for me?
Thanks
Dunc

do not have the option of doing just a plain delete.
Of course you do (disable secure delete in finder prefs/advanced) - and when you do, a dialog will appear that allows you to enter an admin password. Delete all that fall into this category first...
Secure deletes take forever....why do that - if you're getting rid of the computer/hd, just format and zero it out then, instead.

I have 4.0 installed, have downloaded 5.o several times but cannot install it - the message is that I "don't have permission"; using a mac book pro OS 10.6.

Have been unsuccessful many times in updating firefox. I get the messages: do you want to replace earlier version? I click yes, then get message stating I don't have permission to install the newer version. There has been no asking for a password to install this on my Mac, which is what I assume may be needed for the installation.
How can I achieve this?
At times I have been offered ( by firefox) an opportunity to connect with their updater, but this connection has lasted 30 min., with no success, so I have closed the window.

If you have problems with updating or with the permissions then easiest is to download the full version and trash the currently installed version to do a clean install of the new version.
Download a new copy of the Firefox program and save the DMG file to the desktop
* Firefox 5.0.x: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html
* Trash the current Firefox application to do a clean (re-)install
* Install the new version that you have downloaded
Your profile data is stored elsewhere in the [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox Firefox Profile Folder], so you won't lose your bookmarks and other personal data.

On tnsfr to applic folder, I get "The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items.

i'm trying to update from 3.2, but when I try to transfer the download to the application
folder I get the message, "The operation can’t be completed because you don’t have permission to access some of the items."

See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Installing_Firefox#Mac_OS_X
Download a new copy of the Firefox program: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html
Trash the current Firefox application to do a clean reinstall.
Install the new version that you have downloaded.
Your profile data is stored elsewhere in the [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox Firefox Profile Folder], so you won't lose your bookmarks and other personal data.

Can't update because "don't have permission to acess..." on new Mac

I am trying to download the newest version of Firefox. Running Mac 10.6.6 Older version of Firefox exists. When I try to add the newer download I get ''The operation can't be completed because you don't have permission to access some of the items''. My laptop was no problem.
How can I solve my problem?

* Download a new copy of the Firefox program: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/all.html
* Trash the current Firefox application to do a clean (re-)install.
* Install the new version that you have downloaded.
Your profile data is stored elsewhere in the [http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_folder_-_Firefox Firefox Profile Folder], so you won't lose your bookmarks and other personal data.

Don't have permission to empty trash

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