MANAGING
YOUR RECYCLE BIN
by Yvonne
Davenport
The Recycle Bin allows the user to recover data which has been deleted from the active files, however there is a limit set. This limit can be changed (see below).
· Think of the Bin as a large trash container outside you home, and the items in it remain there until ----
1. The refuse truck empties the contents -- (User is the driver of the refuse truck -- if you empty the RB its contents are gone to cyber heaven)
or 2. User restores a file -- in which case it would be removed from the bin and become an active file
or 3. The Windows Operating system empties older files to make room for more recent files sent to the bin.
I. Before we look at the RB -- right click the icon and check out the menu items
II. To visit the Bin right click on the Recycle Bin Icon located on the Desktop, when the menu appears, click Open.
A. The RB window is similar to most windows on the system:
1. Title bar, menu bar, tool bar, & then the column leadings. Blue column - left side
Under the headings there is:
a. file name
b. original location
c. date deleted
d. type
e. size
2. A click on column heading name -- changes the sort order
3. View (on the Menu bar)-- allows change by a click:
Tool Bars
Icons
List
Details (needed to show headings)
III. Sending a file to the Recycle Bin
A. Files may be deleted in Windows Explorer or in programs (or applications).
1. Find Windows Explorer by right clicking on the Start Button, then left click on Explore
2. Right click on the name of file you wish to delete
3. Click Delete (when menu appears)
B. The folder in which a file was stored is not sent to the RB unless the folder is selected and sent also If a folder is sent to the RB, all the files in that folder will also be sent to the RB.
C. Files deleted from diskettes are NOT sent to RB. E-mail programs may NOT send files to RB.
D. Holding down the “shift key” as you hit the delete key will bypass the Recycle Bin (gone to Cyber Heaven).
IV. To Restore an item (to the original location)
A. Open RB (right click on RB Icon and click Open)
B. Right click on the name of file or folder you wish to restore
C. Click Restore (when menu appears)
V. To Restore an item (to a different location)
A. Use Cut & Paste after selecting the item
B. Or click the Folder Icon on the tool bar and use the drag/drop method:
1. Recycle Bin items appear in right column
2. Find the new location in the left hand column
3. Select the item to be restored by Left click, then while holding down the rt mouse button, drag to desired location, release button
4. Menu will appear, click Move Here
VI. Emptying The Recycle Bin or Deleting Files
A. To empty the bin
1. Right click the Recycle Bin Icon
2. Click Empty Recycle Bin (when Menu appears)
A. To delete files from the Recycle Bin
B. 1. Open the Bin (rt click RB icon & click Open)
2. Right click on the name of file you wish to delete
3. Click Delete (when Menu appears)
C. To delete more than one file at the same time,
hold down the shift key as you click on each and continue until all are selected, then finally click Delete from File (on the Menu bar)
VII. Eliminate confirmation of delete
Click RB Icon, click Properties, click Global Tab
and remove check mark at lower edge of dialog box beside “display delete confirmation dialog box”
VIII. Size of RB
A. Normal setting is 10 % of disk space
B. To change setting Right Click RB Icon, click
Properties, click Global Tab and slide (arrow) button to desired setting
C. On systems with more than one hard disk, RB space may be set differently, after setting global, click on the Disk Tab and slide button
Suggestion:
Use 10% default setting unless short of disk space
UNLESS short of disk space DO NOT empty the Recycle Bin