Recycle Bin Deleted Files Automatically? How to Stop it and Recover Deleted Files from Recycle Bin?

User Case

Why is My Recycle Bin Emptying Itself? [Causes & Fixes]

If your deleted files no longer appear in the Recycle Bin and seem to vanish instantly, there could be several reasons behind this. Read on to discover all possible causes and learn how to stop Recycle Bin from automatically deleting files as well.

1. "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin" Option is Enabled

If your deleted files are disappearing immediately instead of going to the Recycle Bin, it’s likely due to a specific setting that bypasses the Bin entirely. Here’s how to check and fix it:

Step 1: Right-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop。

Step 2: Select "Properties".

Step 3: In the Recycle Bin properties window, make sure the option "Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted" is unchecked.

Step 4: Also, ensure there’s enough maximum size allocated for the Recycle Bin on each drive

By disabling this option, your deleted files will go to the Recycle Bin as usual, giving you a chance to recover them if needed.

2. Storage Sense is Automatically Deleting Files

Windows 10 has a feature called "Storage Sense" that automatically deletes files to help free up disk space, including those items in the Recycle Bin after a certain number of days.

Step 1: Go to "Settings > System > Storage".

Step 2: Click "Storage Sense" (or "Configure Storage Sense or run it now").

Step 3: Find the section that says "Delete files in my Recycle Bin if they have been there for over X days".

Step 4: Adjust the time period or set it to "Never" to stop automatic deletion.

By configuring or turning off Storage Sense, you can prevent Windows from emptying your Recycle Bin without notice, ensuring your deleted files remain recoverable.

3. "Shift + Delete" Bypasses Recycle Bin

If you use Shift + Delete combination to delete files, they are permanently removed and bypass the Recycle Bin entirely. So, avoid using Shift+ Delete keys to remove files and leave yourself a chance to recover it when necessary. Similarly, files deleted from removable drives such as USB flash drives, SD cards, and other external storage devices do not go to the Recycle Bin either.

4. Low Disk Space or Disk Cleanup Tools

When your computer’s disk space is running low, Windows or third-party cleanup utilities may automatically clear the Recycle Bin to free up storage. This behavior helps prevent your system from running out of space but can cause deleted files to disappear sooner than expected.

How this happens:

• Windows Storage Sense: Besides deleting old files from the Recycle Bin, Storage Sense can activate when disk space is critically low and remove temporary files, including deleted items, without prompting you.

• Disk Cleanup Tool: If you run Windows' built-in Disk Cleanup manually or have it scheduled, it may clear the Recycle Bin as part of the cleanup process.
• Third-Party Cleanup Software: Programs like CCleaner or system optimizers often include options to empty the Recycle Bin automatically to improve performance or free space.

How to Fix:

• Monitor your disk space regularly and free up space by moving large files to external storage or deleting unnecessary data.
• Review and adjust settings in Storage Sense to avoid automatic deletions.
• Check scheduled tasks or settings in any cleanup software you use to prevent unintended Recycle Bin emptying.

5. User Permissions or Profile Issues

Sometimes, issues with your user account permissions or Windows profile settings can cause the issue that the Recycle Bin deleted files automatically. This is especially common in environments with restricted user accounts, roaming profiles or corrupted user profiles.

• Restricted User Accounts: If your account has limited permissions (common in workplace or school computers), you might not have full access to the Recycle Bin folder or its settings. This can prevent deleted files from being properly moved to or stored in the Recycle Bin.
• Roaming Profiles: In corporate networks, roaming profiles store user data on a server and synchronize it across multiple devices. Problems with syncing or corrupted profiles can cause the Recycle Bin to malfunction, such as failing to retain deleted files or appearing empty unexpectedly.
• Corrupted User Profile: Sometimes, user profile corruption can disrupt normal Windows features, including the Recycle Bin. This can cause files to be deleted permanently without going through the Recycle Bin.

How to Fix:

• Check your account type and permissions in "Settings > Accounts > Your Info". If you have a standard or limited account, ask your system administrator for help. Try logging in with a different user account to see if the issue persists.

• If using a roaming profile, report the issue to your IT department so they can verify profile integrity and sync status.
• Consider creating a new Windows user profile if corruption is suspected.

How to Recover Deleted Files in Recycle Bin?

Now that we’ve covered why Recycle Bin deleted files automatically and how to prevent this from happening in the future, you might be wondering: "how can you recover files that have already been automatically deleted?" Let’s explore 2 effective methods to retrieve those lost files from Recycle Bin.

Method 1. Microsoft Windows File Recovery

Windows File Recovery is a free command-line tool developed by Microsoft to help users recover deleted files, even after they have been removed from the Recycle Bin.But, it is only available on Windows 10 and Windows 11, if you are using other operating systems, please skip to method 2.

Step 1. Go to the Microsoft Store, download and install "Windows File Recovery".

Step 2. Press "Win + S", type "cmd", right-click "Command Prompt", and select "Run as administrator".

Step 3. Identify the drive letterofthe source drive where your files were deleted (e.g., C: or D:) and determinethe destination drive where recovered files will be saved (make sure the destination drive is different from the source).

Step 4. Run the recovery commandbased on the basic command format:winfr [source-drive]: [destination-drive]: /mode /switches

For example, to recover excel files from C: to D: using regular mode: winfr C: D: /regular /n \Users\YourUserName\Downloads\*.xlsx

Use `/regular` mode for recently deleted files.

Use `/extensive` mode for files deleted a long time ago or after formatting.

Step 5. The tool will scan and recover recoverable files to the destination folder.Wait for the process to complete. When it is done, you can hit on Enter key to directly access the recovered files.

Method 2. MyRecover

While "Windows File Recovery"is a powerful free tool, it requires command-line knowledge and can be challenging for beginners. Additionally, it may not always recover all deleted filesand some error messages even pop out like "Windows File Recovery stuck at 99% or 0%", "Switch used is incompatible with recovery mode","There was an error parsing your command", etc , especially in complex loss scenarios.

That’s where "MyRecover"comes in. This is a piece of user-friendly data recovery software designed to help both beginners and advanced users recover deleted files quickly and easily, even if they have been permanently deleted, removed from the Recycle Bin. Formatted, lost due to file system errors, transfer interruption, system crash.

Step 1: Download MyRecover, run the installer and follow the prompts to complete installation.

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Step 2: Open MyRecover, and you will see all available drives listed. Select the drive where your files were lost and click "Scan".

Step 3: The software will automatically perform a "Quick Scan" or a "Deep Scan" based on how the files are lost. If the "Quick Scan" does not find the lost files, turn to "Deep Scan" manually to find as many lost files as possible.

Step 4: After the scan, browse through the results by file type or folder path. Select the files you want to recover and preview them if needed.

Step 5: Click the "Recover" button and choose a different drive or folder to save your recovered files. Avoid saving them to the original location to prevent overwriting.

Once the recovery is finished, you'll see a confirmation message displaying how many files were successfully recovered and where they have been saved, making it easy for you to find and access them.

Final Thoughts

After reading this article, now you should know the possible reasons why Recylce Bin deleted files automatically without any warning, as well as corresponding solutions to stop it from removing files in future. Besides, we share you with two powerful tools to help recover files automatically deleted by Recyle Bin. Just follow the steps outlined above to protect your files and recover lost data quickly and easily whenever needed.

To handle with some other data loss cases, including losing files during cut and paste, recovering files after formatting, system reinstallation, factory reset, etc, please try MyRecover.