Jan 15, 2024 • Filed to: Windows Computer Solutions • Proven solutions
The Recycle Bin 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.
We often get to get questions like "Where is my Recycle Bin" or "Where to find Recycle Bin in Windows 10". Well, to answer these questions, we must say that Windows is designed very accurately, so everything gets its place accordingly. Also, there are several drives inside "My Computer" and amongst these drives, everything gets stored. Similarly, the Recycle Bin feature of Windows is located generally in the "C drive" of My Computer in both Windows 7 and 10.
Before we discuss any further solutions, we need to know what recycle bin is, in windows 7/10. So, to simply state, when a user deletes the content, these files are not eradicated by Windows completely. Instead, they are stored in the folder known as Recycle Bin. So, Recycle Bin can simply be defined as a location that temporarily stores deleted files. It has various advantages and usages:
Many times, users are not able to find the location of the Recycle Bin on the desktop, especially with the updated versions of windows. You can learn to find the Recycle Bin location in Windows 10 by following the ways given below.
The Recycle Bin simply creates a shortcut on the desktop when the Windows is installed. You can directly click this shortcut and access the deleted contents in it.
If you are not able to find the Recycle Bin folder at the desktop, then you can also find it via Run prompt too. Open the Run command by pressing the Windows and the R keys at the same time. After opening the Run prompt, enter the "explorer.exe shell: RecycleBinFolder" and press enter.
If you are not able to find Recycle Bin on desktop or it seems difficult to access it via prompt, then you can access it via the Windows Explorer as well. The path of recycle bin is mostly My Computer > C drive > Recycle Bin. You can also go to the address bar on Explorer and enter "Recycle Bin" to locate Recycle Bin on Windows 10.
The Windows 7 Recycle Bin location is also similar to the above-listed solutions. You can find its icon on the desktop or go to the Explorer and look for Recycle Bin. In some versions, it can also be accessed from the taskbar or the start menu too.
As we are aware the Recycle Bin option is available on the desktop by default. But there are times when users wish to hide the recycle bin icon from the desktop or show it if it is already hidden. You can easily do this by following the simple steps given below.
Now when you know how to show or hide Recycle Bin, you can enable or disable it on the desktop anytime you want. Besides that, Windows also lets us create Recycle Bin on other locations as well. With this, we can easily understand where is the Recycle Bin located or access it instantly.
The taskbar is the most widely used part of the Windows desktop and it lets us navigate through different applications quickly. To save your time, you can just pin the Recycle bin icon to the taskbar by following these steps:
The second solution for where to find Recycle Bin involves accessing its shortcut on the explorer. The Windows Explorer is divided into two sections. The left panel has a list of all the Windows directories and important folder while on the right, we can explore all the stored files. To find the Recycle Bin icon, go to the left panel and right-click. Here, you can select the "Show All Folders" feature.
This will automatically load all the major folders on Windows, which would include the Recycle Bin icon. You can double-click it and access the Recycle Bin files.
As you might have read, there can be different ways to show or locate Recycle Bin in Windows. Sadly, users sometimes encounter the "Can't find Recycle Bin" error due to its unavailability. It can also happen if the Recycle Bin has been corrupted or deleted permanently. To fix this and learn where to find Recycle Bin, follow these solutions.
Firstly, check if the Recycle Bin has been deleted or has been just disabled. If it is disabled, then users can easily restore it. For this, go to Control Panel > Personalization > Desktop Icon Settings. From the pop-up window, enable the Recycle Bin checkbox. Save the changes and exit the window now.
If the Recycle Bin on Windows has been deleted altogether, then users are required to take some extra measures. To fix this problem, the Recycle Bin application is recreated on Windows with these steps.
The Recycle Bin folder can also get corrupt or become damaged. This can make it inaccessible on Windows for users. To repair Recycle Bin, you need to open the Command Prompt (Terminal) from the Start menu. Enter the following command and press enter: rd /s /q C:\$Recycle.bin
After the command is processed, go to the desktop, and check if you can open Recycle Bin or not.
Some latest Windows versions also support a tablet mode feature, which hides unwanted icons and services. If your computer is on the tablet mode then you would not be able to locate Recycle Bin in Windows 10 as well.
After answering common questions like "where is my Recycle Bin" or "how to hide Recycle Bin", we would be able to solve most of your doubts. There are also several other ways any Windows user can manage Recycle Bin. Some experienced users have shared the following tips about the Recycle bin in Windows that you can also consider the following.
A lot of people think that data once deleted from the Recycle Bin is gone forever. This is a common misconception as we can perform Recycle Bin data recovery with a trusted tool. Recoverit Data Recovery Mac is an exceptional application that can exactly do the same job. The tool follows a fast process and can retrieve the data previously emptied from Recycle Bin. It can get back photos, videos, documents, folders, and all sorts of content back to your computer.
Recycle Bin is a folder that can store the deleted data temporarily. Users can browse the deleted content whenever they want and restore it. Just select a file and right-click it. Again, click on the Restore button to save the data back to its original location.
Sometimes Recycle Bin can store a lot of data that can slow it down. You should make a habit of getting rid of any unwanted files from it or regularly. Alternatively, you can empty the recycle bin whenever it is needed. Just right-click the Recycle Bin icon and click on the "Empty Recycle Bin" option here to get rid of Recycle Bin content.
When a user would erase a data by pressing Shift + Delete keys, it would bypass the Recycle Bin. This way, the data would be deleted permanently and we won't be able to get it back so easily. Due to this, avoid removing files via Shift + Delete.
A lot of people don't know but Windows also allows us to customize the size of Recycle Bin as well. Just go to the Recycle Bin properties and in the general settings, look for the Customized Size option. Enter the size of Recycle Bin in MBs and apply these changes.
I'm sure that the guide would have helped you resolve queries like how to empty Recycle Bin in Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP or how to recover files from Recycle Bin. In case if you have lost some important files from Recycle Bin, then consider using Recoverit Data Recovery. It is a highly advanced and user-friendly solution to perform Recycle Bin recovery in minutes. You can get a premium subscription of Recoverit or try its free version as well by visiting its official website.
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David Darlington
staff Editor