The files within the Recycle Bin still consume disk space on your computer. When needed, you can clear out the Recycle Bin to free up disk space in Windows 10. In this article, MiniTool Software will demonstrate six simple ways to empty the Recycle Bin in Windows 10.

How to Clear Out the Recycle Bin in Windows 10?

The Recycle Bin is a built-in application in Windows that comes pre-installed on your computer. Typically, you can locate it in the top-left corner of your screen. It serves as a temporary storage area for files that have been deleted but not permanently removed from your computer. If you regret deleting something, you can restore mistakenly deleted files from the Recycle Bin back to their original locations.

Because of this, the files inside the Recycle Bin still take up space on your computer. If your C drive is running low on space or you simply wish to free up some disk space, you can choose to empty the Recycle Bin.

There are six straightforward methods to empty the Recycle Bin on your Windows 10 machine. You can pick one based on your preference.

Ways to Clear the Recycle Bin on Your PC

1. Empty the Recycle Bin from the Desktop
2. Empty the Recycle Bin via the File Explorer Ribbon
3. Empty the Recycle Bin Within the Recycle Bin Window
4. Empty the Recycle Bin from Settings
5. Empty the Recycle Bin Using Disk Cleanup
6. Empty the Recycle Bin via Windows PowerShell

Method 1: Empty the Recycle Bin from the Desktop

This is the most direct and easiest way to clear the Recycle Bin in Windows 10. Simply right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select "Empty Recycle Bin" to remove all files from it. With this method, you don't even need to open the Recycle Bin.

Method 2: Empty the Recycle Bin via the File Explorer Ribbon

1. Open the Recycle Bin.
2. Click "Empty Recycle Bin" from the top menu. All files in the Recycle Bin will then be removed.

Method 3: Empty the Recycle Bin Within the Recycle Bin

You can also select all files in the Recycle Bin and then delete them.

1. Open the Recycle Bin.
2. Press Ctrl A to select all files in it.
3. Right-click on the selected files and then select "Delete."

Method 4: Empty the Recycle Bin from Settings

You can also instruct Windows 10 to clear the Recycle Bin through Settings. Here's how:

1. Go to Start > Settings > System > Storage.
2. Click "Temporary files" under drive C.
3. Scroll down to find "Recycle Bin" and check it.
4. Scroll up to the top and click the "Remove files" button.

Method 5: Empty the Recycle Bin Using Disk Cleanup

1. Press Win R to open Run.
2. Type cleanmgr and press Enter to open "Disk Clean-up: Drive Selection."
3. The C drive is selected by default. Keep this setting and click the "OK" button to proceed.
4. On the pop-up interface, check "Recycle Bin" in the "Files to delete" section.
5. Click the "OK" button.
6. Click the "Delete Files" button to empty the Recycle Bin on your computer.

Method 6: Empty the Recycle Bin via Windows PowerShell

You can also use command lines to clear the Recycle Bin on your PC. Follow these steps:

1. Use Windows search to look for "powershell" and select the first result to open it.
2. Type and press Enter to delete all files in the Recycle Bin.

If you want to clear the Recycle Bin for a specific drive, you can use this command:

These are the methods to empty the Recycle Bin on your Windows 10 computer. You can choose any one of them to accomplish the task.

Once the Recycle Bin is emptied, all the files inside it are permanently deleted. If you wish to recover permanently deleted files, you'll need to use third-party data recovery software like MiniTool Power Data Recovery. This software offers a free version allowing you to recover up to 1 GB of data without any cost.

To recover more files, you would need to use the full version.

If you encounter any related issues, feel free to leave a comment below.

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