How to fix a corrupt recycle bin in Windows 10

• The Recycle Bin is a handy software tool that has been a part of the Windows operating system from the beginning, and acts as a storage space for items that are pending deletion.
• Even a vital system component like the Recycle Bin can run into problems, and we’ll cover some of the main ways to fix them.
• This article is just one of many on our dedicated Recycle Bin troubleshooting hub, so feel free to explore further.
• We have a dedicated page focused on the Recycle Bin, so check it out for more great articles.

Having trouble using your Windows 10 Recycle Bin? If you used to have a smooth Windows 10 platform running smoothly, but now when trying to access the Recycle Bin you only get the ‘corrupted’ error, please apply the guidelines available below to troubleshoot your Windows system.

So if you want to fix Windows 10 Corrupt Recycle Bin error , Recycle Bin is corrupted. Do you want to empty the Recycle Bin on this drive? This step-by-step guide will be more than helpful for you.

Now, this problem can occur due to various reasons such as unexpected forced shutdown errors, DLL issues (learn how to fix any Windows 8 / Windows 8.1 / Windows 10 DLL errors by dedicated tutorial), incompatibility issues, and more.

Anyway, the result is that you cannot access the Recycle Bin to delete your files or to restore them in case you have accidentally deleted some files from your device.

As you may already know, each Windows drive has a dedicated system folder named $ Recycle.bin . Of course, this folder is hidden, so you cannot see or access it unless you check the “show” option in Folder Options.

Now when the Recycle Bin gets corrupted, $ Recycle.bin also gets corrupted, and to solve your problem, you need to repair $ Recycle.bin. Doing the same is easy as you only have to run a command in the cmd window.

Anyway, please review the steps below for the proper troubleshooting solution.

Contents index

• How to Repair Corrupt Windows 10 Recycle Bin
  • Clean the recycle bin at the command prompt
  • Use the System File Checker tool
  • Delete the recycle bin in safe mode
  • Scan your computer for malware

How to Repair Corrupt Windows 10 Recycle Bin

1. Clean the recycle bin at the command prompt

1. Go to the Start screen, right click on your Start button and select “run cmd as administrator” as in the image below.
2. Then, in the cmd window, type » rd / s / q C: $ Recycle.bin » and press Enter.
3. Next, restart your computer and enjoy your new and reset Recycle Bin.

2. Use the System File Checker tool

Also, if that doesn’t work for you, open the cmd window one more time, type sfc / scannow, and hit Enter.

The System File Checker feature will launch on your device, so please wait while your Windows 10 or Windows 8.1 system is being repaired; in that case, learn how to fix chkdsk stuck in Windows.

3. Delete the recycle bin in safe mode

1. Hold down the Shift key and click the on-screen power button
2. Select the restart option while holding down the Shift key
3. Select Troubleshoot> Advanced Options> Startup Settings> press Restart
4. Wait until Windows 10 restarts and select Safe Mode.
5. Now, try to repair your corrupt Recycle Bin again by following the steps available above.

Sometimes you may encounter an Access Denied error when you want to perform the actions listed above in Windows 10. So if your Recycle Bin corrupted Windows 10 and access is denied, try enabling Safe Mode.

4. Scan your computer for malware

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2018 and has since been renewed and updated in March 2020 for freshness, accuracy, and completeness.