{"id":"freeing-space.how-much-of-my-drive-can-the-recycle-vault-use","url":"/faq/freeing-space/how-much-of-my-drive-can-the-recycle-vault-use","category":{"id":"freeing-space","title":"Freeing up space"},"subcategory":{"id":"recycle-vault","title":"Recycle Vault"},"question":"Can the Recycle Vault fill up my external drive?","alt_questions":["Recycle Vault using too much external drive space","Recycle Vault budget percent","Will removed files fill my SSD?","Limit Recycle Vault size","Recycle Vault drive space","What happens when the Recycle Vault reaches its share of my external drive?","Recycle Vault full external drive","Use at most percent of the external drive","Will the Recycle Vault fill my SSD?","Recycle Vault drive budget"],"short_answer":"No. It's capped at a share of the drive — 20% by default, adjustable from 5% to 80% — and over budget it clears the oldest items already past their keep time first.","answer_markdown":"No. The vault has a budget on your external drive — 20% of the drive by default, adjustable in its settings between 5% and 80% — so it can never fill the drive.\n\nIf it goes over budget, it clears the oldest items that are already past their roughly 6-month keep time first; items still within that time aren't removed to make room. You can also free space yourself with **Delete now**. See [Recycle Vault settings](/faq/settings/what-can-i-change-in-recycle-vault-settings).","answer_html":"

No. The vault has a budget on your external drive — 20% of the drive by default, adjustable in its settings between 5% and 80% — so it can never fill the drive.

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If it goes over budget, it clears the oldest items that are already past their roughly 6-month keep time first; items still within that time aren't removed to make room. You can also free space yourself with Delete now. See Recycle Vault settings.

","answer_text":"No. The vault has a budget on your external drive — 20% of the drive by default, adjustable in its settings between 5% and 80% — so it can never fill the drive.\n\nIf it goes over budget, it clears the oldest items that are already past their roughly 6-month keep time first; items still within that time aren't removed to make room. You can also free space yourself with Delete now. See Recycle Vault settings.","tags":["recycle vault","external drive","budget","limits"],"related":[{"id":"freeing-space.how-do-i-permanently-delete-from-the-recycle-vault","question":"How do I permanently delete items from the Recycle Vault?","url":"/faq/freeing-space/how-do-i-permanently-delete-from-the-recycle-vault"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"Can the Recycle Vault fill up my external drive? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"No. It's capped at a share of the drive — 20% by default, adjustable from 5% to 80% — and over budget it clears the oldest items already past their keep time first.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Freeing up space","path":"/faq/freeing-space/"},{"name":"Can the Recycle Vault fill up my external drive?","path":"/faq/freeing-space/how-much-of-my-drive-can-the-recycle-vault-use"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/how-much-of-my-drive-can-the-recycle-vault-use","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Can the Recycle Vault fill up my external drive?","alternateName":["Recycle Vault using too much external drive space","Recycle Vault budget percent","Will removed files fill my SSD?","Limit Recycle Vault size","Recycle Vault drive space","What happens when the Recycle Vault reaches its share of my external drive?","Recycle Vault full external drive","Use at most percent of the external drive","Will the Recycle Vault fill my SSD?","Recycle Vault drive budget"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. The vault has a budget on your external drive — 20% of the drive by default, adjustable in its settings between 5% and 80% — so it can never fill the drive.\n\nIf it goes over budget, it clears the oldest items that are already past their roughly 6-month keep time first; items still within that time aren't removed to make room. You can also free space yourself with Delete now. See Recycle Vault settings.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/freeing-space/how-much-of-my-drive-can-the-recycle-vault-use"}}]},"fragment":"
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Freeing up space · Recycle Vault

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Can the Recycle Vault fill up my external drive?

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Short answer: No. It's capped at a share of the drive — 20% by default, adjustable from 5% to 80% — and over budget it clears the oldest items already past their keep time first.

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No. The vault has a budget on your external drive — 20% of the drive by default, adjustable in its settings between 5% and 80% — so it can never fill the drive.

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If it goes over budget, it clears the oldest items that are already past their roughly 6-month keep time first; items still within that time aren't removed to make room. You can also free space yourself with Delete now. See Recycle Vault settings.

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