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Windows creates separate Recycle Bins for each of your drives or partitions with the name $RECYCLE.BIN. If you open this folder (after unhiding it), you may see more than one subfolder.
The first folder is named just Recycle Bin contains the temporarily deleted folders for the current user account. This folder is actually linked across all drives so you will see the deleted data of all of them even though it contains the data for the current drive only.
The other folders are named as the Security Identifier (SID) number of other user accounts on your local computer (for example, S-1-5-21-...-1003 and S-1-5-21-...-1005. And as you may have guessed, they store the temporarily deleted data of their respective accounts.
If you log in to the account with the SID S-1-5-21-…-1003, you will still see their deleted data on the ‘Recycle Bin’ folder and the $RECYCLE.BIN folder contains the SID folders of other accounts excluding their own (following the example, S-1-5-21-…-1001 and S-1-5-21-…-1005).
There are many ways to delete this folder on Windows and you can use any method according to your preference.
The easiest way to remove the Recycle bin folder is by using the rmdir or rd command on Command Prompt.
Open Run by pressing Win + R.
Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Elevated Command Prompt.
If you want to avoid having to type this command every time you want to clear Recycle bin, it’s better to create a batch script instead.
Open Run.
Type notepad and press Enter to open this text editor.
Press Ctrl + Shift + S to open the ‘Save as’ window.
Go to any location you want. Then set the file name with the .bat extension, for instance, EmptyRecycleBin.bat
You can further automate this batch script by using the Task Scheduler. To do so,
Open Run.
Type taskschd.msc and press Enter to open the Task Scheduler.
Enter the Name and Description as you wish and configure other options inside the General tab if necessary.
Choose the type of trigger you want next to Begin the task. For instance on a specific schedule or right after logging into your account.
The other options change depending on the previous choice. They are self-explanatory, so pick them accordingly.
Set the options to the following values:
Action: Start a program
Program/script: the full path of your batch script. For instance, F:NewEmptyRecycleBin.bat
Go to the Conditions and the Settings tabs and set the options there if necessary.
If you want to delete the Recycle Bin contents using PowerShell, you can use the PowerShell alternative of the CMD commands above in a similar manner.
Open Run.
Type powershell and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open the Elevated Windows PowerShell. If you use PowerShell core, use the Run command pwsh instead.
You can also manually delete the contents of the root Recycle Bin folder to clear its contents for all users. However, keep in mind that this method might be slower since you need to make multiple confirmations
First, you need to unhide your protected files and folders.
Open Run.
Type control folders and press Enter to open File Explorer Options.
Go to the View tab.
Then, open the File Explorer (Win + E) and go inside the drive whose recycle bin you want to clear.
Confirm all the following prompts.
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Recycle Bin Tricks And Tips For Windows 11/10
The Recycle Bin in Windows! It’s there, we need it, but we hardly ever notice it. Some of us don’t even bother to empty it, letting Windows do the job once it starts overflowing. Well, let’s change that and let’s take a closer look at it today! Let’s see how it works and how we can get the best out of it in Windows 11/10/8.1/7.
Windows Recycle Bin Tricks and TipsThe Recycle Bin is just that! It lets you recycle deleted items. Once you delete any file or folder from the Windows File Explorer, it is moved and placed into this bin. It is not deleted as such.
1] Restore deleted items 2] Recycle Bin locationTo see the location of the Recycle Bin on your Windows computer, you will have to first show protected operating system files via the Control Panel, Folder Options applet. Once you have done that, open your C Drive. You will see the $Recycle.Bin folder. Open it, and you will see the Recycle Bin. It is the same for other drives too.
3] Change Recycle Bin sizeThe Recycle Bin size calculations are based on the user’s disk quota and not the disk size. In Windows XP, the default Recycle Bin was 10% of the user’s quota on the volume. In later versions of Windows, the default size is 10% of the first 40GB of quota, and 5% of any quota above which is above 40GB.
If you wish, you can also change the size and settings on a per-folder basis.
4] Tweak Recycle Bin behavior
You will then be able to decide the maximum size of the Bin. This means that if the items in the Bin exceed this number, then Windows will start deleting items on a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis. You can increase the size of Recycle Bin if you feel.
