Weird hidden folders on portable HDD.

I got the portable HDD a few years ago at the yardsale. Just found some weird hidden/system folders on it, called "$RECYCLE.BIN" and "RECYCLER." Found about 3 gigs worth of garden pictures (WTF) in each, deleted them.

Just wondering what on earth?

 

Hope this helps with reference to "RECYCLER" i copied it from another site, "BUT" i must point out "double check everything as i am no Major Geek"

C:/RECYCLER Folder

C://RECYCLER is basically a location where a users deleted files are stored. After a user empties their Recycle Bin the data will stay in the RECYCLER location. This could be viewed as a kind of hidden back-up for deleted files (99.9% of users don't know about it) or back door to track a user if ever needed. I would imagine its purpose is in the event a user deleted a critical system file that needed to be recovered.


Other contribuors added:

• This is the system protected folder that is used to store the files you and in case you want to move it using TweaksXP utility (http://www.tweakxp.com/article141309.aspx) Explorer->and check "Disable Recycle Bin". But , be aware... when you delete a file it will not go to Trash but it will be lost forever*.Good Luck.

• EDIT (improve): The file is not lost forever - merely compressed placed in another area of your hard drive you cannot see or access. It can easily be recovered by cheap recovery software. See http://www.cyberscrub.com/ for more information.

• C:\Recycler is one more Microsoft implementation to either guard a legitimate user from harming his or her system, or to collect data for a purpose known only to Microsoft. Microsoft already owns 95% of everything. Run Linux as an alternative operating system until a conflict results. Double boot your system to run both Windows 2000 and Linux. Windows 2000 allows you to keep all of your Microsoft software without paying the penalty of having your hard drive copied into the Microsoft database. You want freedom? Read what is available on the internet concerning Microsoft.

Answer to remove files in recycler
At a Command Prompt issue:rd /s /q c:\recycler
C:\Recycler\ - this the most disgusting Trojan - virus with what I sometimes met. He is hidding himself by attributes of Recycle bin (C:\Recycled) and are picked up the functions of recycle bin.

How remove files in /Recycler
The Recycler folder contains deleted files. On an external drive, the Recycler folder is not visible unless enabled (in Windows Explorer uncheck: tools/folder options/hide protect operating system files).
The files contained in the Recycler folder on an external drive can be deleted if, while the drive is mounted (connected) the user right clicks on the Recycle Bin on the DESKTOP (the main desktop, not the external drive) and selects "Empty Recycle Bin").
Note that the Recycler and the file contained therein will remain apparently unchanged. To confirm the deletion, right click the file within (the name will be a long string of letters and numbers) and select "properties". An empty file will be something like 8kb in size.

And outside the Windows world:


Mac OS X (which I used at home for 5 years) has something similar which I called by its self-evident name "the .501" folder." It's an inheritance from networking systems, and it is the place where deleted files reside until the trash is emptied, or until a system or user script is run between boots to empty it. If you happen to come across a hybrid Mac/Windows CD (not made by a software vendor, just a "just-folks" one), you may find a folder titled ".Trashes". If the CD was burned from a separate Mac OS X volume or disk image, that .Trashes folder will have a .501 folder in it. If not, then there won't be one. Simple. BZT

and the other "$RECYCLER" i checked out for you and it may have something to do with Norton AV but you'll have to dig into it a bit further.

 

thank you.

 

To find it on your own hard drive
Click on My Computer, click on your C drive.At the top of the page click Tools.
Go to the bottom to Folder Options and click on View.
Click on "Show hidden...." then drop down to uncheck "Hide protected ...."
Click Apply then OK.
Do the opposite before shutting down for System protection.

 

the drive was probably hooked up to xp and w2k

RECYCLER = xp's recycler
$RECYCLE.BIN = w2k's recycler

they are ok to delete but you will notice that RECYCLER will reappear auto-magically if you are using xp

when i boot into my xp or w2k they are created on my other partitions and i just delete them when i return to linux (my preferance),
be aware that they store your deleted data, just in case you need something restored when you delete an item - unless you always empty your recycle bin

 

$RECYCLE.BIN is also Vista's recycler, as well as W2K's