What are the rules about what the Recycle Bin stores and deletes please? If it is already close to its capacity limit, does a new large deletion replace older ones? What is the limit, and is it user-settable? Also, is there any way to determine when it was last emptied?
I happened to open it this morning to look for a file and was surprised to find that it contained only one 3 GB file I'd deleted a few minutes earlier. So I'm wondering why all the earlier deletions aren't shown, or at least many of them.
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Terry, East Grinstead, UK
Right click bin and select Properties. Set the slider to what you require. We all live on a ball.
By default Windows will keep adding deleted files to the recycle bin until the configured maximum of 10% of the drive capacity is reached but this may be reduced if the drive is very full. When the limit is reached then files will be deleted, starting with the oldest. The limit can be easily seen and changed from the recycle bin properties on the desktop. There is no supported way to tell when the recycle bin was last emptied.
Thanks both. I'd forgotten about the slider. I've now increased it from 10 to 12% but on re-opening, although the 12% has stuck, the value of 3.99 GB hasn't changed. Maybe needs a reboot? BTW, 10% of my 750 GB HD, or around 690 GB actual, is a lot more than 4 GB, which is puzzling. Is it perhaps 10% of whatever space is left?
Those rules now make sense of the behaviour I'm seeing.
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Terry, East Grinstead, UK
run chkdsk /f on the drive to check for disk corruption Answers are only as good as the information you provide.
How to properly post a question:
Sorry no tech support via PM's
Seem to recall it is subject to a maximum because mine (found set at 10% of 232G) is also indicating 3.99G capacity. If I find anything I'll look back. EDIT:
Seems I was right, see this:
http://www.pcauthorities.com/window...
The Recycle Bin is NOT a storage bin. It's for garbage & as such should be emptied regularly. Why would you even want/need a capacity of 69GB let alone 85GB? I have mine set at 3%.
Yes, it would seem a huge requirement to me too, if that's the case. See my EDIT to #5.
We all live on a ball.
So it appears to be a 32-bit thing? Nice find Derek.
To be honest I knew about the slider setting not the limit on 32 bit systems but had never paid either any attention as I put things in the recycle bin I intend to delete now not maybe in a few days or whatever. I keep the default of sending it to the recycle bin on the outside chance I click on the wrong file or something but that's it. I empty the bin many times a day almaost every time I put something in it I then empty it. Likely
I guess we were all rusting away on that limit LOL. Not even a DVD's worth.
We all live on a ball.
Thanks Derek, that explains it. mickliq: You're presumably not into making DVDs. A single video file can easily exceed 4 GB. During a project I might be referring to and moving, copying and deleting (deliberately or inadvertently) 50-100 GB of files. One reason I have two 750 GB internal and a 1 TB external drive.
But I won't therefore tell you that you're doing it all wrong and should really be configuring your PC the same as I do!
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Terry, East Grinstead, UK
terrypin Hey, we aint that far away - I'm from Meopham Kent UK.
We all live on a ball.
And as you say in your sig... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGW5...
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Terry, East Grinstead, UK
Err...was there a video link intended (it went to YouTube sign-in)? We all live on a ball.
Looks like it somehow defaulted to Private mode. I've changed it to Public, so hopefully viewable now. Sorry about that. --
Terry, East Grinstead, UK
Yeah, kinda puts things into perspective - then you think of the uninverse etc. Life seems to be "all balls" (right down to the atom).
We all live on a ball.