# Why does my Recycle Bin NOT displat its contents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2002, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922 "2002-11-02T00:20:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/1 "2002-11-02T00:20:04Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Phoenix\_Dragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Phoenix\_Dragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phoenix_Dragon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/2 "2002-11-02T02:21:33Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/3 "2002-11-02T03:21:28Z")
They’re just regular files and they are not set as hidden. Sometimes the files appear, sometimes not. ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/4 "2002-11-02T04:15:26Z")
Happens to me too. Same OS. Oddness. ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/5 "2002-11-02T07:39:02Z")
I’ve noted this once or twice, as well. I **think** what happened in my case was: 1. I ‘emptied’ the recycle bin, deleting the files therein 2. I went on do other things, without rebooting the system 3. One or another of these things locked up my system, forcing a 3-finger salute/hard reboot 4. 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] ---
**Author:** ![Duderdude2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/6 "2002-11-02T07:44:06Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/7 "2002-11-02T14:53:39Z")
Easy. Open Explorer, click on Recycle Bin. There is your file list 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-my-recycle-bin-not-displat-its-contents/134922/8 "2002-11-02T15:15:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Easy. > > Open Explorer, click on Recycle Bin. > > There is your file list 🙂 \*\* Nope. Doesn’t show up there either.