Delete Files and Empty the Trash

Article, Finder, Mac OS X, Novice | April 8th, 2008

So you have a bunch of files on your Mac now and you want to get rid of them. This tutorial will tell you exactly how to delete files and empty the trash!

Warning: Once you put files in the trash and empty it, your files will be erased. There’s no turning back! So, be sure you really want to delete them.

1. Click and drag your file to the trash can on the Dock at the bottom of your screen. Release the mouse button and your file will be in the trash. You’ll known this because the trash can now looks like it has papers in it.
2. You can now right click on the trash can and select Empty Trash to completely erase the item(s) in the trash.
3. Another method to Empty the trash is to select Empty Trash from the drop down menu when you click Finder in the Menubar.
4. As a safety precausion, Finder will prompt you to ask that you are sure you want to permanently erase the files in the trash can. With that in mind, press OK to completely erase the files from your system.