Summary – Are you facing issues with your Windows Recycle Bin? Unfortunately, it might have gone corrupted. Go through this blog to learn the step-by-step instructionsto fix the corrupt Recycle Bin issue in Windows 11/10/8/7.
Recycle Bin is the most used utility on Windows. When you delete files from your system, it goes to Recycle Bin. This utility is designed to store any deleted data on Windows, whether deleted deliberately or accidentally. It’s like a second chance for you to recover your deleted data if needed again.
But what if the Recycle Bin in your Windows gets corrupted? It is undoubtedly troublesome for almost everyone. Read this guide to know what causes Recycle Bin to be corrupt and how to fix this issue in Windows 11/10/8/7.
Table of Contents
Why Does Recycle Bin in Windows Become Corrupted?
When Recycle Bin becomes corrupted in Windows 11/10/8/7, you will see the following error message: “The Recycle Bin on C:\ is corrupted. Do you want to empty the Recycle Bin for the drive?” Most of the time, users choose to empty it as they are unfamiliar with the corrupted Recycle Bin issue, making restoring access to their files difficult. But the question arises why does Recycle Bin become corrupted? There can be several reasons for it:
- Corrupt DLL (Dynamic Link Library files) may hinder or corrupt the entire Recycle Bin.
- Error in the $Recycle.Bin folder can corrupt the Recycle Bin.
- Unexpected shutdown of your Windows system can also cause Recycle Bin corruption.
- Manual errors and virus/ malware attacks can corrupt Recycle Bin.
How to fix Corrupt Recycle Bin in Windows?
Regardless of why your Recycle Bin has been corrupted, you can always fix this issue using the methods mentioned below.
Use the CHKDSK utility to repair the Storage Device of the Windows
CHKDSK is the powerful utility of your Windows operating system that scans and fixes system errors. You can run CHKDSK from Powershell or Command Prompt to fix logical file system errors through commands.
- Press Windows + X keys together and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
| Note – Replace letter X with the letter of the corrupted drive. |
- Type chkdsk X: /R in the command line and press Enter
- The CHKDSK will scan your drive for errors and fix them if found.
- Once the process gets completed, restart your system for the changes to apply.
Run SFC to Repair the System Files
The SFC command will scan and repair all the system files irrespective of the drives. Follow these steps to run the SFC on your Windows.
- Press Windows + R keys together to launch Run.
- Type exe and then click OK to open Command Prompt window.
- Type sfc / scannow in the command line and press Enter to start the scan and repair process.
Use the File Explorer to reset the Recycle Bin
| Note – Resetting the Recycle Bin will delete all its data. Although you can get your data back by using the tip mentioned at the end of this blog. |
You can fix the corrupted Recycle Bin error in Windows 10 by resetting the Recycle Bin. Here’s how to do it.
- Type Control Panel in the Cortana search bar and click Open.
- Click on File Explorer Options to open it.
- Navigate to the View tab, uncheck the box against the Hide-protected operating system files (Recommended) option, and click Apply.
- Now, type File Explorer in the Windows search box and click Open.
- Then type C:\$Recycle.Bin in the navigation bar and hit Enter.
- Delete the content of the folder and then restart your system.
Reset Recycle Bin Using Command Prompt
You can even reset the Recycle Bin using Command Prompt utility. Follow the steps mentioned below to learn how to do it.
- Press Windows + R keys together to launch Run.
- Type cmd.exe and then click OK to open Command Prompt.
- Type rd /s /q X:\$Recycle. Bin and press Enter.
| Note – Replace letter X with the letter of the corrupted drive. |
- Once the scan and repair process gets completed, restart your system.
Tip – Recover Lost Data from Corrupt Recycle Bin in Windows 11/10/8/7
You might have witnessed that resetting the Recycle Bin may have caused your data stored in the Bin to be lost. However, using Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Windows, you can easily restore the data lost during a corrupted Recycle Bin.
This data recovery software can recover data from corrupted, formatted, encrypted, and 4K drives. The easy-to-use UI of this software won’t confuse even the beginner with limited experience. Moreover, the free trial version of Stellar Data Recovery software lets you recover up to 1 GB of data. Follow the below-mentioned steps to recover lost data from the corrupt Recycle Bin in Windows 11/10/8/7:
- Download and install Stellar Data Recovery Free Edition for Windowsand launch it.
- Select the type of data you wish to recover and click Next.
- Now, select the drivelocation, turn on the Deep Scan option, andclick Scan.
- Scanning will start and the result will appear once it is completed.
- Now, select the files you want to restore and click Recover.
- Now, Browse to choose the location to save the recovered files and then click the Start Saving option to save the files.
Conclusion
Dealing with Window’s Recycle Bin that has gone corrupted can be annoying, but by applying the easy and simple steps mentioned above, you can regain access. However, if while fixing the corrupted Recycle Bin, your data is lost, then don’t worry. Stellar Data Recovery software has got your back, as it can help you recover lost data with three simple steps.
