SOLVED Files stuck in the trash folder

[KCMac]

After updating to 14.1 I got an error regarding a program I used long ago called WireTap Studio. I just trashed all files/folders/apps pertaining to that application. Upon attempting to empty the trash I was informed that two files could not be deleted because they were in use. They're both pkg files from the app.

After booting into safe mode and trying just about everything possible, it turns out that the OS thinks it's in use because the file was an abandoned resumable download and so it thinks it needs to finish downloading first. That's a dead end as well.

I'm stuck. Any ideas? I really don't like the idea of perpetual error messages when emptying my trash and having to skip the two package files.

Edit: It also won't let me modify the files other than renaming them because they're "in the trash"

Thank you

 

[TonyAguila]

After updating to 14.1 I got an error regarding a program I used long ago called WireTap Studio. I just trashed all files/folders/apps pertaining to that application. Upon attempting to empty the trash I was informed that two files could not be deleted because they were in use. They're both pkg files from the app.

After booting into safe mode and trying just about everything possible, it turns out that the OS thinks it's in use because the file was an abandoned resumable download and so it thinks it needs to finish downloading first. That's a dead end as well.

I'm stuck. Any ideas? I really don't like the idea of perpetual error messages when emptying my trash and having to skip the two package files.

Edit: It also won't let me modify the files other than renaming them because they're "in the trash"

Thank you

Go to the Onyx developer website and download the version for your version of macOS.

Titanium Software | Operating System Utilities for Mac - OnyX

OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the startup disk and the structure of its system files; run tasks of cleaning and computer maintenance; configure some hidden parameters of many Apple applications; and more.

www.titanium-software.fr

Once you have it running, click on the Files section and select the rightmost tab, Trash. Then click on the Empty Trash button. Onyx is freeware, and the one I trust the most even compared with paid maintenance utilities. The empty trash feature has never failed me yet.

Edit: I forgot that in Sonoma, there is a setting to automatically empty the trash except for the newer files (six months, I think). I just went to System Settings to check my setting and I was surprised that the setting was not there anymore. (I just updated to macOS 14.2 earlier.) I hope the change was inadvertent, but I will submit a feedback about it anyway.

So if your version of 4.1 has it, make sure the automatic purge is not set, at least for now.

 

[KCMac]

Yeah, no joy. Onyx is a great tool tho.

OK, color me stupid. I had an epiphany... Let my take my MBP upstairs, unplugged from my plethora of external devices and lo and behold, my trash is empty. That means it resides on an external drive. The quest continues

Thanks for your help.

 

[KCMac]

OK, I found the file to be on my Backup drive. I wiped it using Disk Utility and am creating another bootable backup using SuperDuper!. I'll mark this as resolved. Disregard everything after "Hello"

 

[KCMac]

Unfortunately they were stuck in the .Trashes and .Temporary folders on the backup disk. I don’t back up my back up. and since they were in the trash I couldn’t pull them out of the trash without it throwing the error. “Unable to restore the file because it needs to be downloaded” It was frustrating. Command line wouldn’t let me sudo cd .Trashes nor could I try to delete the file directly using the rm command (I’ll work on that issue later). I ended up wiping the drive and SD cloned it last night during the regularly scheduled program.

Live and learn. I really didn’t think there were issues with partially downloaded package files, but apparently there is.

Thank you for your suggestion. I’m sure it would have worked had I an original file restore it with.