Automation at its finest. In this article we’ll tell you how to empty recycle bin on schedule in Windows 10.
The recycle bin is one of the omnipresent Windows programs. It is the place where any file that we wish to delete from our computer goes to for temporary shelter until we permanently delete it.
Everyday, we tend to delete many files. Some may take up more space then others. Wouldn’t it be a nice idea to make sure that the recycle bin automatically deletes its contents without us having to go there and do that? This is exactly what we’ll be telling you in this post. It belongs to the category of hidden features but for those who don’t like registry tweaks, don’t worry! It’s as simple as changing your taskbar’s color.
The steps to empty recycle bin on schedule are as follows:
Step 1: Download empty recycle bin.zip file from the link below. It is a command line utility that, well, empties the recycle bin from the command line. We’ll run this on a schedule.
Empty recycle bin.zip [OptimumX Website]
Step 2: Extract its contents.
Step 3: Open Task Scheduler by typing Task Scheduler in Windows Search.
Step 4: Click on the Action tab.
Step 5: From the drop down menu, click on Create Task as shown in the image below.
Step 6: In the resulting Window, name the Task whatever you want to by entering the name in the text field in front of Name.
Step 7: Click on the Triggers tab.
Step 8: From the resulting window, check the option you wish for it to work on under Settings. You can also select a date and time on which to run it for the first time as shown in the image below. Depending on the option you select in the aforementioned step, this task will run that number of times.
Step 9: Click OK.
Step 10: From the resulting tab, click on Actions.
Step 11: Add an action by clicking on new.
Step 12: Browse for the EmptyRecycleBin.exe file that was created upon extraction of the aforementioned downloaded file.
Step 13: In the text field in front of Add Arguments, type in /Q.
Step 14: Ensure that the Action is set on Start a program as shown in the image below.
Step 15: Click on OK and again, click on OK in the resulting window.
That’s the end for this long but handy process. The task should appear under the Task Scheduler Library in the main menu as shown in the image below.
