How do you actually DELETE stuff on OSX...?

Amp34

Amp34

Amp34

Caporegime
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I'm using OSX lion and having trouble with the delete function...

When I use a USB stick and plug it inI can "delete" the contents with *command delete* however it doesn't actually free up the space. It sends it to trash and still takes up the same amount of space so when I try and stick new things on it OSX complains there is not enough space left.

Am I missing a trick? Is it like most other things on OSX where it involves a rather convoluted option involving terminal or is there another key combination I should be using...?

I'm also having another issue. I installed some updates recently and now all the hidden files are now visible (such as trash and .Ds_store in every folder). How do I hide them again?

Thanks
 
Thanks.

It's not quite like windows because that overwrites items in the recycle bin if you run out of space, is there an option on OSX to allow it to automatically overwrite files in trash like windows?
 
I have done that thanks, however I'm also wondering if there is a setting I can use that allows files to overwrite other files automatically when they are in the trash, like Windows.
 
Not that I've come across and to be honest never really looked, as when I delete stuff, particularly from external storage devices I clear the trash out anyway.
 
Command + Shift + Backspace

Just like Cmd+Q it's muscle memory now, I don't even have to think about it :)
 
Doug said:
Command + Shift + Backspace

Just like Cmd+Q it's muscle memory now, I don't even have to think about it :)
Click to expand...

Doesn't do anything in finder for me.

Cmd + Backspace = file in trash

Cmd + Shift + Backspace = nothing, file stays where it is.

This is on Mountain Lion.
 
shine said:
Doesn't do anything in finder for me.

Cmd + Backspace = file in trash

Cmd + Shift + Backspace = nothing, file stays where it is.

This is on Mountain Lion.
Click to expand...

You have to be 'in' the Finder for the shortcut to work, it won't do anything in other apps (unless for some reason it's assigned to some other command).
 
I was but I had nothing in my trash can to empty! :o

However, this is not what the OP wants. The OP would like to delete stuff without going into the trash can i.e. delete forever in one command.
 
Oynx

A must have app on Mac OS X, I always seem to end up with hundreds of items in the trash and when I try to empty it, it will literally take hours if not days to delete. Oynx manges to do it instantly. :D
 
Hazel (http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php) can monitor the Trash as well as a myriad of other useful file actions. Or, if you are nifty with scripting you can use Applescript, Ruby, or plain old Bash scripts and the power of launchd.

Remember, underneath that pretty exterior beats the heart of UNIX (well BSD) so the world is your oyster.
 
theheyes said:
They should just make it a configurable option. Its unnecessary mucking about for something so straightforward.
Click to expand...

Is SHIFT+CMD+Backspace really so hard that an option is needed to automatically empty the Trash? I think not. It's just culture change coming from Windows.
 
I never said it was hard, but it's most certainly unintuitive. The '+' button is what I would consider a cultural change; not being to use free space after 'deletion' goes beyond platform differences and flies in the face of general expectation.
 
So right click on trash empty trash is so very different from right click on recycle bin empty recycle bin?

Also the option in the right click menu for files/folders is move to trash not delete.
 
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