Emptying the Trash way too slow.

[PDL]

When I empty the trash the traditional way on my laptop it takes forever (many minutes sometimes). If I empty the Trash using Terminal commands it is instantaneous (normal). I am looking for a cause/fix.

Current laptop: MacBookPro, OSX 10.6.3, 8GB RAM, 2.66 GHz Core 17, 500GB HD.

Here's the kicker. I was having the same issue on my previous MacBookPro. When I got the new one I migrated everything over from the old one using the Apple setup tools that come up when you first bootup a new laptop. My sense therefore is that there is something buried in the System that is the bug.

When I reformatted and reloaded OS on the old laptop, which I then gave to a family member, the issue was gone from the older laptop.

I really don't feel like reformatting and setting up everything from scratch on my new laptop if at all possible, so I am looking for a cause/fix. What do you think?

 

[gordo]

When I empty the trash the traditional way on my laptop it takes forever (many minutes sometimes). If I empty the Trash using Terminal commands it is instantaneous (normal). I am looking for a cause/fix.

Is it possible that you are choosing "Secure Empty Trash" rather than "Empty Trash"?

Gordon

 

[Joe]

Following what gordo said, "Secure Empty Trash" takes significantly longer as the OS writes 1's and 0's 8 times to the area of the hard disk where each file resides. Check your Finder preferences and make sure the check box is not checked for "Empty Trash Securely" as shown here.

If it is checked then it always uses "Secure Empty Trash" by default.

 

[PDL]

You are both right. Duh. It's the little things eh?
Thank you.

 

[tschroe]

FYI - that's the default setting in Snow Leopard - you have to manually change it to even allow the option to not empty the trash securely (which I think is sort of lame but at least it is an easy fix).