How to Get to Your Recycle Bin

As you add new items to your Windows 7 desktop, they may overlay existing ones. This can make it difficult to find essential programs and features quickly. One of the most important Windows 7 desktop items is the Recycle Bin that holds your deleted files. If your desktop is too cluttered to search for that icon, or you simply wish to get to it quickly, there are several tricks you can use to find it in a flash.

Instructions

Find by Typing

1. Minimize all windows so you can see the desktop.

2. Click an empty space on the desktop.

3. Type "Recycle Bin." Windows will locate the Recycle Bin and highlight it.

Find Using the Start Menu

1. Click the Start menu and locate the Recycle Bin.

2. Right-click its icon and select "Create ShortCut" from the drop-down menu. Windows will create a duplicate icon and place it on the desktop.

3. Drag that new icon to the Start button at the bottom of your screen. Windows will place it in the Start menu.

4. Click the Start button to open the Start menu and verify that it contains that duplicate copy of the Recycle Bin. You will then be able to get to it from the desktop or the Start menu.

Find Using Shortcut Keys

1. Locate the duplicate Recycle Bin icon you placed in the Start menu.

2. Right-click that icon and select "Properties" to open the "Properties" window.

3. Click the "Shortcut Key" text box to place the mouse cursor there.

4. Hold down your "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys at the same time and type any other key on your keyboard. Windows will create a keyboard shortcut to the Recycle Bin. For example, if you hold down "Ctrl" and "Alt" and press "9," Windows will use "Ctrl," "Alt" and "9" as the keystrokes to access the Recycle Bin's shortcut.

5. Click "OK" to close the Properties Window.

6. Press the keyboard shortcut key combination you created. The Recycle Bin will open.

Tips & Warnings

• You cannot create a keyboard shortcut using the Recycle Bin icon. You must use the duplicate icon as described in these steps. To disable a keyboard shortcut that you created, right-click the duplicate Recycle Bin icon and select "Properties." Click the "Shortcut Key" text box to place your cursor there, and then press your space bar. Windows will deactivate the Recycle Bin's shortcut key combination. You can find any icon on your desktop by clicking an empty area on the desktop and typing the name of the icon you are looking for. Windows will highlight the icon that matches the words you type.

References

• Microsoft Windows: Customize the Start Menu
• Microsoft Windows: Create or Delete a Shortcut

Resources

• PCWorld: 20 Windows 7 Tips and Tricks for IT Admins; J. Peter Bruzzese; June 2010
• Microsoft Windows: Permanently Delete Files From the Recycle Bin