Remove Trash External Drive

I noticed my external drive I image to was appearing fuller than it appeared. I had deleted previous images and thought they were gone but they were in the external drive trash. I used Treesize and saw the recycle bin was clogged in the external drive. Once cleaned the drive was normal.
My question is, is there a more conventional way to remove trash from the external drive than using Treesize?
TY

 

No. You just empty the recycle bin like you do on any drive. You can use CCleaner on an external drive very easily.

 

You could empty the recycle bin peter but you can't do that selectively by drive. Empty the recycle bin and ALL deleted files will disappear whatever drive they physically reside on. If you want to be selective then Treesize is as good a way as any IMO.

 

Interesting discussion here shows what could have been the problem for the OP, and how it can easily be sorted out becaue it is not always the case that all deleted files from an external drive will end up in the main system recycle bin:
http://www.cnet.com/forums/discussions/external-hard-drive-has-recycle-bin-how-to-access-208894/

 

The default setting in all versions of Windows is one recycle bin for all drives, as I'm quite sure you already know.

 

I suggest you re-read that forum article properly first. It is no where near as simple as that or, unless the OP never ever empties the virtual system wide recycle bin, the external drive would not have been full of trash.

 

Only the OP can tell us how he manages the recycle bin but unless he has disconnected his external drive while files are being deleted, which I suggest is extremely unlikely, then the Windows default situation applies - one recycle bin for all drives.

 

It can happen even when a person does do the normal routine with the drive plugged in. I have discovered that myself.
"the files are actually stored in hidden system folders on the respective drives, and that occasional glitches can occur such that the files remain but do not appear in the Recycle Bin."
Using windows explorer with all files (inc system files) set to View it is easy to see if there are any deleted files remaining, as an alternative to Tree Size.
Disk clean up should also work quite easily.
It is also possible to configure drives to have a recycle bin for each drive, which is what I have on several systems.

 

This is what has motivated me to join this thread. These two statements simply are not true unless you have customised your recycle bin.

 

Ok. Funnily enough I have used CCleaner on external usb drives many times.
But that cnet forum thread is probably the most single useful information resource when a person does seem to have a problem on an external drive because the drive doesn't seem to be reducing in size post deletion. It tells you very easily how to see that and resolve it.
That was my motivation for posting it because post #3 doesn't always work.

 

This is what I see. How do I tell it I only want it to clear my external drive?


and why are you concealing your online status?

 

I don't use normal delete any more for anything other than the odd small kb docs. I have preferred to use Eraser
for years now. I use CCleaner to wipe free drive space. I could use Eraser for that too but CCleaner is very convenient.

 

How about an answer to my question?

 

I have tried to "restore down" my page and with the external drive open, deleted the Windows trash bin but the trash does not get removed from my external drive. I was informed it should a while back but I have had to rely upon Treesize.
I could be doing it wrong with Windows but cannot see any other way and I have not modified the trash settings.
I open the external drive, hilite the recycle bin and empty the Windows trash but the external bin still has the trash in it.

 

Just repeated that here and the recycle bin on the external got emptied along with that of all the other drives. Checked it both with Treesize and with file explorer in 'show protected operating system files' mode where it appears as $RECYCLE.BIN

 

Well, Bernie, I am not as fortunate. I will try again and you are correct about $RECYCLE.BIN.
That is where I see it also.
If I can get it to operate as you have I will, of course, get back to the forum.
Thank you for listening.
Peter

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...bPUE2DpmdRIErokOQ&sig2=2b5nsQZgsOZAS7sE-A48cA

 

If all else fails peter you can use Disk Cleanup on the external.

 

Although Treesize works well I just wanted to share some information I came across.
That is a good thought about Disc Cleanup on the external drive, Bernie. I prefer Windows to 3rd party.
Thanks
Peter

 

Disk Cleanup was suggested 8 months ago in post #8