recycle bin moving from (C) HD

iwalkreporter · 02 Nov 2022

Hi there;

First thank you all for the help; whenever I look for solutions for my windows (7 and 10) problems, I always found it here... finally got to be part too.

I have one question to start:

my desktop has 3 HDs, one is the main (C) that supposed to have the recycle bin assigned; every time windows change it, i open properties, set back to C, apply and close. Then windows (10) changed it back; how can I stop it?

Thank you!

pepanee · 02 Nov 2022

Each hard drive has its own Recycle Bin.
Example: If you have a 1,000 megabytes file on another one of your hard drives, and you delete it (and send it to the Recycle Bin), it’s gonna stay on that same hard drive, in that hard drive’s Recycle Bin. Windows is not going to transfer the 1,000 megabyte file to your C:\ drive just to place it in the Recycle Bin; Windows will create a Recycle Bin on the alternate drive, and put it in that “folder” instead.

iwalkreporter · 02 Nov 2022

Ok; so if I open the properties of the Recycle Bin, the active (blue color) can be any one (I have 3 drivers)?
Why after I change again to be C, it moves out to other driver?
I know I can go there ( the others drivers) and select to clean up (by the way, they show blank) but my goal is to have all in C.
Thank you

spunk · 02 Nov 2022

If you Right click the Recycle Bin and choose Properties, it will show you all of your drives and all of the Recycle Bins in each drive and the space they take.
You can make the Recycle Bin visible on the C: drive https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...b-338818d5e5fb

dalchina · 02 Nov 2022

my goal is to have all in C.

Do you mean you want all files deleted on other drives to be transferred to one location on C: ?

If so that's a really bad idea - even if it could be done.

If you mean something else, please clarify. Thanks.

Try3 · 02 Nov 2022

iwalkreporter said:

one is the main (C) that supposed to have the recycle bin assigned; every time windows change it, i open properties, set back to C, apply and close. Then windows (10) changed it back; how can I stop it?

iwalkreporter said:

Ok; so if I open the properties of the Recycle Bin, the active (blue color) can be any one (I have 3 drivers)? Why after I change again to be C, it moves out to other driver?
I know I can go there ( the others drivers) and select to clean up (by the way, they show blank) but my goal is to have all in C.

I'm sorry but I really do think you are misinterpreting things.
Please explain exactly what you see, exactly what you do and exactly what seems to have changed when you look again later.
Use screenshots to help your explanation so that we can understand as much as we would if we had been looking over your shoulder.
How to Upload and Post Screenshots and Files - TenForumsTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

pepanee · 02 Nov 2022

iwalkreporter said:

Ok; so if I open the properties of the Recycle Bin, the active (blue color) can be any one (I have 3 drivers)?
Why after I change again to be C, it moves out to other driver?
I know I can go there ( the others drivers) and select to clean up (by the way, they show blank) but my goal is to have all in C.
Thank you

recycle bin moving from (C) HD-image.png

Whenever you select any entry, it doesn't mean that any file you want to delete will go to the Recycle Bin on that drive. This window is only intended for you to set the size of the Recycle Bin on those specific drives. Example: Notice how I have my Y: drive selected? If I press Apply and/or OK, the only thing that will happen is that Windows will make sure that the Recycle Bin on my Y: drive will have a maximum size of 49741 MB. So when I send files from my Y: drive to the Recycle Bin, the maximum files in that folder (the Recycle Bin folder) will be 49741 MB until Windows will tell me that the Recycle Bin has reached its limit... for that drive only!

Let's take an example:
I create 3 text files with whatever written in them. Each text file is on each one of my 3 drives. Now I delete all these three files. They will get sent to the Recycle Bin on each of these hard drives. I have 3 Recycle Bins, one on each of the three hard drives that I have on my computer. Once I double click the Recycle Bin shortcut on my Desktop, I will see ALL three files in there. But be aware that these three files are all on separate hard drives. The Recycle Bin shortcut on my Desktop is a shortcut to the combination of all three Recycle Bins on my computer. [It is NOT only one shortcut to my Recycle Bin on my C: drive; it is a "combination" shortcut to all the Recycle Bins.]

A long time ago, I used think that all my files went to the one Recycle Bin. The one on my C: drive. But over time I learned that this Desktop shortcut to the Recycle Bin is actually the shortcut to the combination of all the Recycle Bins on my computer.

I hope this clarifies things.

EDIT: Additional information.

One way to prove that what I am saying is the way that Windows is designed this way is to, first, empty your Recycle Bin (from the shortcut on your Desktop). Then create a bunch of random files, or download a bunch of random stuff, onto a hard drive that can easily physically disconnect from your computer (such as an external drive connected through USB). Once the files have been created on that drive, delete those files (to send them to the Recycle Bin), and double check the Recycle Bin to make sure that the files are there. Now physically disconnect the drive from your computer (if it's connected through USB, unplug the USB cable from your computer (make sure to safely disconnect it, so you don't lose any data from opened files or whatnot), then double click the Recycle Bin on your Desktop. They disappeared!! The reason why is because that Recycle Bin on that drive is no longer connected to your computer. Now do this: Connect that drive back to the computer. Double click the Recycle Bin icon on your Desktop, if you closed off that window. Notice what shows up again?

And I apologize for forgetting about one thing the Original Poster wrote:

iwalkreporter said:

my goal is to have all in C.

There really is no point to have it this way, because there is no inconvenience being done when files stay on the same drive they were in once deleted. I have never experienced any inconvenience this way.
May I ask for an example to why you would want everything deleted to be sent to the C: drive's Recycle Bin?

iwalkreporter · 03 Nov 2022

Hi pepanee!

I appreciate the time you took to answer my question, a lot of time and consideration. Thank you.

I don't think we should decided things ( technical at least ) based in personal opinions, like when you said that "I have never experienced any inconvenience this way." etc...

Yes, that is your opinion, but mine is different, and although I understand the concept (again you explained very well here) I still consider my right to decide, for instance, what HD my files go to - I want to see that they are where I chose; temp files and recycle bin are a constant care on my PC.

For that I want to see the C driver active all time, and I still believe that it must exist some CMD that can set it this way for me; if not, i guess its a new challenge to you all...

Thank you everybody,

I will not answer more, unless it is to talk about using CMD to fix it; I'm a great fan of this process...

mngerhold · 03 Nov 2022

You don't seem to have understood what pepanee wrote - try reading it again - the recycle bin only ever saves files on the drive they started in. If you are still not convinced, show us a screen-shot of your bin's properties (as pepanee did above).