How to Restore Recycle Bin Icon on Desktop in Windows Vista & Server 2008?



If you are using Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 and have accidentally deleted Recycle Bin icon from Desktop, then no need to worry. You can easily restore its icon on Desktop using following simple method:

1. Right-click on Desktop and select "Personalize". It'll open Personalization window. Now click on "Change desktop icons" link in left side pane. OR you can open it directly by providing following command in RUN or Startmenu Search box:

control desk.cpl,,@web

2. It'll open "Desktop Icon Settings" window as shown in following screenshot:

http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/9696/recyclebinwo4.jpg

3. Just enable "Recycle Bin" and Apply it.

4. Thats it. Your missing Recycle Bin icon will be back on Desktop.

Same tutorial can be used for enabling other Desktop icons.

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This article was posted in Troubleshooting, Windows Vista.


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18 Comments

  • Dear Vishal,

    this is a very common problem seeing as how the context menu offers you the option to delete :evil:
    i have done this many times already :oops: i right clicked my recycle bin, :neutral: clicked on delete because that is what i want to do :???: and poof my entire recycle bin disappears before my eyes :shock:
    Windows XP never had that option so it took me about 18 times to learn not to delete but to empty, :razz:
    but now i strictly use CCleaner @ http://www.ccleaner.com and have not had this "happen again :lol:
    I sure wish i had known about this when it happened the first time for i remember how much trouble it was to put it back in vista and i was afraid it would take the same amount of digging and finding.
    this might seem simple and kinda novice in aspect but i am sure there is a million people without their recycle bin who will read this and slap themselves like i did when i found out how simple it was to bring it back :wink:

  • VG

    Yep. I have received lots of mails asking solution of this annoying problem, so today I decided to write this tutorial. :)

  • Dear Vishal,

    well i am glad you did. I couldn't believe it the first time i did it. then i just got mad at myself the other 17 times :lol:
    I believe Microsoft did that on purpose just to have a good laugh. I laughed everytime my sister did it but i was there to help her find it. I never told her how i knew where it was though. :mrgreen:

  • VG

    ^^ lol. :razz:

  • :oops: thanks so much for the help !! :wink:

  • :grin: :roll: :lol: issue ressolved

  • tanks very much for help .........love u :oops: :roll: :eek: :cool: :smile: :wink: :grin: :razz: :lol: :cool: :eek: :roll: :oops: :evil: :neutral: :shock: :sad: :cry: :mad: :idea: :?: :?: :idea: :mad: :cry: :???: :sad: :shock: :neutral: :evil: :oops: :roll: :eek: :lol: :razz: :grin: :smile:

  • Hi VG!
    In my PC I have Vista Home Premium and I changed the recycle bin icons with 2 other new icons.
    Then I changed my mind and I restored the original ones with "Restore Defaults" button.
    Now :mad: if I delete a file, I can't see again the full recycle bin icon automatically, but only refreshing the desktop manually (F5).
    The same happens when I empty the recycle bin: the icon remains the full one :oops:
    Only when I refresh the desktop with F5, I can see again the empty bin... It's very annoying...
    What do you think about this new Vista bug?
    Pierluigi

  • VG

    ^^ It might be a bug. Try to enable/disable Recycle Bin icon on Desktop. It might work.

  • Thanks VG!
    I tried your suggestion but unfortunately the problem still remains... :sad:

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