Files we delete in Windows are moved to the Recycle Bin. This gives us the option to restore them later. While this is helpful, it is equally important to empty the Recycle Bin from time to time. If you often forget to empty the Recycle Bin, the smart thing to do is to automate the task.
By scheduling Windows to automatically empty your Recycle Bin, you will save your storage from filling up quickly. In this post, we will explore ways to automate the process of emptying the Recycle Bin and ways to stop Windows from automatically deleting files in Windows 10. So let’s get straight to the point.
Schedule Windows to Empty the Recycle Bin
There are several ways to automatically delete files from the Recycle Bin. You can use the Storage Sense option in the Windows 10 settings menu or use the Task Scheduler to schedule the task to repeat periodically. Here are both.
Method 1
In Windows 10, you can enable and configure Storage Sense to automatically empty the Recycle Bin.
Stage 1: Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and go to System.
Step 2: There, navigate to Storage settings using the left sidebar. On your right, turn on the Storage Sense option if it’s not already on. After that, click on Configure Storage Sense or run it now.
Stage 3: On the next page, check the ‘Delete temporary files that my apps are not using’ box under Temporary Files. After that, use the drop-down menu to choose from the available time range options.
You can choose to clean the contents of the recycle bin daily, biweekly, monthly, or bimonthly.
Once configured, Windows will automatically empty files from the Recycle Bin.
Method 2
Alternatively, if you want more options when setting a schedule to empty the Recycle Bin, you can use the Task Scheduler in Windows 10.
Stage 1: Open the start menu, type task scheduler and press Enter. In the Task Scheduler window that opens, right-click on the Task Scheduler Library and select New Folder. Give this folder an appropriate name such as ‘New Task’.
Step 2: Right-click on the newly created folder and select Create Task from the list.
Stage 3: In the Create Task window, give this task an appropriate name, such as ‘Auto-Clean Recycle Bin’.
Step 4: Now switch to the Triggers tab and click the New button to set a trigger for this particular task.
Step 5: Here you can choose from multiple ways to start the task. For example, the task according to a schedule, at login, at startup, etc. You can choose to start.
Next, enter an appropriate time and date, and then choose to set it to repeat daily, weekly, or monthly. Then click OK.
Additionally, you can set an expiration date for this trigger under Advanced settings.
Step 6: Now switch to the Actions tab and select New.
Step 7: Under Settings, in the Programs/script box, type cmd.exe. Paste the command given below in the Add argument box and hit OK. Then select OK again.
/c "echo Y|PowerShell.exe -NoProfile -Command Clear-RecycleBin"
Now that the task has been successfully created, it will automatically empty the Recycle Bin when the trigger conditions match.
How to Stop Deleting Recycle Bin
If you want to stop Windows from automatically deleting files in the Recycle Bin, you can do so easily by turning off Storage Sense or deleting the task in Task Scheduler.
Using Storage Sense
If you have Storage Sense enabled in Windows 10, here’s how to stop the Recycle Bin from emptying automatically.
Stage 1: Press Windows Key + I to open Settings and go to System.
Step 2: There, navigate to Storage settings using the left sidebar. To your right, turn off the Storage Sense switch. Click ‘Configure Storage Sense or run it now’ to further configure Storage Sense.
Stage 3: On the next page, under Temporary Files, use the drop-down menu to select Never.
This much. Windows now never deletes files from the Recycle Bin unless you do it manually.
Task Scheduler
If you’ve used Windows Task Scheduler to periodically empty the Recycle Bin, here’s how to stop the task.
Stage 1: Open the start menu, type task scheduler and press Enter.
Step 2: In the Task Scheduler window, right-click on the created task and simply Delete.
Alternatively, if you want to enable the task in the future, disable the task instead of deleting it.
Don’t Trash, Recycle
Setting up the Recycle Bin to automatically delete files can be a useful way to manage storage in Windows. If you want to free up more storage space for your PC, also consider clearing the cache to free up space without losing your files.
