How do I get Windows 7 to NOT use the recycling Bin on a removable drive?

Question

How do I get Windows 7 to NOT use the recycling Bin on a removable drive? I've already told Windows to not use the function on that drive but Windows still creates the "Recycling Bin" folder. It stays empty, but I don't want it there at ALL. Simply hiding it won't do. I'm using that removable drive in my car stereo and that "recycled" folder locks up the machine.

Answer 1

but Windows still creates the "Recycling Bin" folder

That is pretty easy to be avoided:

Delete the folder, open Notepad and save the blank file as $Recycle.Bin in the root directory of the drive in question, now Windows cannot create the folder.

If you want to use the Recycle Bin again on this drive, just delete the file.

Answer 2

Mount the drive under a Linux disk like Clonezilla and make a sector-by-sector copy. That way you have a copy to mess with and not the original. I don't think you can stop the default Windows process of creating a hidden Recycle Bin folder in each drive, but many Linux systems (like Puppy Linux) will not touch the drive with a write operation until you tell them to.

EDIT: My bad I was responding to a different post. However, if you boot your Windows machine with a Puppy Linux disk, THEN insert your external drive, you can delete the recycler and move your mp3s to your drive without getting any unwanted files written to the drive. Then you can remove your mp3 drive, remove the Puppy disk, and reboot to Windows without too much hassle. I don't know of any actual way to stop the hidden recycler file from being thrown on the drive, but this would work around it.

Answer 3

"How do I get Windows 7 to NOT use the recycling Bin on a removable drive?"

Run the following script on startup or login.

Source Windows 7: Disable creation of $recycle.bin folder?:

Yes this can be done... because I got annoyed that it can't be done so I wrote a script to do it (see below). It works for me but if you have any issues yourselves you may need to tweak it a bit.

' Author:      HSV Guy
' Description: Script to remove Recycle Bin folder. Run on Windows startup or login.
' Notes: 1)    See http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/11949-elevated-program-shortcut-without-uac-prompt-create.html
'              for how to run programs/scripts with elevated permissions without a UAC prompt.
'        2)    Update value of RECYCLEBIN as per version of Windows (configured for Windows 7).
' Date:        1 April 2011

Dim SILENT
SILENT = TRUE

Call RunElevated

Dim filesys, drv, drvcoll, folder, RECYCLEBIN
RECYCLEBIN = ":\$Recycle.Bin\"

Set filesys = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set drvcoll = filesys.Drives


For Each drv in drvcoll
  If drv.IsReady And filesys.FolderExists(drv.DriveLetter & RECYCLEBIN)  Then
     Set folder = filesys.GetFolder(drv.DriveLetter & RECYCLEBIN)
     MyMsgBox "About to delete: " & folder
     folder.Delete
  Else
    MyMsgBox "Skipped " & drv.DriveLetter & ". Folder doesn't exist or device not ready."
  End If  
Next

'Source code of RunElevated function shamelessly taken from:
' http://www.insidethe.com/blog/2009/12/how-to-launch-a-wsh-vbscript-as-administrator-in-windows-7-and-vista/
Function RunElevated
    If WScript.Arguments.Named.Exists("elevated") = False Then
        'Launch the script again as administrator
        CreateObject("Shell.Application").ShellExecute "wscript.exe", """" & WScript.ScriptFullName & """ /elevated", "", "runas", 1
        WScript.Quit
    Else
        'Change the working directory from the system32 folder back to the script's folder.
        Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
        oShell.CurrentDirectory = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject").GetParentFolderName(WScript.ScriptFullName)
         MyMsgBox "Now running with elevated permissions" & SILENT
    End If
End Function

Function MyMsgBox(Message)
    If Not SILENT Then MsgBox Message
End Function

Answer 4

Recycle Bin is a system directory and gets created anyway. There may be a registry hack, but restoring the OS, or installing a hotfix may reset it - so don't bother.

To avoid seeing the Recycle Bin, do the following:

1. Hide operating system files in "Folder and search options":

   

2. Make sure deleted files do not get copied to the Recycle Bin (by right-clicking it):

   

3. Hide the Recycle Bin by personalizing the desktop:

   

Answer 5

As for explorer, there seems to be corresponding group policy under User Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Windows Explorer called "Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin". Not sure if it works only for Windows Explorer or entire system tho.