What is $Recycle bin in Windows? can it be deleted? if so How?

[ChrisGreaves]

Over in VoidTools forums I have posted a question about indexes as employed by Everything.exe.

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Everything reports some 7 GB of stuff, most, but not all of it, dated March 15th, 2023, coincident with the date that I made a factory reset on this new HP15 Win11 system.

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SpaceSniffer shows (pale blue) about 7 GB occupied by Hiberfil.sys and Pagefile.sys. Coincidence? But if not, then why name them $Recyclebin?

Question 1: based on the points made above, do I need this 7 GB of stuff?

Yesterday I tried to empty my $Recycle bin using only Win 11 tools.
As the non-admin user Chris077 I chose Empty Recycle Bin, but the files remained in view. I signed in as Chris-Admin(istrator) and emptied the recycle bin there, but the files are still here, as shown in today’s screenshot, after last night’s Shutdown and this morning’s Power On.

I repeat my sequence from yesterday: as User Chris077 I shut down all applications and empty the one (!) data file from the recycle bin. I switch to be Administrator Chris_Admin and empty all files from the (empty!) recycle bin.

Everything still shows 7 GB for $Recycle.

A quick search turns up eleven ways to do wondrous things with/in/about the recycle bin, including “showing hidden/system files”. (“Show hidden files and folders” and don’t “Hide protected operating system files”)

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That done I see the $Recycle folder, but reported are only five folders, the lot totaling 129 bytes.

There are various solutions to ignoring recycle bin files, and I can try those, but in the back of my mind, always, will be “what are these 7 GB of data labeled recycle and why won’t “Empty recycle bin” rid them from my system?

Question 2: based on the points made above, if I don't need this 7 GB of stuff, how might I get rid of it?

Thanks as usual for any elucidation.
Chris

[stuck]

I don't have Win 11 but on my Win 10 machine I can only see the 'C:\$Recycle.Bin' folder if I UNhide hidden folders AND UNhide system folders. Given that, I'm never going to mess around with it as I'm confident so doing would break Windows, big time.

Back in the days of MS-DOS or even as recent as Win 98, 7 GB was a huge amount of storage space and thus worth sweating over but now? It's a trivial chunk of disk space so leave it a lone and try to get out more.

Ken

[JoeP]

$Recycle.bin is the protected folder name of the recycle bin for that hard drive. Since each user gets their own recycle bin you have the overarching $Recycle.bin folder.

Both tools that I have to see disk usage show that folder. See Treesize Free and Wiztree.

If indeed the recycle bin has 7GB of files/data, you most likely do not need it. Treat it like anything that ends up there. Spacesniffer is probably respecting the flags on the $Recycle.bin folder that it is a hidden, system folder. Do not conflate this with hiberfile.sys and pagefile.sys. SIDs (Security IDs) beginning with S-1-5-21 are user accounts. You can see which account is associated with each id by open an elevated command prompt and then executing "wmic useraccount get name,sid" (sans the "s). If you can logon as each user you should be able to empty the recycle bin for that user.

[ChrisGreaves]

... It's a trivial chunk of disk space so leave it a lone and try to get out more.

Hi Ken, I agree with you on the space issue, but 20,477 unwanted names can really mess up a search in Everything!
Especially when one is creating examples for use in a manual.

Too, I was surprised to find that there was not more discussion on the web.
Cheers, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

... an elevated command prompt and then executing "wmic useraccount get name,sid" (sans the "s). If you can logon as each user you should be able to empty the recycle bin for that user.

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Hi Joe, and thanks for the tip.
I waited until I was well-rested, well-fed, and the day is quiet before taking the next step; hence my delay in responding.

I identified six users who, I feel, could deal with an empty Recycle bin.
The WDAGUtilityAccount I am not sure of ; I suspect that Defender won't allow me anywhere near it.
Let's see how much of that 7G is gone after this essay.
Thanks again, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

Let's see how much of that 7G is gone after this essay.

Nottalotta!

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Above is what I now see in Everything after Shift-Deleting every recycle bin folder I could find when logged in as ChrisAdmin(istrator)

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Above is what I now see in Everything after Shift-Deleting every recycle bin folder I could find when logged in as Chris077( user)

Now I wonder if that 7 GB might be the equivalent of "Windows.Old"? I installed Win11 on 3rd March, then reset and reinstalled on 15th March. Perhaps Win11 is tenaciously hanging on to its former self?

Control panel "System restore" shows 12 GB in use (of 44GB assigned). I have eight restore points dating back to March 23rd, so 7GB might be the size of an initial restore point ...

Cheers, Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

... Do not conflate this with hiberfile.sys and pagefile.sys. ...

Joep, a further question:
In checking my "what closing the lid does" settings for Chris077 (non-admin), I note that I have Sleep checked ON but Hibernate checked OFF.
I am puzzled that I see a 6 GB hiberfil.sys, but maybe that is for my ChrisAdmin account?
Thanks, Chris

[HansV]

Hiberfil.sys is used for both Hibernate mode and Sleep mode.

[ChrisGreaves]

Hiberfil.sys is used for both Hibernate mode and Sleep mode.

Ah!
Thanks, Joe, for this quick response.
Chris

[HansV]

You're welcome, Hans.

[ChrisGreaves]

You're welcome, Hans.

Gaaaaaaah! I was suffering from a chocolate imbalance.
Sorry Hans.
Thanks Hans
@JoeP: you can keep your thanks; you deserve it!
Cheers
Chris

[JoeP]

Remember, a user account that is a member of the Administrator group does not have the same permissions as the built-in Administrator account. Nor does it have the same complete, unfettered access that it used to have back in the Win7 days. So, even emptying every recycle bin you could find when logged in as ChrisAdmin would not necessarily get rid of all files. You may need to log in as each user.