What Happens to Deleted Files in the Recycle Bin?
The Recycle Bin is a default folder found in all versions of Windows computers. It is similar to the Trash application on Macintosh computers and serves as a temporary storage location for deleted files and folders. Once an item has been moved to the recycle bin, it can be recovered without having to contact technical support or use third-party recovery software.
What happens to deleted files in the Recycle Bin?
Unlike a trash can, which allows users to recover things they have thrown away, the Recycle Bin allows only temporarily stored items. Deleted files are forwarded to the recycle bin, which is located on the desktop and appears like a full basket with rubbed paper. The files and folders in the recycle bin can be viewed by opening it from the taskbar or directly by using a shortcut.
Once a file is deleted from the computer, it can only be restored from the recycle bin or using specialized recovery programs. The recycle bin has a “Keep” setting that lets you configure the period of time that deleted items will remain in the recycle bin before they are permanently removed from your instance.
The Recycle Bin is a convenient way to store your deleted files until you need to recover them. However, deleting files from the recycle bin still takes up space on your hard drive and it is recommended to empty the recycle bin when you are sure that you will never need to recover them again.