I need some help here. I want to use the safe containers at the ruined Helgen Inn, but I want to clear those bandits out first. The ones that are supposed to show up after a few days. Well, 10 in game days have passed, and they will not spawn. I have not progressed in the main quest at all. Is there something which triggers them?

Uhm, did you leave the cell? I mean, you need to leave the environment of Helgen alone of 10 days for it to be able to reset.

if you visit the same cell constantly waiting for stuff to be cleared (or re-spawned), the counter will only reset itself the moment you'll enter the cell, so it will never happen. You have to be away from a certain amount of time (I think it's two weeks, I'm not sure).

If you return before reset it can bug out and never reset again!

Thanks, everyone. I did not know about having to leave the cell.

Medz - about this bugging. Is Helgen the only thing which is affected by this?

Pretty sure it can happen with any cleared area. My giant camp has been bugged for awhile, along with some other areas.

As Medz74 said it can happen to other areas - the most annoying of which is the Shrine of Mehrunes Dagon.