How to Find a Missing Recycle Bin

There are a couple places to look for your missing recycle bin.

When working on your desktop, sometimes you can accidentally delete your recycle bin and not know it until you go to empty it. If your recycle bin is missing from your desktop, find and recover it so you can continue to empty it when it gets too full. A quick search will help you locate your recycle bin.

Instructions

1. Right-click any blank area of your desktop. In the menu that pops up, click on "Properties."

2. Click on the "Desktop" tab, and then click on the "Customize Desktop" button.

3. On the "General" tab, you will see a field with some standard desktop icons. Click on the "recycle bin" icon and then click on "Restore Default." Click "OK," "Apply" and "OK" again. You should see your recycle bin back on your desktop. If your recycle bin is still not appearing on your desktop, try the next steps.

4. Right-click a blank area of your taskbar, point to "Toolbars" and click on "Desktop."

5. Click on the double carets (>>) next to "Desktop" on your taskbar. Look for your recycle bin in the menu that comes up.

6. Drag the recycle bin from the menu to your desktop by clicking on it with your mouse, holding the mouse button down, and moving it to the desktop.