Empty the Recycle Bin

Rather than wait for Windows to automatically delete files when your Recycle Bin is full, you can free up space for new files by emptying it.

To empty your Recycle Bin

1. On your desktop, right-click the Recycle Bin, and then click "Empty Recycle Bin".

2. When prompted to confirm the action, click "Yes".

Emptying the Recycle Bin permanently removes your files, making them unavailable to most users. However, DataBackNow technicians might be able to recover files even after they have been removed from the Recycle Bin.

Therefore, while emptying the Recycle Bin frees up disk space, it is not sufficient for removing highly confidential information. To remove every trace of a file, use a tool such as "Cipher.exe" to permanently overwrite deleted data.