When you delete a file in Windows, it is not deleted permanently. It is actually discarded in the Recycle Bin. If you accidentally delete a file, this is the first place you should look. However, the files continue to consume disk space. And, over time, it can consume a significant amount of storage space.
We’ve shown you how to reduce the amount of disk space used by the Recycle Bin (which works on all versions of Windows). However, with Windows 10, Microsoft has released a new utility that makes it much easier to keep your disk clean of clutter. It also includes the Recycle Bin.
Set Recycle Bin to Delete Automatically:
- If you’re using Windows 10 1809 or earlier, navigate to Settings > System > Storage. Then, scroll down a little and make sure the Storage Sense switch is turned on. Then, under the switch, click the “Change how we automatically free up space” link.
- Now, in the Storage Sense section, specify how frequently you want the utility to run. You can set it to “Every Day,” “Every Month,” or only when disk space is running low. Setting it to monthly is a good rule of thumb here. However, if you’re using a device with limited storage space, you might want to run it more frequently.
- Check the “Delete temporary files that my apps aren’t using” option under the “Temporary Files” section. Then, under the Recycle Bin drop-down menu, specify how frequently you want files to be cleared from the bin. You can set it to every day or every 60 days. It should be noted that selecting “Never” will disable the feature.