How to Restore a Recycle Bin to the Desktop

If you accidentally delete the Recycle Bin from the desktop in Windows XP or Windows Vista, you may worry about not being able to toss the trash on your computer. However, you can still send items to the Recycle Bin because it's not gone--it's only invisible. Restoring it can be simple or a little troublesome, depending on whether you're using XP, which requires tweaking the Registry to restore the Recycle Bin, or Vista, which has a Control Panel option for restoring the Recycle Bin.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Windows Vista

1. Click the "Start" icon and the Start Menu will appear.

2. Click "Control Panel."

3. Click "Appearance and Personalization" and then click "Personalization."

4. Click on "Change desktop items."

5. Check the box next to "Recycle Bin" and click "OK" to restore the icon to the desktop.

Windows XP

6. Click on "Start" and when the Start Menu appears, click on "Run..."

7. Type "regedit" in the allotted space and click "OK" to enter the Registry Editor.

8. Navigate to the "NameSpace" registry key by clicking on each of the following entries:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
   SOFTWARE
   Microsoft
   Windows
   CurrentVersion
   Explorer
   Desktop
   NameSpace

9. Right-click on "NameSpace" and a drop-down menu will appear. Run the mouse pointer over "New" and another menu will appear. Click on "Key."

10. Type "{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}" in the allotted space and press the "Enter" key.

11. Click on the "{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}" Registry key and click on "(Default)" in the right pane. A dialogue box will appear, allowing you to edit the value.

12. Type "Recycle Bin" in the "Value data" section and click "OK." Close the Registry Editor and the Recycle Bin should be restored to the desktop.

Tips & Warnings

• Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly, therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Instructions for this process are available at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/.

References

• Microsoft Support: How do I make the Recycle Bin appear on my desktop in Windows Vista or in Windows XP?