by , 7:30 AM EDT, October 18th, 2006

Occasionally, Mac OS X will refuse to delete a file from your Trash no matter what you try. You can always use the Terminal application to force empty your Trash, assuming you are comfortable using the Unix command line, or you can use one of these applications to do the dirty work for you.

Mac HelpMate Mac Helpmate can force empty your trash, and it does much more. It also manages routine system maintenance tasks, monitors the health of your hard drive, repairs permissions, remotely controls other Macs, and more. This utility is free.

Cocktail Similar to Mac HelpMate in some ways, Cocktail can delete those stubborn files and also performs many system maintenance tasks for you. Cocktail costs US$14.95.

Super Empty Trash Super Empty Trash is a one trick pony, but it performs that trick without any hassle. It is an AppleScript-based application that simply force empties your Trash, and it lets you select which disk's Trash files should be deleted. Super Empty Trash is free.

There are even more applications out there that can force empty your Trash. If you have a favorite, share it in the comments.

if you have ideas for Mac related tips that you think other TMO readers might find helpful.