Windows 10: Add Empty Recycle Bin to Context Menu in Windows 10

How to: Add Empty Recycle Bin to Context Menu in Windows 10

How to Add Empty Recycle Bin to Context Menu in Windows 10


The Recycle Bin provides a safety net when deleting files or folders. When you delete any of these items from a hard disk, Windows places it in the Recycle Bin and the Recycle Bin icon changes from empty to full.

If you have multiple hard drives, partitions, or an external hard drive connected to your PC, each location will have its own $Recycle.Bin and Recycle Bin settings. Removable drives, such as USB flash drives and memory cards, will not have a Recycle Bin. Files deleted from removable drives are permanently deleted.

Each user account on the PC will have their own separate Recycle Bin, and will be referenced by their Security Identifier (SID) in each drive's $Recycle.Bin.




Items in the Recycle Bin still take up hard disk space and can be undeleted or restored back to their original location. When the Recycle Bin of a drive reaches its maximum storage size, Windows will automatically permanently delete (empty) older files in the Recycle Bin location to accommodate the most recently deleted files and folders.

When you manually empty the Recycle Bin, all files in the Recycle Bin will be permanently deleted to free up disk space.

This tutorial will show you how to add Empty Recycle Bin with and without confirmation context menu to the desktop and directory (drive and folder) backgrounds for all users in Windows 10.

While you must be signed in as an administrator to add or remove the context menu, all users will be able to use the context menu (if added).

*note To use the Empty Recycle Bin context menu, you can right click on the desktop, or right click on the background of an opened drive or folder in File Explorer. If the Recycle Bin is currently empty, then the Empty Recycle Bin context menu item will be grayed out.


EXAMPLE: "Empty Recycle Bin" context menu and confirmation











Here's How:

1. Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Add "Empty Recycle Bin" to Context Menu
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Add_Empty_Recycle_Bin_context_menu.reg

Download

3. To Remove "Empty Recycle Bin" from Context Menu
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Remove_Empty_Recycle_Bin_context_menu.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. If prompted, click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Empty Recycle Bin in Windows 10
• How to Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Recycle Bin in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Pin Recycle Bin to Taskbar in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Recycle Bin Desktop Icon in Windows 10
• How to Fix Corrupted Recycle Bin in Windows
• Add or Remove Empty Recycle Bin Context Menu for Recycle Bin in Windows
• How to Add Secure Delete to Recycle Bin Context Menu in Windows 10

:)

 

Recycle bin missing from send-to Context menu

Hi Ozzie, I am Rob, a volunteer and a 10 time and dual award MVP specializing in Windows troubleshooting and Bluescreen analysis.

Microsoft for some unknown reason removed the Recycle Bin from the Context Menu though you can add it back in.

This should help:

How to Add Empty Recycle Bin to Context Menu in Windows 10

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/90558-add-e...

Please let us know the results and if you need further assistance.

 

Recycle bin missing from send-to Context menu

Hi Rob - Thanks, that did the trick! Have a good day.

 

Add "Recycle Bin" to right click context menu of "Send to"

Does anyone know if it is possible to add "Recycle Bin" to the right-click context "Send To" list?

 

Recycle Bin Context Menu Glitch

I see. I just tried cutting a file, and right clicked on the Recycle Bin.
Yes; Paste shows up as an entry. Okay, that makes sense, in a way. It's just strange to paste a file into the Recycle Bin; I'm only familiar with deleting a file to go to the Recycle Bin. It's just a new "term" in its own way.

I guess the reason why I saw it as a "bug" is because I'm not familiar with context menu entries being present and disappearing; usually a context menu item is clickable, or it's grayed out.



Okay it all makes sense now: Paste (move) a file into the Recycle Bin.

 

recycle bin

Hi George,

To prevent your files from being deleted from the Recycle Bin, we suggest increasing the maximum file size your Recycle Bin can keep by following the steps below:

• Right click on the Recycle Bin icon.
• Under the Settings for selected location, select Custom size.
• Fill up the box for your allotted maximum file size for your Recycle Bin.

Let us know if you need further assistance.