2 Options: How to Empty Recycle Bin Remotely on Windows
This post introduces how to empty Recycle Bin remotely on Windows via command line and remote desktop software respectively. If you need to clear a remote Recycle Bin, read this post carefully.
By Ellie / Updated on December 13, 2024
How do I empty a remote Recycle Bin?
The situation is as follows: I have four PCs connected to a small home network, and I use one of them to store large files, backups, etc. remotely from my main workstation. I need to periodically free up space on the remote PC as I make new backups continuing. Does anyone know how I could effectively free up space by emptying the remote Recycle Bin remotely?”
- Question from Quora
How to empty Recycle Bin remotely on Windows [2 options]
Here in this part, we’ll introduce two options on how to empty Recycle Bin remotely on Windows. You’re able to use either the PowerShell or the remote desktop software.
Option 1. Empty Recycle Bin on a remote computer via PowerShell
With the right command line, you are able to clear Recycle Bin remotely via PowerShell. Follow the steps below.
Step 1. Search “powershell” on the search box and then run PowerShell as a Domain Admin.
Step 2. Run the following command on the PowerShell:
icm -ComputerName xxx -ScriptBlock {Clear-RecycleBin -DriveLetter X -force}
Note:
Replace “xxx” with your computer name. For example, mine is “ellie-pc”.
Replace “X” with the drive letter of a specified drive. For example, DriveLetter C.
icm -ComputerName xxx -ScriptBlock {Clear-RecycleBin -DriveLetter X -force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue}
Despite the error, run the following command, the recycle bin is actually cleared and ignoring the error will let your script continue. This hasn’t been figured out why yet, but has been confirmed by many users as useful.
Option 2. Remotely clear Recycle Bin on Windows via remote desktop software
Another option on how to remotely empty Recycle Bin on Windows would be with remote desktop software, for example, AnyViewer. AnyViewer has many benefits over other remote desktop software.
- Compatibility. It supports multiple Windows systems, from Windows 7 to the latest Windows 11.
- iOS devices. It supports any device running iOS 10.0 or above, you are able to remotely access a PC from your iOS devices and clear its Recycle Bin then.
- One-click connection. You can achieve an unattended remote connection to a remote computer with one click.
- Security. It is secured by Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) encryption, protecting your data from leakage during remote sessions.
- Fast & stable connection. It is developed by a strong technical team, providing you fast and stable remote connection with high image quality.
Next, we’ll see how to empty recycle bins in remote desktop via AnyViewer.
Step 1. On the Controller computer, go to Log in, and then click Sign up. (If you already have signed up on its official website, you can log in directly.)
Step 2. Fill in the signup information.
Step 3. Then you can see you successfully logged in to AnyViewer. Your device will automatically be assigned to the account you’ve logged in to.
Step 4. Log in to the same AnyViewer account on the two devices, then you can achieve a direct connection by clicking One-click control to achieve unattended remote access.
Note: You can upgrade your free account to a Professional or Enterprise plan to enjoy more rights.
After successfully connecting to the remote computer, you can see its Recycle bin on the remote desktop. Right-click it and choose Empty Recycle Bin to clear everything in it.
Bonus tip: How to recover files from emptied Recycle Bin
There’s a chance that you may accidentally empty the Recycle Bin but then find you still need some of the files you’ve permanently deleted. Just in case this happens to you, here we’ll introduce how to recover files from emptied Recycle Bin. To recover files from any type of data loss, you are advised to use the free data recovery tool AOMEI Data Recovery for Windows.
Step 1. Download, install and launch AOMEI Data Recovery for Windows on your computer.
Step 2. Select the location where your files have been stored before. Click Start Scan.
Step 3. Then the scanning process will start automatically. You don’t need to wait for the process to complete if you find the files you want to recover.
Step 4. Choose the files that you want to recover. Click Recover xx files and choose a destination path to save the restored files.
Conclusion
This post primarily introduces two options on how to empty Recycle Bin remotely on Windows. Either PowerShell or the remote desktop application AnyViewer can help you achieve this. Besides, don’t worry if you accidentally permanently deleted some crucial files from your Recycle Bin; you can easily recover them with AOMEI Data Recovery for Windows.
