How to Show, Hide and Find Recycle Bin

David Darlington

Dec 25, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions

It was a cool August 24, 1995, when Microsoft released its long-awaited and critically acclaimed Windows 95, which introduced the world to modern computer software layout, believe it or not, things have not changed much in the overall functionality. One of the features that have remained for more than twenty years is the Recycle Bin.

It is by far the most recognizable icon in Windows, whether it is 95, XP, Vista, 7, 8, or 10, which is why, when you can't find the symbol you're left wondering "Where is my Recycle Bin?" This is a common occurrence ever since Windows 8 came out and later evolved into Windows 10. Luckily, if you are one of those people, we are here to help you.

Part 1. Where is Recycle Bin in Windows 10/7?

Most of the Android users have experienced this kind of situation when they lost the audio files unexpectedly. Sometimes files get lost and the users fail to recover it. Here are some reasons that cause file loss in Android phones:

However, if said files are too big, they will be deleted from your computer. By heading over to the Recycle Bin location, you can restore these files to their original folder. While these items remain in the trash bin, they cannot be used. The Recycle Bin has been a staple on Windows since the 95 version.

"Where is the Recycle Bin in Windows 10?" How many times have you ask yourself that question when you have been unable to find the Recycle Bin location. Well, let's give you a hand with that if you can't find it on your desktop there always to effective alternatives, File Explorer and Run Prompt, here is how to do it:

1. Launch the File Explorer, and click the ">" located next to the address bar, (you know the one where you can type) a menu slides open containing all your desktop icons, including the elusive Recycle Bin.
2. The other option is using the Run Prompt to open the Recycle Bin. Just hit the windows key plus "R" and enter the command "Shell:Desktop"

With these two useful tips, you'll no longer be left wondering "Where is my Recycle Bin."

As you may already know, the Recycle Bin icon has been part of computer software for decades, most of your deleted items end up in there. Sometimes, Windows 7 users find themselves wondering where to find Recycle Bin.

The next steps will show how to find the location of your Recycle Bin in the event you are unable to find it on among your desktop icons.

• First of all, right-click on an open space on your desktop and click on "personalize."
• After that, click on "change desktop icons."
• Check the box right next to "Recycle Bin."
• Finally, click "Apply", and then "Ok."

Part 2. How to Show/Hide Recycle Bin in Windows 10/7?

Customizing your desktop is one of the main advantages Windows has offered their customers for years. It is an efficient way to increase work productivity as well as providing a uniquely personal experience. However, sometimes, some of the icons display tend to vanish all of a sudden. One of those items that disappear is the Recycle Bin. Here you will find the best ways to show this iconic logo.

• The first step will be to log on, to your computer.
• Right-click on the start button and hit Control Panel.
• Once in the Control Panel window type in "Desktop Common" in the search bar.
• Then, click on the Show/Hide common icon option. You'll find it under the Personalization tab.
• Once there you can either check the box right next to the Recycle Bin icon or unchecked, depending on whether you want to hide it or show it.

There are two types of people in the World, those who preferred to show their Recycle Bin icon on their desktops and those who don't. If you are one or the other, here you will learn how to display it and how to hide it.

Above you were shown how to show/hide the icon on Windows 10, but how about Windows 7? Well, these next steps will show you how to remove Recycle Bin from desktop Windows 7:

• Right-click on an open area of Desktop.
• Click on personalize.
• Click on Desktop Icon.
• Check or uncheck the box right next to the Recycle Bin icon, depending on what you want to do.

Part 3.How to put Recycle Bin in Other Locations.s

One of the main reasons why people always preferred to pin their Recycle Bin to the taskbar is due to convenience if you have multiple windows open, getting to the Recycle Bin can be somewhat of a hassle. Follow these steps, and you will no longer have to ask in frustration, where do I find the Recycle Bin in Windows 10!?

• First, right-click on the taskbar.
• Second, click on toolbars, and then, "New Toolbar."
• Third, a dialog pops-up asking you to select a folder, click on it and paste the following "%appdata%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch" without the (").
• Fourth, click on the Select Folder button.
• Finally, the toolbar will appear to the far right of the screen, click on the dotted lines and drag it to the left.

If you use the Recycle Bin quite often, then you could benefit from adding quick access to the File Explorer, and here is how you can finally do it, without ever having to get frustrated because you don't know where to find Recycle Bin Windows 10.

Since it's released, Windows 10 has tried to simplify a lot of things to make our lives easier. However, it has done so at the expense of other amenities. One of those simple things that got lost in translation is the Recycle Bin icon, sometimes you just don't know where the Recycle Bin in Windows 10 is. Follow the step below to find out how to create a shortcut for the Recycle Bin in File Explorer.

Creating a shortcut to the File Explorer panel is known as the "Show all Folders" method, and it is by far the easiest way to do it.

• First, open any folder to bring the File Explorer up.
• Second, click on the "view" tab -> "navigation pane" -> "show all folders."
• Third, you'll see several icons, including Recycle Bin, you can choose to leave it there or drag it onto "Favorites" for quicker access.

Part 4. How to fix "Can't Find Recycle Bin.

