Accidental file deletion is a common computer user error. To click "delete" instead of "copy", having missed the mouse, click on a neighboring object or delete the whole folder, in which, besides the old files, the necessary ones will appear - it's that simple. It is much more difficult to recover lost information. However, even inexperienced users know that the recycle bin in Windows is the easiest way to recover lost digital data through negligence. What is this useful tool?
Where are the files deleted?
When data is written to a hard drive, flash drive or other medium, it takes up the space allocated to it by the computer and does not disappear until other information is written on top of it. By deleting a file, we do not destroy it. It's just that the computer now considers the space that it occupies to be free and can use it to record other data.
Thus, deleted files can sometimes be recovered. But even a recently deleted file after recovery may be damaged - if it is partially overwritten or cannot be restored, if its place is completely occupied by new data. Therefore, accidental deletion of information is a big problem for both ordinary users and administrators of computer systems of organizations.
The basket comes to the rescue
The developers at Microsoft found a rather elegant solution to this problem: instead of deleting, move the files to a special folder called Recycle bin (in the Russian translation - the basket). On Windows, this is simply a hidden folder located at the root of each drive.
To restore documents deleted to the trash, we don’t even need to look for the appropriate folder - instead, it is better to use the tool of the same name on the desktop. By clicking on the icon with the image of the trash can, we get access to deleted files from all drives at once. In the Explorer window that opens, files can be sorted by date of deletion or by source folder, destroyed, but most importantly, restored. Recovery is performed in the folder from which the data was deleted.
Recycle Bin and Free Disk Space
The fact that the “delete” command only moves to the trash is good only as long as there is free space on the hard drive. But when the space becomes insufficient, the time comes for the final deletion of data.
To avoid filling up the hard drive too quickly, the user can set the maximum size that the recycle bin will occupy. On Windows, this default value is 5-10 percent of the size of each partition. When the basket is full, those files that were placed in it before others will be permanently deleted from it.
To free up space on your hard drive, you can manually delete unnecessary files from the trash. You can also empty the trash completely using the context menu that appears on the desktop when you right-click on its shortcut. But deleting without looking at all the files, there is a risk of losing the necessary data, and indeed the basket in Windows should prevent this.
Permanently delete files bypassing the trash
If you have very little disk space or are very confident in yourself, then you can completely disable the trash. To do this, through the context menu of the icon on the desktop, go to its properties, specify the section for which we want to permanently delete files, and then select the option "Delete files immediately after deletion without placing them in the Trash." The consequences of this step can be extremely sad, so we strongly warn you from it. Moreover, there is a way to destroy individual files so that the recycle bin is not involved. Windows can remove them by pressing Shift + Delete.
In addition, it should be remembered that the recycle bin is not created and files are always deleted permanently from removable media, in particular flash drives. In addition, files permanently deleted exceeding the maximum size reserved for the Recycle Bin in this section are permanently deleted.
Trash in Windows 7: the secrets of tweaking
Most basket settings can be accessed using the shortcut menu on the desktop icon.
So, we select the "Properties" item in the menu, a dialog box opens, in which all sections in the system are listed. For each of them, you can choose the maximum size of deleted files that will be stored in the recycle bin, or completely refuse to use it.
If you uncheck the box “Request confirmation for deletion”, the usual warning “Do you really want to delete the file?” Will stop appearing. When you click the Delete button or the Delete key, the files will immediately be placed in the trash or permanently deleted if the latter is disabled. This setting is valid for all partitions.
How to hide and how to restore the recycle bin icon on the desktop
Some users want the desktop to have no shortcuts at all. In Windows 7, removing the Recycle Bin from the desktop is easy. Just right-click on the table, select "Personalization" in the list that appears, and then "Change desktop icons." Here it’s enough to uncheck the boxes next to those items for which you do not want to see shortcuts. In addition, you can change the icon by selecting one of the standard or your own.
Please note that deleting the icon does not affect the functioning of the basket itself. Deleted files will still be stored in it. Access to remote files can be obtained by going to the desktop through Explorer.
If you deleted the icon in the manner described above, then you know how to restore the Windows 7 recycle bin - just set the previously unchecked box again. Worse if the disappearance of the label is due to the actions of the virus or careless editing of the registry. Then the described method may not help.
Experienced users with administrator privileges can be recommended to use the registry editor or Group Policy Editor. For those who do not have administrative privileges or are afraid of their actions to inflict even greater damage on the system, we can recommend performing system recovery: the action is safe and usually very effective.