Each time you press the "Delete" key on your keyboard, Windows moves the file from its actual location to the Recycle Bin. This behavior helps you to recover the file or folder if you have accidentally deleted it. However, over time, the number of files and folders in the Recycle Bin increases as a result of consuming a lot of space on your C drive.
Of course, you can easily retrieve this lost space simply by emptying the Recycle Bin. But if you often use the Delete key and delete many files either in your home work, then it's a good idea to automatically empty the recycle bin at fixed intervals. See below how you can schedule it.
There are many ways to automatically clean the Windows Recycle Bin, such as using a third-party standalone program, using the built-in utility Εκκαθάρισης disk, etc. However, today we will show you a simple and effective way that uses the task scheduler and the command line.
Step 1: To get started, search for “Task Scheduler” from Start menu of Windows and open it. Alternatively, you can also press the Win + R keys at the same time, and type taskschd.msc in the execution window
Step 2: After opening the task scheduler, click on "Create Basic Task" that appears in the right pane, under the "Actions" category.
Step 3: Logically a new "basic job creation wizard" window will open. Here, enter the name and description of your selection, then click the "Next" button to continue.
Step 4: In this window, you can set how long the task you want to do will work. Select the "Weekly" radio button and click the "Next" button.
Step 5: Now select the start time. Change the start time where it says "Start". Leave the start date today, unless you want the scheduled job to start counting from another date. Also, select which day of the week the recurring event takes place, and then click the "Next" button.
Step 6: In the next window select the "Start Program" button and then click the "Next" button.
Step 7: In the “Program / Script” field type cmd.exe and in the “Add Arguments” field type the following phrase:
/c "echo Y|PowerShell.exe -NoProfile -Command Clear-RecycleBin"
and press the "Next" button.
Step 8: In the next and last window examine all of them settings that you just set up and click the “Finish” button to complete the basic job creation process.
Step 8: After creating the project, select the task in the main Windows task scheduler window, and then click Execute under the Selected Item category to check the scheduled task.
Once you click, if everything goes well you will see a quick display of the Command Prompt with the progress of the job and the recycle bin will be cleaned.
From now on, your recycle bin will be automatically emptied according to the schedule you set in the Work Schedule.
