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:
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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Ronald
Dear Vishal,
this is a very common problem seeing as how the context menu offers you the option to delete
i right clicked my recycle bin,
clicked on delete because that is what i want to do
and poof my entire recycle bin disappears before my eyes 


i have done this many times already
Windows XP never had that option so it took me about 18 times to learn not to delete but to empty,
but now i strictly use CCleaner @ http://www.ccleaner.com and have not had this "happen again
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
VG
Yep. I have received lots of mails asking solution of this annoying problem, so today I decided to write this tutorial.
Ronald
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
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.
VG
^^ lol.
china
Lee
flory
tanks very much for help .........love u
piellepi
Hi VG!
if I delete a file, I can't see again the full recycle bin icon automatically, but only refreshing the desktop manually (F5).
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
The same happens when I empty the recycle bin: the icon remains the full one
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.
piellepi
Thanks VG!
I tried your suggestion but unfortunately the problem still remains...