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Windows 10 computer permanently deleting all files and folders

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Monday, December 10, 2018 9:56 PM

I have a computer that the files and folders that are deleted (either by the Del key, choosing Delete or dragging them to the Recycle Bin) will ONLY have the choice to permanently be deleted. The settings on the Recycle Bin are to allow them to end up in the Recycle Bin and have the pop up box. Those settings do NOT work for the normal User level account, nor for a new User level account I created. The Admin level account IS allowed to send the items to the Recycle Bin.

I don't understand why this is happening on the one computer for only User level accounts.

This is a Windows 10 Update 1809 computer. None of the other computers with the same hardware and OS set up are having this issue.

All replies (13)

Thursday, December 27, 2018 9:44 AM ✅Answered

Hi,

Sorry for providing the wrong command and it should be this: “rd /s /q C:\Recycle.bin” (no quotes)

After you running this command, it will not display any message and exit the Command Prompt window. Do not run it second time, it will also display the error message "The system cannot find the file specified".

Best regards,

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Tuesday, December 11, 2018 2:18 AM

In Start Search type Gpedit.msc and hit the Enter key.

Locate:

“User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\File Explorer”. Then in the right-side pane, double click on the Display confirmation dialog when deleting files.

Now try to configure accordingly.

S.Sengupta,Microsoft MVP Windows and Devices for IT, Windows Insider MVP

Tuesday, December 11, 2018 5:24 AM

Hi SteveC-PSI,

Thanks for posting your query here.

1. we can enable delete configuration dialog box via GP, registry and properties.

Here is the detailed steps we can refer to :
https://www.isumsoft.com/it/enable-delete-confirmation-dialog-box-in-windows-10-8/

2. there is a GP related to this issue, please check the policy for the user:

User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Windows Explorer \Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin

3.we can also validate it by checking the corresponding registry kry:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoRecycleFiles
 
See if it was set to 1.

Best regards,

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Wednesday, December 19, 2018 12:51 AM

The one thing I forgot to state is this computer is running Windows 10 Home, which doesn't have Group Policy Editor enabled.

Just to be clear the Display DOES pop up for all users, but for the normal Users the files are only able to be deleted PERMANENTLY, with no choice to be moved to the Recycle Bin. The Admin account does have the files go to the Recycle Bin before they are permanently deleted.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 9:25 AM

Hi,

Thanks for posting your query here.

1. please check the property of the recycle bin if looks like this: whether two choice are grayed out or not?

If they are, please check if there exists the register I mentioned in my last reply, if it is set to 1, these two choice are grayed out and we will delete files permanently. 

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\NoRecycleFiles
 

Please set it to 0 and restart the machine. We can delete files to recycle bin.

For your reference:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/eb95cd11-5402-44df-870d-75ca8b90f9d9/server-2012-r2-recycle-bin-properties-are-greyed-out?forum=winserver8gen

2. Please also check  if the custom size is set to 100MB, if it is, we will receive a prompt "do you want to permanently delete this file"  when we delete files.

It is recommended that it should be set not too small.

Best regards,

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Friday, December 21, 2018 8:10 AM

Hi，

I am checking how the issue is going, if you still have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

And if the replies as above are helpful, we would appreciate you to mark them as answers, and if you resolve it using your own solution, please share your experience and solution here. It will be greatly helpful to others who have the same question.

Appreciate for your feedback.

Best regards，

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Friday, December 21, 2018 9:58 AM

Sorry. I haven't been online for a while for this purpose.

The Recycle Bin settings are set up correctly, set to Custom Size with the size at 24786 MB, which should be much larger than necessary.

There is NO NoRecycleBin setting in that Registry entry folder.

This only happens to OS User accounts, not the Admin account.

Monday, December 24, 2018 9:40 AM

Hi，

Thanks for your replying.

1. If deleted files do not end up in the Recycle Bin, it is possible that this system folder is corrupted. Please reset it by following the instructions below:

On your taskbar, click the Search icon.
Type “command prompt” (no quotes).
Right-click Command Prompt from the results, then select Run as Administrator.
Once Command Prompt is up, type “rd /s /q C:$Recycle.bin” (no quotes), then press the Return key.

2. If the issue still persists, please perform a clean boot to check if the third party issue.

Best regards,

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Wednesday, December 26, 2018 11:37 PM

When I ran the script in step 1 above, I received a reply of "The system cannot find the file specified".

I tried the same thing on my Windows 10 computer and received the same message.

Either way, the permanent deletion of files happens on the affected computer in any User account, even a newly created User account, but not on the computer's Admin account.

Thursday, December 27, 2018 6:39 AM

You can set Windows to delete your files forever without sending them to the Recycle Bin. When you delete a file or folder in Microsoft Windows, it goes to a special folder called Recycle Bin. Recycle Bin allows you to restore your deleted files, in case, you change your mind at a later stage.

The file continues to stay there along with other deleted files, still consuming space on your hard drive, until you clear them using the Empty Recycle Bin option.

But if you’re too lazy to clear the Recycle Bin at regular intervals, it will start taking up valuable space on your hard drive. Windows allows you delete the permanently, without sending them to Recycle Bin.

Now, one possible way to do this is by using the Shift+Delete key combination. But if you don’t want to keep the deleted files in the Recycle Bin, you can enable Windows to automatically delete the files permanently.

Thursday, December 27, 2018 2:54 PM

Thanks, but permanently deleting files is what happens on the affected computer, when I DON'T want it to happen and the settings are such that it should NOT happen.

Thursday, December 27, 2018 2:57 PM

That makes sense! I will try that when time allows.

Friday, December 28, 2018 2:57 PM

Once I used the second syntax, the permanent deletion issue was resolved.

Thanks for your expert direction!!