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How to Repair a Corrupted Recycle Bin in Windows

Steven
Feb 2, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Sep 27

You delete some files, empty the Recycle Bin, restart your computer, and the files are back. You delete them again, and they come back again. Or maybe the Recycle Bin won't empty at all, or Windows says "The Recycle Bin on C:\ is corrupted."


This happens when the Recycle Bin's hidden system folder gets corrupted. The fix is to reset it so Windows builds a new one.



Before You Start


  • Anything in the Recycle Bin will be permanently deleted. If there's something in there you need, restore it first.

  • Only delete the $Recycle.Bin folder in these steps. Don't touch other hidden system folders on your C: drive.



Fix 1: Reset the Recycle Bin With Command Prompt


This is the quickest and most reliable fix.


  1. Click Start, type Command Prompt, right-click it and choose Run as administrator.

  2. Type this command and press Enter:


rd /s /q C:\$Recycle.bin

  1. Restart your computer.

  2. Delete a test file and empty the Recycle Bin to make sure it's working.


Windows creates a brand-new Recycle Bin automatically. If you have other drives, like D:, and the problem is there too, run the same command with that drive letter.



Fix 2: Delete the Folder in File Explorer


If you'd rather not use Command Prompt, you can do the same thing through File Explorer.


  1. Open Control Panel and select Appearance and Personalization.


Windows Control Panel
Open Control Panel

  1. Select File Explorer Options.


Appearance and Personalization in Control Panel
Choose File Explorer Options

  1. On the View tab, untick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended). Click Yes on the warning, then Apply and OK.


Folder Options View tab
Show protected operating system files

  1. Open File Explorer, go to your C: drive and delete the $Recycle.Bin folder.

  2. Go back to File Explorer Options and tick Hide protected operating system files again. This keeps important system files hidden so they don't get deleted by accident.

  3. Restart your computer.



Fix 3: Repair Windows System Files


If the Recycle Bin keeps getting corrupted, other Windows files may be damaged too. These two built-in tools check and repair them.


  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

  2. Run this command first. It repairs the files that the next scan uses, and can take 10 to 20 minutes:


DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

  1. When it finishes, run a System File Checker scan:


sfc /scannow

Running sfc /scannow in Command Prompt
Running an SFC scan

  1. Restart your computer when it's done.


If SFC says it found problems it couldn't fix, restart and run it again. The results are saved to C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBS.log if you want to look at the details.



Recycle Bin Icon Missing?


If the Recycle Bin icon disappeared from your desktop, you can bring it back: go to Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings, tick Recycle Bin and click OK.



Still Stuck?


If files keep coming back or the Recycle Bin still won't empty, IT-Tech can connect remotely and fix it.


Book a remote support session and we'll get you sorted out.

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