Error - This folder is too large to recycle.

Have you ever received the following error message: “This folder is too large to go to the Recycle Bin. Do you want to delete it immediately?”?

File too large to move to Recycle Bin

Where do files go after they have been permanently deleted? Typically, when you delete a file on your computer by right-clicking and selecting the delete option or pressing the "Delete" key, it is moved to your computer's Recycle Bin, Trash, or a similarly named location, depending on your operating system. It remains there until you empty the Recycle Bin or restore the file from it. If you removed a file/folder by pressing DEL or right-clicking the item and selecting Delete, it may be possible to recover data from the Recycle Bin.

However, not all files can be recovered this way. If the file that you deleted is larger than the maximum capacity of the Recycle Bin, it will be permanently deleted, bypassing the Recycle Bin altogether. As shown in the image, the Recycle Bin's maximum capacity is 8,998 MB, so if you delete a file or folder that's bigger than this, you'll get an error message.

The file is too large to be moved to the Recycle Bin

In response to users' inquiries, I intend to delve deeply into the issue of "This folder is too large to recycle." The following discussion will encompass three main aspects:

  1. 1. Real-life Scenario: File Too Large to Go to Recycling Bin
  2. 2. ?How to Recover Large Deleted Files in Windows 10
  3. 3. ?How to Customize Recycling Bin Settings to Address This Issue
Related Articles

How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 10 | 6 Free Ways

This tutorial covers multiple effective methods to help you recover deleted files on Windows 10 or even permanently recover deleted files.

How to Recover Deleted Files in Windows 10

Unable to recover files larger than the Recycle Bin

This morning, I accidentally deleted an entire folder within a partition that contained dozens of crucial large files, including Photoshop PSD files exceeding 12 GB in size. Due to the size of the folder, it didn't go to the Recycle Bin after deletion. Hence, I cannot find the deleted items in the Recycle Bin and restore the large files that were erased from there. What other methods should I try to recover such large files that won't fit in the Recycle Bin?

As mentioned above, once you delete a file that is too large for the recycle bin, it will be permanently deleted, similar to a "Shift + Delete" operation. However, the files still exist on the hard drive until they are overwritten by other files or parts of another file. You have just removed the entry, not the actual file. Hence, as long as the file has not been covered, it can still be recovered. In this case, only reliable and professional data recovery software can assist in retrieving the oversized file that couldn't fit into the recycle bin.

Solution - How to Recover a Deleted Large File

Ideally, you should stop using the device to prevent data overwriting. Then, apply a professional data recovery tool to scan and retrieve permanently deleted files. The sooner you attempt data recovery after deletion, the higher the chances of success. To save your time and effort, I recommend a tool – tools Data Recovery Wizard.

With the help of data recovery software – tools Data Recovery Wizard, you can easily recover large files skipped recycle bin and restore deleted files not in recycle bin. If you have any doubts, scroll down to the end of this post for an in-depth introduction to this tool.

Step 1: Select the exact location of the file and then click on the “Scan” button to proceed.

Select the location to scan for deleted files

Step 2: After the scan is finished, select the "Deleted Files" and "Other Lost Files" folders on the left. Then, you can use the "Filter" feature or click the "Search for a file or folder" button to look for your deleted files.

Scan Results

Step 3: Click the “Recover” button to save the recovered file – preferably in a location different from the original.

Recover deleted files

How to customize the Recycle Bin settings

If you don't want to delete the folder and it's too large to fit in the Recycle Bin, you can change the Recycle Bin properties to bypass it.

Step 1: Right-click on the Recycle Bin and choose “Properties.”

Change Recycle Bin Properties

Step 2. In the “Location Settings” section, choose the “Custom size” option.

In the Maximum size (MB) field, specify the maximum amount of hard disk space that the Recycle Bin can use on that particular partition, in megabytes. For example, if you have a 500 GB hard drive and want to allow the Recycle Bin to use 50 GB of space, enter 51200 MB (since 1 GB is equal to 1024 MB).

Customize Recycle Bin Properties

Step 3: Tap the “Apply” button. Tap “OK” again.

Once you've done that, depending on what you set, the Recycle Bin will hold more or fewer files from that location. Keep in mind that while each partition on your device has its own Recycle Bin, removable drives like SD cards and USB flash drives aren't supported. This means that when you delete files from an SD card or USB, they'll be gone for good.

The bottom line?

With Data Recovery Wizard, you can rest easy knowing that your files are safe when they go missing. Don't miss out on this simple yet powerful tool to keep your data secure. Once installed on your Windows computer, you can:

  • Retrieve deleted, formatted, or lost files.
  • Recover various types of files, including photos, videos, audio files, emails, files created by Microsoft Office software, Adobe apps, and more.
  • Restore data from multiple devices, such as hard drives, memory cards, USB flash drives, digital cameras, mobile devices, and other storage media.
  • Get back lost content under different circumstances: accidental deletion/formatting, OS crash, partition loss, and more.

With Data Recovery Wizard, you'll never have to worry about losing data again.

"Frequently Asked Questions: 'This folder is too large to move to the recycle bin'"

Here are four additional questions about "This folder is too large for the recycle bin." Click here to see the answers.

**1. What happens when we try to delete a file larger than the available space in the Recycle Bin?**

If the deleted item exceeds the size limit of the Recycle Bin, the object will bypass the Recycle Bin and be permanently deleted.

2. How to recover a large deleted file in Windows? To recover a large deleted file in Windows, you can try these methods: 1. **Check the Recycle Bin**: - First, open the Recycle Bin. - Search for the deleted file you want to restore. Large files might take up significant space, so make sure to look carefully. - Once you find the file, right-click on it and select "Restore." 2. **Use File History** (if enabled previously): - If you have File History enabled in Windows 10, you can recover the file through Settings. - Go to "Settings" > "Update & Security" > "Backup" > "More options" > "Restore files from current version." - Choose an appropriate backup point and then locate and restore your large file. 3. **Utilize data recovery software**: - If the above methods don't work, consider using third-party data recovery tools like Recuva or tools Data Recovery Wizard. - Download and install the software, then follow the wizard to scan your hard drive for deleted files. - After finding the file, choose the recovery option. 4. **Professional data recovery services**: - If the file is crucial and other attempts fail, you might need to seek professional data recovery services. They possess specialized tools and techniques to recover deleted or damaged files, but this may come at a higher cost. Remember to act promptly, as new data written to the disk can overwrite parts or all of the deleted file, reducing the chances of successful recovery.

Press the Windows key, type “Windows File Recovery,” and then select “Windows File Recovery.” When asked if you want to allow the app to make changes to your device, click “Yes.” You have two basic recovery modes to choose from: “Standard” and “Extensive.”

3. How do I change the size of the Recycle Bin?

On the desktop, right-click on the Recycle Bin and select “Properties.” Check the box next to Drive. Enter the maximum amount of disk space you want to allocate to the Recycle Bin next to “Custom size.”

4. How can I delete a file whose name is too long to fit in the Recycle Bin?

    1. Open the Command Prompt in the directory where the file is located. 2. Use a DOS command to retrieve the file's 8.3 format short filename. 3. Then, execute the DEL command in DOS to delete the file.