Lots Of Files in The Recycle Bin

Forum|Forum|9 months ago
May 11, 2025
3 replies
490 views

After I edit a photo in Lightroom (14.3.1) I name the photo then export it to my hard drive (one drive) in a folder of my choice.

I then delete the photo from Lightroom but not from the disc. Later I find a bunch of files in my Recycle Bin and I am not sure if that is due to my deleting the photo from Lightroom. Here is what I find in my recycle Bin (a small sample) Do you think I can safely delete all of this to free up my Recycle Bin?

Windows

Correct answer Ian Lyons

The files that are shown in your screenshot of the Recycle Bin are previews only and relate to the Previews database (xxx Previews.lrdata). They are in the bin because you removed the associated photos from the catalog. That being said, the lrdata files shoiuld not be visible in the bin

Ian Lyons

Correct answer

Community Expert

The files that are shown in your screenshot of the Recycle Bin are previews only and relate to the Previews database (xxx Previews.lrdata). They are in the bin because you removed the associated photos from the catalog. That being said, the lrdata files shoiuld not be visible in the bin

M

monique_1898Author

Participant

Thanks Ian for you reply. And taking the advice I received from Ken and Johan above I will no longer delete the photo from Lightroom moving forward. Maybe I will no longer see these odd files in my Recycle Bin

However these files lingering in my Recycle Bin - can I remove this permamently to reduce the size of the Bin? That's really what I need to know. I put an example below. TIA!!!

Monique

Ian Lyons

Community Expert

You should be safe enough to delete the files in the Recycle Bin.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

After I edit a photo in Lightroom (14.3.1) I name the photo then export it to my hard drive (one drive) in a folder of my choice. I then delete the photo from Lightroom but not from the disc.

By @monique_1898

I agree with Ken. Why do you delete the photo from Lightroom but not from disk? The edits are stored in the catalog, so by deleting the photo from Lightroom you delete the edits. As you do not delete it from disk, it seems you want to keep the photo, so why not keep it with it edits?

-- Johan W. Elzenga

KR Seals

Community Expert

From your post, it's not possible to see if those files in the recycle bin are image files. Are they? If so, the suffix should be .jpg or the suffix for your camera's raw files.

The procedure for "Remove Photo" in Lightroom Classic will give you two choices: "Delete from Disk" or "Remove from Lightroom Classic". The Remove from Lightroom choice will not put the file in the recycle bin, but Delete from Disk will.

I see no reason at all to Remove from Lightroom Classic if you are going to keep the files on the drive. There is no penalty at all to Lightroom Classic to keep all your files that you have in the catalog. Culling is different matter. Picking the photos you definitely do not want to keep can be marked with the X, sorted and all those rejects Deleted from Disk which will also Remove from Lightroom Catalog.

Ken Seals - Nikon Z 9, Z 8, 14mm-800mm. Computer Win 11 Pro, I7-14700K, 64GB, RTX3070TI. Travel machine: 2021 MacBook Pro M1 MAX 64GB. All Adobe apps.

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