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Summary
Empty recycle bin grayed out when you are trying to empty your recycle bin. How to deal with this situation - there is no option to empty recycle bin? Real fixes are provided to help you empty your recycle bin even when the empty option is grayed out.
PAGE CONTENT:
- Fix 1. Quickly Fix No Option to Empty Recycle Bin
- Fix 2. Try Another Way to Empty Recycle Bin
- Fix 3. Run CMD to Fix Corrupted Windows 10 Recycle Bin
- Restore Deleted Files from Recycle Bin
There Is No Option to Empty Recycle Bin Windows 10
"I have a Windows 10 Ultimate 64-bit computer. One day I decided to change the icon of my recycle bin to something else. After I did that I tried to delete the files in my recycle bin by right-clicking on it and then clicking "Empty Recycle Bin"
But, for some reason, the "Empty Recycle Bin" text is grayed out and I can't click on it. I have to go into the recycle bin and delete everything from there. How do I fix this problem?"
PS: If you are looking for a way to automatically empty the recycle bin on schedule, we can help.
Fix 1. Quickly Fix No Option to Empty Recycle Bin
Most users may encounter this kind of trouble when they accidentally make some changes to their computer. Before you take actions, you must try these steps first.
Step 1. Restart your computer and try again.
Step 2. Reinstall recycle bin in Windows 10/8/7
- Right-click on Desktop > Select Personalize.
- Click on Themes > Click Desktop Icon settings under Related Settings.
- Check Recycle Bin > Click Apply.
If these two steps above fail to help, then you can try these fixes below:
Fix 2. Try Another Way to Empty Recycle Bin
Right-click the recycle bin icon and choosing empty option is not the only way to empty your recycle bin. You can also empty the recycle bin by going to settings. Let's see how to do it.
Step 1: Access Settings.
Step 2: Choose "System" to continue. Choose Storage.
Step 3: Open Storage, and select This PC (or a hard drive) under Storage.
Step 4: Click Temporary files and recycle bin. Choose Empty the recycle bin and tap Remove files.
Fix 3. Run CMD to Fix Corrupted Windows 10 Recycle Bin
- Go to Start, search for "Command Prompt".
- Right-click "Command Prompt" > Select "run cmd as administrator".
- Type: rd /s /q C:\$Recycle.bin and hit "Enter".
- Reboot the computer and then you can reuse the Recycle Bin.
If this doesn't work, open cmd window again and type: sfc / scannow > Enter. System File Checker will check and fix the problem for you. If the sfc/scannow doesn't work well, refer to SFC (SFC / SCANNOW) Is Not Working on Windows.
Restore Deleted Files from Recycle Bin
Let EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard free help you and fix this problem. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free enables you to recover deleted files from accidental deletion, hard drive corruption/formatting, system/file system crash, virus attack, or other scenarios. It's fully compatible with Windows 10/8.1/8/7 and former Windows versions. You can download it for free and follow these three steps to restore recycle bin data.
1. Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Select a location(where the recycle bin is) and click "Scan".
2. The software will start a scanning process in order to find lost files.
3. Choose the file(s) you want to recover by file types from the scanning results. Click "Recover" button to recover the selected files. You'd better choose a different location instead of the original hard drive to avoid data overwriting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- 1. Why choose EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard?
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"EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard is the best we've seen. It's far from perfect, partly because today's advanced disk technology makes data-recovery more difficult than it was with the simpler technology of the past, but it's fast and efficient..." —PCMag
"The first thing you'll notice about EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Pro is that its interface is very clear and uncluttered, with only a small collection of self-explanatory controls. You won't find lots of extra options hidden in a system of hidden menus, either; what you see really is what you get." —techradar
"Recover lost files, even after deleting a partition or formatting your drive." —Macworld
- 2. Why cannot I recover 2GB data for free?
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It is recommended to check the version installed is Free or Trial because they are different versions.
Trial has data preview function but cannot save any files, while the Free version enables to recover 2 GB files. The default free space is 500 MB and you may share the product on social media to get another 1.5 GB.
- 3. Why cannot the recovered files be opened?
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A file is saved as 2 parts on the storage device: directory info (which is comprised by file name, time stamp and size info, etc.) and data content.
If the files with original file names and folder structures cannot be opened, one possible reason is the corrupted directory info. There is still a chance to recover the data content with the RAW Recovery method in our software.
- 4. Why isn't it suggested to recover the files back to the original drive?
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The storage structure of the lost files would be altered or damaged by any changes on the drive. If you save the recovered files back to the same drive, the original data structures and data content would be corrupted or overwritten, which causes permanent data loss. So you should prepare another disk to save the files.
- 5. How can I check whether my data is recoverable or not before purchase?
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The Free version helps you save 2GB files to better verify the recovery quality of our product before purchase.
- 6. How long does it take to scan the drive?
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It strongly depends on the capacity of your hard drive and the performance of your computer. As reference,most drive recoveries can be completed in around 10 to 12 hours for a 1-TB healthy hard drive in general conditions.
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