Most of us do not like the delete confirmation box. You can choose to have it displayed or not here. You can enable or disable this Delete Confirmation Box
5] Show Hide Recycle Bin from Desktop 6] Rename Recycle Bin 7] Change Recycle Bin iconsBut we have noticed that in many cases when you revert them back to defaults, the Recycle Bin icon does not refresh automatically. As such, I’d recommend you not do this.
8] Count the number of items in the Recycle BinTo see how many items are there in the Recycle Bin:
Open Recycle Bin
Select one item
Press Ctrl+A
Look in the bottom left corner.
You will see the number there.
You can also use PowerShell to count the number of items in the folder.
9] Recycle Bin recovery softwareIf you need to recover or undelete files that you permanently deleted even from the Bin, then you will need to use some good free data recovery software like Recuva. As soon as you realize you have deleted some files and wish to recover them, stop using the computer and install and run a file undelete software.
Did I miss any? Oh yes – you can do the following too!
And what if your Bin does not function the way it should? See this post, if your Recycle Bin were to ever get corrupted.
How To Find A Lost Recycle Bin In Windows 10
The Recycle Bin is usually a trusty way of storing items ready for deletion, but sometimes it just goes missing. If this happens to you, don’t panic! There are ways to get the recycle bin back on your desktop. Perhaps it’s been accidentally hidden, or you went so far as to delete the recycle bin itself. Regardless of your reasons, here are some things you can try to get it back.
Re-enable the Recycle BinIf you’ve accidentally disabled the recycle bin, it will cause it to stop appearing on the desktop. Before you try anything else, it’s good to ensure that you haven’t disabled it somehow by accident.
As you can see, there are other icons you can place on your desktop while you’re here. For instance, if you find yourself always tweaking stuff in the control panel, you can add an icon from this window to get easier access to it.
Creating a New Recycle BinIf you’ve ticked the box but the Recycle Bin still doesn’t show itself, we can simply make a new one instead! This requires viewing hidden files, so be ready to change some settings so we can see them.
4. In the scroll box at the bottom find the category “Hidden files and folders.” Underneath that, tick the round circle next to “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.” This allows us to see areas that Windows hides from us by default, which includes the Recycle Bin folder.
5. Also, find “Hide protected operating system files” and uncheck this. Windows will give us a warning not to delete anything important, but that’s okay; we won’t be deleting anything.
Once you have your shortcut set up, go ahead and re-activate “Hide protected operating system files” to keep the important files and folders hidden away, just so they can’t be accidentally deleted!
Rediscovering the Recycle BinSometimes the Recycle Bin just doesn’t show up anymore. It doesn’t matter if you accidentally erased it or simply deactivated it, there are ways to restore Recycle Bin functionality again as you learned in this tutorial
Did you find this helpful? Let us know below.
Simon Batt
Simon Batt is a Computer Science graduate with a passion for cybersecurity.
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How To Empty Trash On Iphone
How to Empty Trash in Apple PhotosTrash, Bin, or the Recently Deleted folder holds your deleted files for 30 days, after which they get deleted automatically. You can manually remove the files from this folder, as these continue to take up storage on your iPhone until permanently deleted.
Open the Apple Photos app on your iPhone.
Tap on the “Albums” tab at the bottom.
Scroll down to the next screen and tap on “Recently Deleted.”
Tap on “Select” at the top and hit the “Delete All” button.
Tap on “Delete X photos” in the confirmation pop-up that appears. (X is the number of photos to be deleted.)
How to Empty Trash in Apple Notes
Open the Apple Notes app on your iPhone.
Tap on “Folders” at the top left followed by “Recently Deleted” to see all deleted notes.
Tap on the “Edit” option at the top right and press the “Delete All” button to trash all the deleted notes.
How to Empty Trash in Files
Open the Files app on your iPhone.
Tap on the “Browse” tab at the bottom to reveal various folder locations and select “Recently Deleted” in this list.
Tap on the three-dots icon at the top right and choose “Select” from the context menu.
Press the “Delete All” option.
How to Empty Trash in Voice Memos
Launch the Voice Memos app on your iPhone.
Tap on the back arrow at the top-left corner of the app and select “Recently Deleted” from the menu.
Tap on “Edit” at the top right and press the “Delete All” button at the bottom right.
