Lately, when I click on the Recycle Bin icon (or the folder in Explorer), I am told that there are no items in the bin. If I click on File in the command bar, the “Empty Recycle Bin” is available and when I click it, it asks if I want to delete # of files.
What gives here? I am using WinMe. I searched the Microsoft Knowledge Base to no avail.
They might be hidden files. In the folder, go to view -> folder options, select the “view” tab, and make sure “show all files” is selected in the “hidden files” section.
Though I have 98, not ME, so it might be slightly different.
They’re just regular files and they are not set as hidden. Sometimes the files appear, sometimes not.
Happens to me too. Same OS. Oddness.
I’ve noted this once or twice, as well. I think what happened in my case was:
I ‘emptied’ the recycle bin, deleting the files therein
I went on do other things, without rebooting the system
One or another of these things locked up my system, forcing a 3-finger salute/hard reboot
Windows, not having shut down/updated the registry properly, did not realize that said bin had been emptied, and reported incorrectly that there were files there
I think. Maybe. This is with Win98, BTW. I don’t recall 95 ever doing this. You’re not alone in seeing it more than once, nor in not understanding it.
[sub]Some help I am, I know.[/sub]
Actually, I encountered this problem today in XP and it startled me… When I clicked “Empty Recycle Bin”, it asked, “Are you sure you want to delete WINDOWS”. It still says it at this moment…and the file does not show up in the recycle bin (it’s not hidden either). What should I do?
Easy.
Open Explorer, click on Recycle Bin.
There is your file list 
Nope. Doesn’t show up there either.