All You Need To Know About The Recycle Bin Folder on Windows

Written by John Harris, Updated on October 06, 2023

Recycle Bin provides temporary storage for files deleted from a computer’s hard disk. These deleted files may vary from deleted desktop shortcuts, Office documents, Applications, Movie files, etc. The space utilized to store the deleted items in the Recycle Bin is specified in Megabyte. The default size of Windows Recycle Bin is around 10 percent of the hard disk drive, but it can be changed per the user’s needs.

The files deleted are stored in the Recycle Bin based on First in, First out (FIFO). As the Recycle Bin folder reaches its maximum capacity, the old data is deleted automatically based on FIFO, and new files get into the Recycle Bin.

Benefits of Using the Recycle Bin:

  • Prevents accidental file deletion.
  • Allows you to recover deleted files if you need them.
  • It frees up disk space when you empty the recycle bin.

Confirmation Message:

You can receive different messages depending on the settings of the Recycle Bin. You receive a confirmation message each time when you delete a file. This option can be changed by following a simple procedure:

  • Open properties by right-clicking on the Recycle bin.
  • Disable the option to display the confirm deletion dialog.

After these settings, all your deleted files move to the Recycle Bin without prompting a confirmation message. Irrespective of confirmation message is turned on or not in the Recycle Bin, all deleted data moves to it. You can even configure your system to delete a file without moving to Recycle Bin by enabling the option available in the properties of Recycle Bin.

Restore Recycle Bin items

As long as files and folders exist in the Recycle Bin, they can be restored to their original location using the ‘Restore’ option.

You can undelete photos from Recycle Bin by selecting them in Recycle Bin and right-click to select the restore option. Click it, and the file will be restored to the place from where it was deleted. If you have multiple hard drives organized on your system, the dialog box offers a tab to configure an independent and separate Recycle Bin on each drive. At the bottom of Recycle Bin Explorer, you will find details of the selected file.

Files by-passing Recycle Bin

The deleted files by-passes the Recycle Bin when you:

  • Delete File(s) or folder(s) with the key combination of Shift + Delete keys.
  • When the size of the file(s) deleted is more than the available capacity of the Recycle Bin.
  • Files deleted from removable media do not navigate to the Recycle Bin; these files also bypass the Windows Recycle Bin.
  • Deletions at the DOS prompt.
  • Deletions from compressed (zipped) folders.

When a file is deleted, only the pointer to the file is set free. Deleting this file pointer makes the file invisible to the operating system. Users can lose important files from Recycle Bin; for this purpose, there are several utilities available to recover files deleted from Recycle Bin.

Tips for Using the Recycle Bin:

  • Empty the recycle bin regularly to free up disk space.
  • Be careful when deleting large files, as they can take a long time to restore.
  • If you are unsure whether or not you need a file, it is best to leave it in the recycle bin for a few days before permanently deleting it.
  • If you accidentally delete a file you need, you can try to recover it from the recycle bin. However, if the file has been emptied from the recycle bin, it may be difficult or impossible to recover.

Related Info

How to Recover Files from Emptied Recycle Bin:

When you click on the 'Empty the Recycle Bin' option, all the files and folders are removed from the Recycle Bin. To recover files from emptied from Recycle Bin, use Remo File Recovery software. This is quick to download and install and easy to use.

Complete Data Recovery Software

Why Choose Remo?

100% safeSecure

100% SatisfactionGuarantee

10 Million+Downloads

Free TechSupport

Live Chat24/7 Support

Top