How to recover or restore a missing Recycle Bin icon in Windows Vista
Posted on December 25, 2007 at 6:19 am
Doing some spring cleaning on your computer and accidentally delete the Recycle Bin icon in Windows Vista? If your Recycle Bin icon is missing in Windows Vista, there’s a simple way you can get it back without having to edit the registry, etc as you might have read somewhere else. Unfortunately, it’s not the same method you would recover the Recycle Bin icon in Windows XP, so that’s why I get asked this question so much!
So without further ado, here’s how you would get your Recycle Bin icon back in Windows Vista if you deleted it or removed it by accident.
First, right-click on the Desktop and select Personalize. In the dialog box on the right hand side, there should be an option called Change desktop icons.
On the Change desktop icons dialog box, go ahead and check the Recycle Bin box to add that back to your desktop. You’ll notice that there is a Full Recycle Bin and Empty Recycle Bin icon.
If you click Apply, your icon should now be back on the desktop. However, there may be an issue for some people in which the Recycle Bin continually shows full or empty and does not change depending on if something is added or removed from the trash. It’s almost like Windows Vista gets confused and simply uses one icon instead of switching back and forth.
If you have this problem where the recycle bin icon does not change to reflect “full” and “empty” then you need to first check off Recycle Bin icon like shown above. Then go ahead and left click on the Recycle Bin full icon and click Change Icon. Select the highlighted icon which should be the full Recycle Bin icon. Do the same thing with the empty Recycle Bin icon and go ahead and click Apply.
The Recycle Bin icon should now be on your desktop and should automatically update based on whether there is data in the trash or not. Hopefully this helps out someone who has accidentally removed their Recycle Bin icon from their Vista desktop! Enjoy!
[tags]recover recycle bin icon, restore recycle bin, deleted recycle bin, vista recycle bin, recycle bin icons, find recycle bin, deleted recycle bin vista[/tags]
» Filed Under Windows Vista
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I had deleted my recycle bin and you have helped me to recover it! I thought I was going to have to have a “shortcut” recycle bin forever!!! Thanks!
This is an excellent article. I had almost the same problem with Rhonda, but my problem was missing computer icon on the desktop. I’ve been spent a lot of time to recover my computer icon on the desktop. Now I can restore my computer icon. Thanks alot!
Thank you so much for posting this! I couldn’t believe I deleted the bin in the fist place, then I couldn’t figure out how to restore it! Your page was easy to follow and now I have my recycle bin back!!!!! Thanks alot!
Thank you so much- not only is this my first time using Vista, my OS is in Japanese!! So I couldn’t risk searching around for my icon and accidentally screwing up my system!!
thanx a million i had the same problem with rhonda bt within minutes i had restored my recycle bin
Thanx You so much i got my recycle bin back finally after a couple of weeks of trying to figure out how to get it back i asked all my teachers in school and no one knew then im like maybe i should search the net and i did and found ur website..Thanx a bunch
I have the same problem above .. but I solve it accourding to this wonderful methode .. I appreciate for you .
Thanks for this. Much appreciated.
OMG. Thanks i was going crazy. Not being able to find a methid to recover my recycle bin. Thanks alot agian!
thanks now my recycle bin is in my desktop.before that i almost faintad
Thank you, you saved me!!!
B-
You’re a life saver! Thanks a lot, I was banging my head against the wall and even that wasn’t helping!
Thank you for your quick and easy fix!
Phew!! Thanks Computer Guy
when i tried to clean up my system, suddenly recycle bin icon was missing, this article simply superb and gave a tips exactly for what i was searching.
Thanks a lot
thank you so much. you really helped me. = )
Very helpful. I believe, “In the dialog box on the right hand side, there should be an option called Change desktop icons,” should read, “In the dialog box on the LEFT HAND side, there should be an option called Change desktop icons,” instead.
Thanks alot! I was really worried there for a while after i accidentally deleted the recycle bin. Thanks.
Great! Had no problem placing the Recycle Bin back on my desktop.–Thanks
Just wanted to say thanks much!
Your solution worked a treat, and was in plain simple language and easy to follow, thanks.
I do not remember deleting anything off my desktop but my recycle bin was missing, it is back now thanks to this article!
Nice! Thanks!
Thanks guys. Such an easy fix I am shocked.
Thank you for this simple but effective fix. I’ve been living with the shortcut for the recycle bin and now it’s finally fixed
nice…i accidentally deleted my recycle bin icon too.. ^^” thanks
ah! lifesaver. thank you! this was easy
eccellent article, l got my recyclebin back, thank you so much
Thanks thanks thanks!!! I’ve been finding the recycle bin shortcut for almost a day!! and been horrible for it.
Whew! Thank you so much!!
thanks a lots.. a got my recycle bin back.. n I totally panic before this
thank you for your guide lines’
easy to follow.
Ditto what everyone else said about deleting the bin. You’re the bomb! Thank you.
thanks for u r help
very useful for my work
Perfect. Simple. Worked.
It didn’t help. My recycle bin disappeared just like that on my Windows Vista Home Premium. I tried the steps above and some others suggested by different sites, and none of them restored my recycle bin.
Oops I did it again, thanks so much for all your help.
What a great help! more power to ya…
thxx it did work
OMG! Thank you! I thought I had messed up big time. This helped a ton.
Works like a charm
This has been such a big help! I’ve spent countless hours trying to figure out how to recover my recycle bin icon after accidentally deleting it. And like Rhonda, I had to make do with a “shortcut” recycle bin for months. Thanks for the article!
This option didnt work for me. My recycle bin is still not showing
Any other ideas?
Boy o boy, i’m very thrilled and relieved after restoring my Recycle Bin Icon by simply following your instruction. Thank you very much.
THANK YOU!!!! My recycle bin has been restored!
Thank you Thank you Thank you. This was driving me freaking crazy for the longest time.
THANKS…..love a successful fix…
WOW!!! I am so excited to have my recycling bin back!!! It was holding so much crap in it using up space on my hard drive! So easy! Thanks guys!!!
Thanks for the info! I never would have thought of that, and thats probably why I’m here thanking whoever put this info up! LOL!
Many thanks!! It worked perfectly!! Got that pesky recycle bin back on the desktop!
this totally worked
thanks
Got my recycle bin back!
Hey thanks for the help man! I was freaking out a lil…lol. Thanks for the help site!
You fixed my problem! Thank you so much.
**-** Any thoughts on how it was deleted in the first place? **-**
Thank you so much. Your instructions were so easy to follow. I have my recyle bin back!!!
thank you, your page was of great help to me! I thought i had lost my file inside the recycle bin….but I was able to recover it. Thanks.
You just made it work. Thanks.
Thank you sooooo much! I really appreciate this! Not to be a nub or anything but i really thought someone got to my computer through those weird rouge emails.
Your the bomb. Thankx for the info. Now I know where to go to get fast, quick and easy answers.
thank you for helping me get my recycle icon back!
Great to have someone who knows what they’re talking about – and is prepared to help. Worked a treat. Now to be annoyingly picky, the dialog box with the Change desktop icons option is actually on the LEFT hand side of the personalization window on my machine and as illustrated by you
Thanks a lot. With professional advise it was so easy to get my recycle bin icon back!