# Deleting files from Flash Drive

**URL:** <https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034>\
**Category:** All other USB Flash Drives\
**Created:** [October 4, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034 "2012-10-04T00:12:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![melb\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@melb\_user](https://forums.sandisk.com/u/melb_user)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034/1 "2012-10-04T00:12:49Z")

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I have a Sandisk Cruzer Edge 16GB Flash Drive. &nbsp;I use it with two computers, an iMac and a Macbook Air, both using OS X 10.8.2. &nbsp;I recently loaded about 10GB of files onto it. &nbsp;I have now deleted those files. &nbsp;However Finder is still showing the Flash Drive as carrying 10.8 GB of files and having only 5.2 GB available. &nbsp;When I try to save a 10 GB folder to the Flash Drive, I get a message saying that there is not enough available space.

How do I delete uploaded files from the Flash Drive so that I can re-use the whole 16 GB?

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**Author:** ![tapeworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@tapeworm](https://forums.sandisk.com/u/tapeworm)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034/2 "2012-10-04T00:43:11Z")

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I don’t use a Mac, so I’m going off memory of what I’ve read here before but I think you have to empty your Trash while the drive is still connected to your Mac.

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**Author:** ![melb\_user](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/848f3c/32.png) [@melb\_user](https://forums.sandisk.com/u/melb_user)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034/3 "2012-10-04T01:49:45Z")

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Thanks. &nbsp;That works.

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**Author:** ![longevityfit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@longevityfit](https://forums.sandisk.com/u/longevityfit)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034/4 "2013-03-27T15:20:02Z")

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I have the same problem. I have been deleting the files the correct way (by dragging them to the trash) but my drive is supposed to be a 16gb and only shows 142.7mb available with 0 files. Any help would be great.

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**Author:** ![ed\_p](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/sandisk/user_avatar/forums.sandisk.com/ed_p/32/2333_2.png) [@ed\_p](https://forums.sandisk.com/u/ed_p)\
**Post date:** [March 27, 2013, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034/5 "2013-03-27T20:45:41Z")

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This didn’t work for you?

[http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/All-SanDisk-USB-Flash-Drives/Deleting-files-from-Flash-Drive/m-p/284766#M3539](https://forums.sandisk.com/t/deleting-files-from-flash-drive/31034/2)