How to Empty Trash in Apple Mail
Open the Apple Mail app on your iPhone.
Tap on the “Mailboxes” option at the top and press the “Bin” or “Trash” option.
Tap on “Edit” and hit the “Select All” button at the top to select all deleted email. Alternatively, you can select individual emails that you want to delete.
Hit the “Delete” button at the bottom right.
How to Offload Apps on iPhoneClearing trash is just one of the methods to free up storage on iPhones. It doesn’t help much, as not all apps offer the ability to empty trash. An alternate way is to offload apps from your iPhone.
Offloading an app is similar to uninstalling the app from your phone but in a slightly different manner. It deletes the temporary files and storage occupied by the app, which is equivalent to clearing trash, but retains its important data. After you reinstall the app, your data is restored automatically. You can offload all apps on your iPhone one by one as shown below:
Scroll down and find the app that you want to offload. Tap on it and hit the “Offload App” button.
Tap on “Offload App” in the confirmation prompt that appears.
Restart your phone to free up the storage left after offloading the app.
Frequently Asked Questions How can I get back an app I offloaded?Tap on an offloaded app’s icon on your phone and it should start installing again.
How can I offload a hidden app from iPhone?Even if an app is hidden from your phone’s screens and folders, it is visible in iOS settings. You can offload the app as usual. If you want to get rid of the app for good, learn how to delete hidden apps from your iPhone.
All images and screenshots by Mehvish Mushtaq.
Mehvish Mushtaq
Mehvish is a tech lover from Kashmir. With a degree in computer engineering, she’s always been happy to help anyone who finds technology challenging. She’s been writing about technology for over six years, and her favorite topics include how-to guides, explainers, tips and tricks for Android, iOS/iPadOS, Windows, social media, and web apps.
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How To Empty Trash Files On Android
Thankfully, there are a few ways you can remove these files and clear up storage for the apps and files that matter. If you want to know how to empty trash files on Android, here’s what you’ll need to do.
Table of Contents
Clearing App Cache Files on AndroidAs you’re running apps on your Android device, they’re building up cache files. These are temporary files that the apps use in the background. Over time, these files grow and grow in size, especially in web browsers, social media apps, and other apps with internet connectivity.
Clearing these files can restore a good amount of your used storage. It won’t stop the apps from working, but you may need to sign back in to some of them.
To clear app cache files, open the settings menu for your device. You can do this by scrolling down the notifications drawer and selecting the Settings option.
The Settings menu for Android devices will vary, depending on the device manufacturer and Android version. Select the Apps option from the list to view your installed apps.
In the Apps menu, you’ll see a list of installed apps. Certain Android versions may need to tap Installed Applications to view this list, however. To clear cache files from certain apps, select the app in the list.
In the App info menu for that app, select the Storage option.
In the Storage menu, select the Clear cache button at the bottom. This will empty all cache files for that app.
If an app cache proves stubborn to empty, the best thing to do is remove the app and reinstall it, as this will empty the cache files in the process.
Deleting Downloaded Files Using Google Files
Open your app’s file manager app, or install Google Files from the Google Play Store and open that app instead. You may need to give Google Files permission to access your files when you first open it.
The Files app will ask you to confirm your choice. Select Delete to do this and remove all the files.
Once you’ve confirmed the deletion, all the files in your device’s download folder will be removed. You’ll need to repeat these steps to empty trash files on your Android at regular intervals to ensure you don’t fill up your storage with forgotten download files.
Clearing Temporary Files Using Google FilesAndroid “cleaning” apps were popular in the early days of Google’s operating system. While some questioned their usefulness, a mix of low-powered devices, small storage capacities and less optimized systems forced users to try and find ways to clear their system of junk files and free up active memory.
We wouldn’t necessarily recommend any of these apps today, but if you’re worried about these junk files on your Android device, you can use Google’s own Files app to remove them for you.
You’ll need to install Google Files first if you haven’t already, as well as provide it with the necessary permissions to access your files when you first run it. Once opened, select the Clean tab (if it isn’t already visible), then select the Clean option in the Junk Files card at the top.
Files will ask you for permission to clean your device of some temporary files. Select Clear to do this.
