Share via

missing the recycle bin in Windows 11

Adam F 5 Reputation points
2026-03-10T11:22:48.5633333+00:00

I'm missing the recycle bin in Windows 11 and can't find it following these instructions and also setting to default - can you assist please?

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/find-the-recycle-bin-in-windows-885cf298-0f98-a548-9427-a1248fce4315

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage
0 comments

3 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. David-M 109.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-10T22:53:11.88+00:00

    Thanks for the clarification.

    Try creating the shortcut to the trash can manually as instructed below.

    1. Right-click on an empty space and select "New > Shortcut".
    2. In the field "Type the location of the item", type or paste the following:

    explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder

    1. Name it Recycle Bin and click "Finish".

    Then, check if double-clicking opens the Recycle Bin.

    If it works, do this to change to the Recycle Bin icon.

    1. Right-click the shortcut and select "Properties".
    2. Click on "Change icon";
    3. Paste the path below into the "Look for icons in this file" field and press Enter;

    C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll

    1. Locate the Recycle Bin icon, select it, and click "OK";
    2. Then, click OK to apply.

    Feel free to ask any questions you may have.

  2. Adam F 5 Reputation points
    2026-03-10T12:06:36.01+00:00

    Thanks for your time, David. The answers are yes, no and did not appear...

  3. David-M 109.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-03-10T12:03:07.08+00:00

    Hi. I'm David, and I'm happy to help you.

    Please clarify the following:

    • Have you confirmed that the Recycle Bin is enabled in "Desktop Icon Settings" under "Settings > Personalization > Themes"?
    • Did you receive any error messages when trying to follow the recommendations suggested in the mentioned article? If so, could you share a screenshot of the message? Use the shortcut "Windows + Shift + S" to use the screenshot tool.
    • Try this: Open the Start Menu and type Recycle Bin. Then, see if it appears in the list of results. If it does, click on it and see what happens. Let me know the result.

    Also. What is the version and "OS Build" of your Windows 11?

    • Press "Windows + R", type winver, and click OK.

    If you prefer, share a screenshot.

    Be sure to censor your email address if it appears. The Microsoft Q&A is public.

    I await your reply.

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.