Forum Discussion
Can't empty recycle bin in onedrive
I recently have started having OneDrive storage space issues. I have spent hours scouring message boards but none of them apply to my problem.
The problem is that I have tried emptying the recycle bin using "advice" from other posts but there is NO button in my onedrive that says "empty recycle bin", only "restore". it says i am over my limit by 195%
i know i'm not always the brightest star in the sky but unless i am a complete idiot, there is something wrong.
please help, this is very frustrating
update:
I was finally able to find an "empty recycle button" but it was only available in the section where it said my account had been frozen due to lack of space. I clicked on it and it has been "retrieving the files" for 10 minutes now. something is not right.
UnPfhorgivenI ran into this same problem and after a lot of trial and error, I found the fix. One Drive seemsw to have a problem deleting loads of files at once. I discovered that you can batch delete from the recycle bin but only 50 items at a time. If you go over 50 the delete option vanishes. A little more time consuming, but at least it works. Hope that helps.
Jason_Forbis where is that delete button? Can you share a screenshot?
Because I selected one item and looked everywhere but couldn't find it.
- Floenerys once you check the files for deletion, the button appears at the top bar beside "restore"
- Floenerys once you check the files for deletion, the button appears at the top bar beside "restore"
- So did it finally empty? Im stuck with the same problem
UnPfhorgivenI also am stuck with it saying retrieving files. I am not over limit. I am currently a target of multi-pronged effort to gain access to my accounts and data and a SIM-swap will probably be next for me. It is troubling I cannot delete OneDrive files and they will likely be compromised.
UnPfhorgiven I have found the button. When you are in OneDrive, where your recyle bin is, there is a left hand side menu.
Click on Premium One Drive
From that page, click on "manage storage". You will find a "free storage: empty recycle bin" button.
However, as the other person in this thread mentioned, once you click on delete, it just stays stuck on a pop up that says "retrieving items".
According to a 2018 conversation in the Microsoft tech team community, it's by design. If you have more than 102 items to delete, then you cannot delete anything at all.
Great example of flawed designs that don't matter to modify to please customer demand.
Currently running into the same problem. The most convenient way out of the limited options I found so far is opening Onedrive on my Iphone then clicking on the Files icon at the bottom of the screen and it will list all your files. I scrolled to the bottom of those files and clicked on the Recycle Bin icon. Click on any item long enough until you have a blue circle appear beside it and it then gives you the option to mark the files you want to delete permanently albeit you need to still click each item individually and after click the bin icon.
I installed Firefox, logged in to my Microsoft 365 account, and was able to empty the recycle bin on the OneDrive website.
- Sadly didn’t work for me.
UnPfhorgivenThis "Problem" has been reported in many threads. I found that you can "easily" empty the recycle bin from the onedrive app on your phone. But I realized that the Recycle Bin DOES NOT count against your storage. I have checked this out continually for a week or more and by cecking the size of the OneDrive folder on my PC and comparing it to the size reported by the OneDrive ap both online and in the settings tab on my PC that they are identical (except for rounding) even when I have a ton of files in the Recycle Bin.
Try it yourself, if you want. Copy a large file to the OneDrive folder. Check your folder sizes. Wait until it uploads. Then delete it. Check your folder sizes in the app. That file you deleted is in the Recycle Bin BUT NOT in your total storage.
I do not know why M/S hasn't responed to any of these threads. I am not an emplyoee nor an independent advisor. I was just as concerned with the "Problem" as everyone else. I just did my analysis and found what I found.