With these files cleared, storage space taken up by temporary trash files on Android will be restored for you to use elsewhere.
Clearing Browser Cache in Google Chrome on AndroidOne of the biggest sources of unnecessary trash files on an Android device is your web browser. Chrome, which is the default browser for many Android users, stores cache files for sites you visit to help load them faster on future visits and reduce your data usage.
You can use the steps above to clear the Chrome app’s cache files directly, but this can cause you to lose certain settings and personalization changes. Rather than attempt that, you can use Chrome’s own trash removal system to clear unnecessary cache files.
To do this, open Google Chrome on your Android device, then select the three-dots menu icon in the top right. From the drop-down menu, select the Settings option.
In the Settings menu, select the Site Settings option.
In the Site Settings menu, select the Data stored option.
You’ll see a list of data stored for each individual site you’ve visited in the Data stored menu. To wipe this data, select the Clear all data button at the bottom of the menu.
Chrome will ask you to confirm that you want to erase the cache files. Select Clear to do this.
With the browser data removed, Chrome’s storage usage will decrease significantly. You’ll need to repeat these steps regularly to ensure that Chrome’s storage usage doesn’t increase too much in the future.
Maintaining Your Android DevicesThe steps above should help you empty trash files on Android. Once you’ve cleared out unwanted trash files, however, you’ll need to keep up with regular maintenance to ensure you don’t run into problems later. For instance, you can start to move some apps to external storage or store some of your files in the cloud instead.
It’s a good idea to empty trash files on Android regularly, but it isn’t a miracle cure for a slow smartphone or tablet. If it’s time for an upgrade, you can transfer your data to your new Android device easily. You can also move from Android to iPhone, although this process will take a little bit more time to complete.
Dropbox Debuts Smart Sync For All Business Users, Adds Functionality For Team Selective Sync
Dropbox is today rolling out some expanded features to its business users, including Smart Sync and selective sync for teams. Read on for all the details.
On the heels of going public, Dropbox is offering its business users more features and control for admins. The company detailed the latest updates in a press release.
First up is Dropbox’s Smart Sync feature. This lets business users see all their Dropbox files (stored locally or on the cloud) on their desktops. It also allows users to quickly download files or keep them just on the cloud. These features are now available to all business users.
Meanwhile, updates to team selective sync will be available to admins of teams enrolled in Dropbox’s early access program. This allows admins to choose the default synced folders for teams.
Faster deployment. By limiting the amount of data the Dropbox desktop app needs to sync after installation, users get to work much faster.
Centralized control. Instead of managing each user’s selective sync settings one at a time, admins can save time by establishing team-wide settings.
Easy archival. Once a project’s finished, admins can easily mark it so new users won’t have the folder taking up space on their computers.
Dropbox is a free download from the App Store. See the full press release below for full details.
Bringing Dropbox Smart Sync to all teams, plus new team selective sync
Managing hard drive space is difficult enough when it’s just your own files. When you start sharing data team-wide, though, that problem only gets worse. How can your laptop’s hard drive keep up with the terabytes and terabytes of data your team’s storing? So today, we’re bringing Dropbox Business users and admins two features to help escape hard drive constraints: Smart Sync and team selective sync.
Dropbox Smart Sync: Break free from your hard drive
Dropbox Business customers with early access consistently praised Smart Sync, including supply chain consulting firm Maine Pointe. Bryan Hallas, their senior director of IT, had this to say: “Now, our executives can have all our company’s work at their fingertips at any time without support from IT, and the pace of on-site work has accelerated without having to think about bandwidth.”
To adjust your team’s Smart Sync settings, visit the admin console.
Team selective sync: Get up and running quickly
For admins, getting new users access to the content they need is a top priority. But that can be a challenge when you’re storing data for an entire team. To help admins better manage this data, we’re extending the power of selective sync with admin controls for team folders.
With our new team selective sync feature, available through our early access program, admins can specify which team folders will be synced by default, providing:
Easy archival. Once a project’s finished, admins can easily mark it so new users won’t have the folder taking up space on their computers.
These new features help remove the limitations caused by hard drive constraints and allow Dropbox Business teams to work more efficiently. Both are available today. Visit the admin console to adjust Smart Sync settings for your team and activate early access for team selective sync.
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