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    How you change what happens to deleted files which are on usb drives?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Freelancer332, Jul 20, 2008.

  1. Freelancer332

    Freelancer332 Notebook Evangelist

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    When I delete files on usb flash drives, they skip the recycle bin and get deleted automatically.
    Is there anyway to change it so that the files get put in the recycling bin first?

    Thanks,
    Freelancer
     
    Freelancer332, Jul 20, 2008
    #1
  2. Arki

    Arki Super Moderator

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    I'm not sure how but that would require the files to be transfered over onto your OS HDD and then be deleted.
     
    Arki, Jul 20, 2008
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  3. Gregory

    Gregory disassemble?

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    It might be more practical to simply create a folder on the flash drive called 'Recycle Bin'. You could change the shortcut picture to something more appropriate.

    Then if you wanted you could also make a shortcut to that folder on your desktop. Of course the link will only work when the drive is in your USB drive.

    You could even put a 'Send To USB Recycle Bin' shortcut in the right-click context menu (sending it to that folder).
     
    Gregory, Jul 20, 2008
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  4. flipfire

    flipfire Moderately Boss

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    When you delete something off a USB by accident they are just wiped off the record table. Use www.recuva.com to try restore it.

    As for your question, im not sure if you can do that. Try enabling sharing for the USB drive, that might fool it as an internal drive
     
    flipfire, Jul 20, 2008
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  5. swarmer

    swarmer beep beep

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    Right-click the Recycle Bin, select Properties... see if your USB drive shows up in the list and if you can select to send deleted files to the Recycle Bin.

    I use the Recycle Bin on my USB drive. It's a hard drive rather than flash, but... I don't see how that should matter. However, I can imagine that if it's a small drive, it may turn this off by default.

    I think it actually keeps a separate recycle bin on each drive, even though it might display all of them lumped together when you double-click the recycle bin icon on the desktop.
     
    swarmer, Jul 20, 2008
    #5