October 8, 2026

Let Storage Sense empty the recycle bin on a schedule

Settings > System > Storage > Storage Sense. Uncheck Downloads if you keep installers there.

• Windows
• Moderate · 3 min
• Windows 11
• Fix: turn on Storage Sense in Windows 11
• Cheat sheet

How to do it

1. 01

   Open Settings > System > Storage.

2. 02

   Turn Storage Sense on.

3. 03

   Open the Storage Sense settings under the switch.

4. 04

   Leave temporary files and the recycle bin on a schedule if you want. Turn off cleanup of the Downloads folder unless you are sure it only holds junk.

Run it once with the button on that page if you want to see it work today. After that the schedule is the point.