The Recycle Bin is one of the most recognizable icons in Windows. But sometimes it tends to act a bit erratic sometimes, one day you may turn on your computer and find the icon missing, which will prompt you to yell in frustration (much like Khaleesi when her Dragons got stolen) "WHERE IS MY RECYCLE BIN!?" But don't worry, you won't have to go to war with the Seven Kingdoms to find them, the following methods will get you there without trouble.

1. Restoring the Recycle Bin.

If by any chance you have accidentally disabled your Recycle Bin, then Windows won't show it on the desktop screen. Before you try anything, just make sure you haven't unintentionally disabled it. If you have, then follow these next steps to revert the situation.

• First, click on the "Start" button, hit "Settings," and then on "Personalization," on the left panel click on Themes.
• Second, under the "Related Settings" tab click on "Desktop Icon Settings," a list of icons will display, check the box right next to the Recycle Bin, this will make it appear on the Desktop Screen once again.

If the problem persists after those steps, then pay attention to the next ones.

2. Recreate Recycle Bin.

If restoring the Recycle Bin icon fails it means it may have been accidentally deleted (ironically, but a real possibility) then, you will need to recreate it, and here is how you are going to do it.

• First, launch the File Explorer, click on "view," and then hit "options," press the ">" icon next to the direction bar, and finally check the box next to the "Change folder and search option."
• Second, in the "Folder Options" menu hit the "View" tab, and check the box next to "Show hidden files...," uncheck the box "Hide protected operating system files."
• Finally, click on "Apply" and then "Ok."

To make sure it worked, open the File Explorer again, go to "This PC" go to "C" and right at the top you'll see "$recycle.Bin." clicked open the folder to see the Recycle Icon at the top. As a final step, right-click on the icon and hit "Send To" to recreate a shortcut to the Desktop screen.

3. Repair Recycle Bin.

If the last two methods fail to deliver the results you were expecting, and you are still wondering where the heck the Recycle Bin location is. Well, sometimes due to corrupted Windows files, the Recycle Bin icon is forcibly removed, but fear not, if you follow the next steps you should be able to fix the problem for good.

• First, press the Windows button plus the X key, then right-click on "Command Prompt" and finally hit "Run as Administrator," and click "Yes" if any dialog window pops-up.
• Second, type these commands one and by one in the same order, and then hit "Enter."

4. Disable Tablet Mode.

If the problems persist, then there is one final thing you could do, make sure your computer isn't in Tablet Mode. To find this out follow these simple steps.

• First, click on Start Menu, hover over to settings, and hit System settings.
• Second, click over Tablet Mode, and make sure the buttons "Hide app icons on the taskbar" and "Automatically hide the taskbar" are in the off position.

As you may or may not know, Windows 10 was designed to work on your computer as well as handheld devices, this means your computer could've accidentally shifted to Tablet Mode. This option hides all icons from the desktop. Also, this is a problem more commonly found on those Laptops that doubled as Tablets.

Part 5. Tips for Using Recycle Bin.

As a bonus, near the end of this guide, you'll learn about the top 5 useful tips and tricks for using the Recycling Bin in Windows 10, so you'll get the most out of it.

1. Enable delete confirmation.

Win 10 default settings don't show delete confirmation dialog for the Recycle Bin. In other words, any file you choose to delete will be sent directly to the Bin without so much as asking if you are sure about your decision. The problem with this setting is that you may accidentally delete important files without realizing it. Follow these steps to activate the confirmation dialog.

• First, right-click on the trash bin icon on the desktop screen, and then hit properties.
• Second, check the box next to "Display delete confirmation dialog."

If the problem persists after those steps, then pay attention to the next ones.

2. Automatic deletion of old files.

This trick allows you to automatically delete old files found on the Recycle Bin.

• First, go to the "Settings app," then "System," and finally "Storage."
• Second, on the Storage tab turn the Storage Sense option on, and then click on "Change how we free up space automatically."
• Third, under the Temporary Files window, check the box next to "Delete temporary files that my apps aren't using," and pick the number of days that suits you best.

3. Change the Recycle Bin Size.

If you are running out of space, you may want to take advantage of this tip.

• First, right-click on the Recycle Bin icon and hit on properties.
• Second, in "Settings for Selected Location," check the Custom Size option and type in a value in MB.

4. Recovering deleted data using Recoverit Data Recovery.

• Select the location: After launching the software, it is essential to select the location or the drive from which the files were lost or deleted.

  

• Scan selected location: The next important step to keep in mind while dealing with our accidental experiments with 'how to empty trash bin on Mac' is to scan the disk that was selected in the previous step.

  

• Preview and Recover: Once the scanning is done, we can get a clear picture of the deleted files and folders. This is the right time to take a deep breath and review the files in detail. Some files may not be recoverable, and sadly, this is the only bad news you may have to deal with! Now that the scanning process is done, we can mark the files and folders that have to be recovered. After selecting the files, we can now click on the "Recover" option for bringing the files back on our Mac systems.

  

Video Tutorial on Mac File Recovery

5. Turning off the Recycle Bin.

This is a bit extreme, however, some people find it useful. To disable your Recycle Bin feature follow these steps.

• First, right-click on the icon and then hit properties.
• Second, check the option "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted.