Mac OS X: Error 8003 - Trash cannot be deleted
If your trash cannot be deleted on Mac OS X and you receive error 8003, there is a problem with the permissions. We'll show you how to fix it.
Fix Mac error 8003: delete recycle bin via terminal
- Open the terminal in the Finder under "Programs"> "Utilities".
- At this point enter the command "sudo rm -rf". Pay special attention to the space after "-rf". Do not press the Enter key yet.
- Instead, open your trash and choose "Select all" in the "Edit" menu.
- Drag the highlighted content into the terminal window and press the Enter key.
- You may have to enter your master password to confirm the deletion.
To prevent the error from occurring in the first place, you can delete your files under MacOS without recycle bin. This article is based on Mac OS X Yosemite.