# PC: Recycle Bin Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 17, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970 "2003-10-17T10:58:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/1 "2003-10-17T10:58:20Z")
Due to some unfortunate mis-clicking on the destop, my recycle bin icon has somehow disappeared! I have no idea wad was clicked. Tried searching for it but cant find it, tried copying it from my laptop but only a shortcut is copied. And the shortcut cant be opened at that. How do i get back my bin? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/2 "2003-10-17T12:10:00Z")
What version of Windows are you using? Try right-clicking your desktop and hitting **Arrange Icons|By Name**. This will move the Recycle Bin back if it’s been dragged off the edge of the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/3 "2003-10-17T12:13:40Z")
Using WinXPpro. Im having my destop on auto arrange. Its jus not on the destop. ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/4 "2003-10-17T12:43:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nishroch Order \* > \*\* How do i get back my bin? \*\* Now and then I accidental delete mine. For W-XP. Right click Start / Select Explore all users / Scroll down on the left side to the Recycle Bin / Right click, select Open / Right click on Recycle Bin and select “Restore”. ---
**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/5 "2003-10-17T13:11:40Z")
Scrolled down…cant find recycle bin. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/6 "2003-10-17T13:21:26Z")
Open Windows Explorer. Select folders from the toolbar if you haven’t already. The Recycle bin should be on the left. Reduce the size of WE and drag the Recycle Bin icon to your desktop. Tada, and new shortcut. ---
**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/7 "2003-10-17T14:06:13Z")
hmm…did as advised…but recycle bin cannot be found in the windows explorer…its jus not there among the string of other thingys…☹ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/8 "2003-10-17T15:06:22Z")
Here’s some helpful links: [http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts\_desc/rec\_bin.htm](http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/rec_bin.htm) [http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=810869](http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=810869) ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/9 "2003-10-17T15:15:24Z")
Re-start and try the above tips again. I once had the “Find Files/Search” function disappear. A re-start fixed it. You may have to resort to a go-back application to get the desktop back to the way it was before the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/10 "2003-10-17T15:16:32Z")
What happens when you try to delete something?? ---
**Author:** ![Nishroch\_Order](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Nishroch\_Order](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nishroch_Order)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/11 "2003-10-17T15:38:17Z")
Woppie!!! Problem solved! Thx zipperJJ!!! oh, previously, deleting and emptying of recycle bin still works. its jus i cant view its contents. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/12 "2003-10-18T04:16:13Z")
I don’t get it! You threw your trash can in the trash and deleted it? Is this like a Klein bottle or something? ---
**Author:** ![olefin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@olefin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/olefin)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/13 "2003-10-18T14:43:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*I don’t get it! You threw your trash can in the trash and deleted it? > > \*\* Well… several times I have right clicked on my Recycle Bin meaning to select **Empty \*\* but I have accidentally hit** Delete!\*\* Get it? Some of us are not perfect. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-recycle-bin-question/207970/14 "2003-10-18T18:05:49Z")
I’m still astonished that Windows lets you do that without tossing up a special warning. You expect that from a Unix command line but from an end-user GUI you’d think you’d see **WARNING You are about to delete your Recycle Bin icon from the Desktop. Are you entirely sure you want to do that? Have you checked your blood sugar lately? Cancel/Continue** (I could nuke mine by accident on MacOS X but that’s because mine isn’t really the Trash Can (which Apple moved to the Dock, and I took the Dock out back and killed it because I hate the Dock), it’s just an alias to the actual invisible .Trash resource.)