Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10  

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10

    How to Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    07 Dec 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10


    The Recycle Bin provides a safety net when deleting files or folders. When you delete any of these items from your hard disk, Windows places it in the Recycle Bin and the Recycle Bin icon changes from empty to full.

    If you have multiple hard drives, partitions, or an external hard drive connected to your PC, each location will have its own $Recycle.Bin and Recycle Bin settings. Removable drives, such as USB flash drives and memory cards, will not have a Recycle Bin. Files deleted from removable drives are permanently deleted.

    When a user deletes a file, it's usually moved to their Recycle Bin so that they can restore the file later if necessary. To permanently remove files from your PC and reclaim any hard disk space the files were using, you need to delete the files from the Recycle Bin. You can delete individual files from the Recycle Bin or empty the entire Recycle Bin at once.

    You can choose to bypass the Recycle Bin when you delete something to have it permanently deleted immediately from your PC.

    When you select to Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted, it will remove the Disk Cleanup button from that drive's properties page. You will still be able to directly open and use Disk Cleanup though.
    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-disk_cleanup_drive_properties.png

    You can permanently delete a file from your computer without sending it to the Recycle Bin by clicking the file and then pressing Shift + Delete.


    This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off to have the Recycle Bin permanently remove files immediately when deleted in your account in Windows 10.


    EXAMPLE: Recycle Bin permanently delete confirmation dialog
    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-recycle_bin_permanently_delete.png



    Here's How:

    1 Right click or press and hold on the Recycle Bin, and click/tap on Properties. (see screenshot below)

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-recycle_bin_context_menu.png

    2 Select the Recycle Bin location for the drive (ex: C ) you want at the top. (see screenshot below)

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-recycle_bin_permanently_delete-1.png


    3 Do step 4 (on) or step 5 (off) below for what you would like to do.


    4 Turn On Permanently Delete Files for Selected Recycle Bin Location

    A) Select (dot) Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted, click/tap on Apply, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-recycle_bin_permanently_delete-3.png


    5 Turn Off Permanently Delete Files for Selected Recycle Bin Location

    This is the default setting.

    A) Select (dot) Custom size, set the maximum size in MB (1024 MB = 1 GB) for storage you want, click/tap on Apply, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-recycle_bin_permanently_delete-2.png


    6 Repeat step 2 above if you have a Recycle Bin location for another drive you want to turn on or off to permanently delete files from automatically.

    7 When finished, click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 2)


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink






  1. Posts : 12
    win 10
       #1

    hi there
    win 10
    Turn Off Permanently Delete Files for Selected Recycle Bin Location

    does not take - I can only permanently delete files - I want to set it back to send files to recycle bin but the setting does not ttake

    is there a reg hack?

    cheers
    dan
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Dan, :)

    Which drive is this happening with?

    What do you have set for the maximum storage size of the drive's Recycle Bin?

    If the size of the files are larger than what you have set for the maximum storage size, then they will be permanently deleted.

    Change Maximum Storage Size for Recycle Bin in Windows 10 - Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 12
    win 10
       #3

    Thanks for your reply but in this case changing the recycle bin size to less than 5% does not change the situation. I think it might be to do with the recovery bin that I'm using from the Diskeeper folk. I will try uninstalling that and see if I can get the setting back. When I right click the desktop recycle bin icon and go to properties I don't actually get the choices I have to go to the direct shortcut in explorer in order to right click to get the properties.
    I'll telephone the support of Diskeeper Recovery Bin after Easter and report back.
    Cheers for now, thanks again for your reply,
    Dan
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    I look forward to hearing what they say.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 174
    Windows 10 Enterprise x64 1709
       #5

    Don't move files to Recycle Bin, where's registry key? :)
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 68,652
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    It's not practical to set this via registry since each volume is assigned a unique GUID with no easy way of knowing which drive they are for. The NukeOnDelete is the DWORD for this setting.

    Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10-volume.jpg
      My Computers


 

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