[SOLVED] emptying recycle bin doesn't empty at all

bwallx

Distinguished
Aug 16, 2014
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On my desktop is an icon for the Recycle Bin. I understand that when a file is deleted it isn't really and gets listed in this Recycle Bin. But I assumed that when this was emptied, those files were finally gone.

recycledornot.png


A third party file manager shows the recycle folder on my several additional drives to be chock full. Yet Windows says the properties of Recycle Bin includes all my drives.

What about all that space being consumed? When if ever, will those files be totally removed?
 

bwallx

Distinguished
Aug 16, 2014
110
3
18,685
Using File Commander as my file browser, I deleted the contents of all the recycle bins on every drive with no problem. Everything still works! I also use 'Everything' - a file search app that is just incredible for its speed. This too showed masses of deleted files but wouldn't let me delete them. Now Everything shows clean drives. The reported drive capacity is the same so somehow Windows didn't count those files yet if the drive became fuller, would windows automatically "delete" some to make room?