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General discussion

How to empty RECYCLER on an external drive?

Jul 23, 2006 7:00AM PDT

I have been doing some work with files on an external hard drive, and noticed a folder called RECYCLER that has about 4 gigs of data. I am assuming this is like the recycle bin in Windows XP, but I can't figure out how to empty it and reclaim the space. Ideas?

pl

Discussion is locked

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(NT) (NT) I would open it first to see what is in RECYCLER
Jul 23, 2006 8:04AM PDT
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Have you . . .
Jul 23, 2006 8:16AM PDT

installed an automatic backup program for another drive?

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duh.. I just figured it out.
Jul 23, 2006 10:42PM PDT

Little more information:

The recycler folder contained another 'system' or hidden folder: S-1-5-21-4284871040-378389659-3236199228-1006

I have 'view hidden files and folders' turned on so I could see it. The contents of this folder were indeed all the files and folders I had erased from the external hard drive. I just opened this cryptically named folder, selected all filed and folders and deleted them.. and poof! All that lost space has instantly reclaimed.

It had nothing to do with backup systems.. I had been using this external drive to save my media files, which I had manually copied over from my system. Over the last week, I had been doing a lot of cleaning up, and thus had filled up the Recycler.

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An EASY answer......
Aug 5, 2006 8:22AM PDT

With External HD turned ON (so Windows can see it)
Do this:
R click Recycle Bin
Hit Properties.
Setup box w/tabs comes up.
On 1st tab put bullet in Global
Hit Apply, OK.
Now Recycle Bin will recieve all deleted files/folders from BOTH drives.

AND now you can also *SEE* what was deleted from External HD (source drive letter will show in Recycle Bin).

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With External HD turned ON Do this
Sep 12, 2012 6:06AM PDT

What do you mean by put bullet in Global? Global Tab only contains 2 options: Configure drives 1) Independently or 2) Together but under 2) you can Not move files to recycle bin (which was not selected). I tried both. Nothing changed. The Recycle bin still shows 1.2 Gb size but I can't see any files in the sub-folders.