Empty the Recycle Bin with Clear-RecycleBin
Purge deleted files from the Recycle Bin in one PowerShell command, with optional per-drive scoping.
01Command
$ Clear-RecycleBin -Force02What it does
Clear-RecycleBin (built into PowerShell 5.0+) does what right-clicking the bin does, but works when the desktop icon is broken, in scripts, and in scheduled cleanup tasks. Without -Force it asks for confirmation, which is actually useful when you type it interactively; -DriveLetter scopes the purge to one volume's $Recycle.Bin folder since each drive keeps its own. Files removed this way are gone for good — there is no undo, unlike files still sitting in the bin. For a softer alternative that frees space without deleting, use the Storage Sense settings or cleanmgr instead.
03Risk
04Undo
✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.
05Sources
- Clear-RecycleBinEvidence: Documents Clear-RecycleBin with -DriveLetter scoping and the -Force switch to skip confirmation.
Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings
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