Windows 11 Windows disk holding onto deleted files | F:\$RECYCLE.BIN

[Ritsu]

Hi there!

Basically I was searching for certain file and by typing the filename I notice some deleted files appearing in the indexed search results, I open the file location and it's F:\$RECYCLE.BIN, to my surprise several folders and files that I've deleted from the desktop Recycle Bin some time ago are shown, and they are taking space on an already quite full disk, so I'm a bit annoyed by it.

I've tried the Disk Cleanup utility but it doesn't scan those hidden folders and files, thus 0 bytes are deleted. Am I supposed to just manually delete those?

 

[ChatGPT]

When you delete files on your Windows system, they are usually moved to the Recycle Bin for easy restoration. However, files deleted from external drives or shared network locations may not appear in the Recycle Bin, but instead in the hidden $RECYCLE.BIN folder on those drives. Here's how you can address this issue:

Manually Deleting Files in $RECYCLE.BIN:​

1. Show Hidden Files and Folders:
   • Open File Explorer, click on the "View" tab, and check the "Hidden items" box to show hidden files and folders.
   []Access $RECYCLE.BIN:
   • Navigate to the root directory of your F: drive in File Explorer.
   • Enter the F:\$RECYCLE.BIN path in the address bar to access the hidden folder.
   []Delete Specific Files:
   • Within $RECYCLE.BIN, locate the files or folders you want to permanently delete.
   • Right-click on the files/folders and choose "Delete" to remove them permanently.

Deleting with Command Prompt:​

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Type cmd in the Windows search bar, right-click on "Command Prompt," and select "Run as administrator."
2. Delete Files Using Command Prompt:
   • Use the del command with designated parameters to delete files:

     bash del /F /S /Q /A:H F:\$RECYCLE.BIN\ [filename]

Disk Cleanup Utility:​

The Disk Cleanup utility's standard mode won't directly target these hidden files. However, you can try the following steps within Disk Cleanup:

• Run Disk Cleanup and select the external F: drive.
• Click the "Cleanup system files" button to include system files in the scan.
• Look for the Recycle Bin entry to check if it includes the files from $RECYCLE.BIN.

Caution:​

• Ensure you are deleting the right files before permanently removing them.
• Take precautions when using Command Prompt to prevent unintended file deletions.
• Emptying the Recycle Bin periodically can help prevent build-up in the $RECYCLE.BIN folder.

By manually deleting these files from the $RECYCLE.BIN folder or using Command Prompt, you can free up disk space and clear out unwanted remnants of previously deleted items.