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How to Delete Contents On a USB Memory Stick?

Wanting to reuse a Scandisk 16Gb memory stick, I removed all contents by sending to “Trash “. The Memory Stick screen was then blank of any contents. The information of this USB stick, although I considered it now to be empty, continues to show the previous “ used ” Gb content and will not accept any new content which exceeds the “ free ” Gb content which was shown available when this USB stick was being used previously. How can I remove this “barrier” and achieve an empty stick to reuse please.
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David

Comments: 2 Responses to “How to Delete Contents On a USB Memory Stick?”

    6 years ago

    When you put items in the Trash, it doesn't delete them. They just go into that Trash folder and wait for you to use the Empty Trash command to really delete them. When you bring other drives into the mix, you have to realize that each drive has its own "trash" and that emptying the trash merely deletes the files for the drives you have access to at that time.

    So it may be as simple as connecting the drive, and then using File, Empty Trash. But that's not what I would do.

    If your goal is to clear off the USB memory stick completely, then I would erase it. Run the Disk Utility app on your Mac. Select the drive, and use the Erase function to completely clear it off. This will get rid of any errors or problems that may have been introduced as well, and give you a fresh start.

    David
    6 years ago

    Thank you for your appreciated and helpful reply. It has provided the complete solution and resolved my continuing unproductive attempts .... and having to buy a new stick I had begun to consider inevitable, by repeatedly failing to clear the stick for new content ! David

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