As you know, the “Recycle Bin” in Windows systems is a special storage for deleted files and folders in the form of space reserved on the hard disk (for each of the available partitions). However, sometimes you can observe crashes in which the Trash in Windows 7 does not clean or the system simply reports that this component is damaged. What to do in this situation, then we will try to figure it out. But to be honest, in some cases it is advisable to refuse to use the "Basket" altogether. You can delete objects without using it by using the Shift + Del combination. But when the repository itself fails, it needs to be completely disabled or restored.
Why is the Trash on Windows 7 and higher not cleared?
Before taking any steps to restore the health of the storage of remote objects, you should dwell on several situations that may arise. The most common case is exposure to computer viruses that infect this particular system area. The user sees that there is something in the "Recycle Bin" (the icon has the corresponding appearance), but it is not possible to clear the "Recycle Bin" in Windows 7 (the cleaning item is inactive or absent, its use does not produce a result, etc.). Despite this, when opening the repository, as it turns out, there is nothing in it except a Dd23 file or something like that.
Sometimes users themselves cause storage errors. There are cases when, when you try to grant yourself additional administrative rights, the owner of the object changes (by default it is TrustedInstaller). In this case, you will need to restore the "Recycle Bin" using the command line.
Finally, you can meet and remove the icon from the "Desktop" or even create a copy of it. This case is one of the most easily fixed.
I can’t empty the Recycle Bin in Windows 7 (the Recycle Bin is damaged): how to reset the settings?
So, we will begin the elimination of the problems that have arisen precisely with the restoration of the object's health. It goes without saying, initially we assume that the "Trash" in Windows 7 is not cleared, but there is access to it. A full reset of the storage parameters can be performed through the command console, which must be run as administrator.
The command “rd / s / q C: \ $ Recycle.bin” is set in it, after which the enter key is pressed. Please note that in the system, the space for the "Recycle Bin" is reserved for each partition, therefore, you will additionally need to execute commands for each of them by writing the letter of the desired logical partition or disk instead of "C", as shown in the example above.
Recovering Recycle Bin in Group Policies
Almost similar actions, if the "Trash" in Windows 7 does not clear, can be done in group policies (gpedit.msc). But in the editor you need to be very careful, since some parameters are presented as if vice versa.
First, through the administrative templates in the user configuration, you need to go to the "Desktop" section, find the item to delete the "Recycle Bin" icon, double-click to enter the parameter editing and enable it. After that, you need to perform a complete reboot (and not re-login), then again go to the above item and turn it off.
Setting the correct display of the icon on the "Desktop"
If the problem related to the fact that the "Trash" in Windows 7 is not cleared arises due to the presence of a created copy of the icon, in the personalization settings, go to the item for changing icons on the "Desktop", uncheck the "Recycle Bin", click instead button "Normal Icon" and restart the system.
As an additional measure, you should make sure that the corresponding icons are assigned to the empty and full “Trash”.
What to do in case of exposure to the virus?
The most unpleasant situation when the "Trash" in Windows 7 is not cleared may be due to a virus exposure. As mentioned above, it can be represented as an undeletable file in the repository itself. As a rule, antiviruses do not detect such threats (they are considered deleted and are located directly in the Recycle Bin), therefore, in the best case, you can use some kind of optimizer that has a module for cleaning the system from garbage (including deleting the contents of the Recycle Bin) ) However, quite often such applications do not give an effect, therefore it is best to use the small, however, English-language utility Vopt 9. After starting the program, several items available for cleaning will be shown.
All you need to do is mark the “Recycle Bin” and the “Temporary Files”. Then there will be a complete cleaning of the selected objects and the contents of the storage, even if the virus is located in the "Recycle Bin".
Sometimes, based on the assurances of some experts, you can try to delete the hidden $ Rececle Bin object in each section (if you have administrator rights to perform the operation or through the command line). In this case, upon rebooting, the operating system will automatically create a new partition, which will be reserved for the storage of deleted objects.
Is it possible to completely disable the use of the "Recycle Bin"?
Finally, if you simply do not need this storage, you can not use it at all.
In the simplest case, you can go to the "Recycle Bin" properties through the PCM menu on the icon and set the reserved disk space to the minimum or mark the delete point bypassing the storage. However, in such a situation, it is important to clearly understand that information recovery will become more difficult, although if you have the appropriate software packages like R-Studio or R.Saver, you can deal with this without any problems. In addition, to use the "Cart" or not is a personal matter for each user, but, by and large, you should not refuse it (suddenly accidentally delete something important).