Folder Recycle Bin you have on disk

By default, the standard Windows Explorer disables viewing of system and hidden folders. Indeed, most users do not need it, and sometimes even dangerous (there is a risk, say, accidentally "dragging" an important folder, and not even notice it). But if you still enabled such a mode, the folder "Recycle Bin" appears in the "root" of most disks. What it is, depends on the circumstances: when and where this directory appeared. Sometimes this is a chance to save accidentally deleted files, and sometimes - a sure sign of a computer infected with a virus.

What is the folder Recycle Bin?

In the simplest case, this is the folder that contains the files deleted by the user in the trash. This name for the location of the storage of deleted files, Microsoft began to apply, starting with the version of Windows Vista. Previously, depending on the generation of the operating system, either the Recycled directory (Win 95, 98, Millenium) or Recycler (NT, 2000, XP) was used. By the way, if the hard disk has experienced its work in several operating systems for its long service, then all three folders can be located on it simultaneously . The new "operating system" will simply ignore what remains of its predecessors.

The user can freely delete the contents of the Recycle Bin folder. There is a rule: everything that is in the basket can be destroyed without risk of damage to the current information in other directories. Sometimes it helps. Due to system crashes, long-erased files may hang in the trash, and the only way to remove them is simply to clean the contents of the Recycle Bin.

Configure the Recycle Bin Properties

During the existence of Microsoft desktop operating systems, the process of adjusting the properties of the system baskets has not fundamentally changed. In Windows, starting with Vista, you can get to this window from the context menu of the Recycle Bin by selecting "Properties". A list of local disks showing the volume of each of them will appear on the screen. After selecting the desired partition, you can set the maximum size of the Recycle Bin folder for it (in megabytes) or even disable the ability to save the deleted data for a particular disk. Unfortunately, such a rather convenient feature has disappeared, like the ability to specify the size of the basket, which is common for all sections, as a percentage of the volume.

Where is not the place for the basket?

For some users, it may be a surprise that the operating system is able to create a Recycle Bin not on every disk. If you pay attention, then notice the following. In the Recycle Bin Settings window, only local disks located on non-removable media are displayed. Accordingly, removable media and network drives of such an opportunity are deprived. And now the question: "Where did I get on your favorite flash drive Recycle Bin?" That this, I think, will be able to answer almost any antivirus, if you let it check this directory. Until now, this is one of the most popular among virus writers way to store malicious files on infected removable media. Almost certainly in the "root" of the disk there will also be a file with the name autorun.inf, and it will be hidden and system, like the folder Recycle Bin.

The procedure for the user in this case is obvious:

1. Delete the malicious folder and file from the partition, or at least rename them.

2. Check with antivirus all computers with which the flash drive has been in contact lately.

The operating system may refuse to delete the folder. The reason for this is that one or more of the files in it are currently open. In this case, you can, for example, use some utility like the good old UnLocker, or you can try to remove the autorun.inf first, extract the drive and reconnect it.

A pair of tricks with a basket

1. If for some reason you are not satisfied that the basket is in the folder Recycle Bin, you can change the name of this directory to any other. Log in to the system registry and go to the HKCR / CLSID / {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} branch. Change Recycle Bin to anything your heart desires. We close the registry, reboot.

2. You can change the graphical view of the recycle bin. Go to the desktop personalization window. There are several links on the left. We are interested in "Changing the desktop icons". Move the cursor to the "Trash (Empty)" item and click on the "Change icon" button. Now you can either select a new icon from the standard set, or use your own collection of icons. Similarly, the view for the "Trash (full)" item and, by the way, for other system elements presented in this dialog box also changes. To restore the usual system icons, just click on the "Normal icon" button.

3. If you do not use the Recycle Bin and want to delete the Recycle Bin folder from local disks, you should use the registry again. Go to HKLM \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Desktop \ NameSpace. Just in case, export it, so that if you change your mind, you could painlessly "roll back" all the changes. Now remove the {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} branch. Restart the computer.

Finally, note that all manipulations with the system registry you do at your own peril and risk. Any unqualified changes in it can have the most destructive consequences for the operating system.