Any time you delete something on Windows, it goes to the Recycle Bin. Whatever was deleted sits there in Recycle Bin until you manually empty it, or it reaches its default maximum size, at which point Windows deletes the oldest files to make room for new ones. Computers’ multiple hard drives or partitions will each have their own Recycle Bin settings. The settings are stored as a hidden system folder named “$RECYCLE.BIN” at the root of each volume. In many cases, the default Recycle Bin size will be just fine. However, if you delete a ton of files and folders regularly, and the Recycle Bin is typically full, older items will automatically be removed. If these are items you want to restore, you may never get them back. If you want to keep as many items as possible in the Recycle Bin without worrying that they will be automatically removed because of the size limit, then you may want to adjust the maximum size of the recycle bin, and the steps below show you how to do that. To get started with adjusting the maximum size of the recycle bin on Windows 11, follow the steps below.
How to resize the recycle bin’s maximum size
As mentioned above, Windows automatically assigns the maximum size of the recycle bin. In most cases, normal users should not adjust the settings and should be good. However, you can increase or decrease the size of the recycle bin as anytime. To adjust the maximum size of the recycle bin, right-click on the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, then select Properties from the context menu as shown below. You can also get to the Properties settings by opening the Recycle Bin and selecting the ellipse (three dots on the toolbar menu) and selecting Properties. On Recycle Bin Properties window, you’ll see each volume listed. If you have only one volume, then you’ll only see that. If you have multiple volumes, you’ll see all listed. Select the volume for which you want to change the size and then type a specific size in MB in the “Custom Size” field. Click OK to save your settings and you’re done. Those who rather items are immediately deleted instead of setting them in the Recycle Bin can choose the option that reads “Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted“ Additional settings can be enabled from the properties windows like “Displaying delete confirmation dialog” before deleting or emptying the Recycle Bin. These are all good settings to have and they can be set on the Recycle Bin properties windows. That’s should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to adjust the maximum size of the Recycle Bin. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use our comment form below.
