The Recycle Bin is Windows' dedicated trash can, useful for getting rid of all kinds of unwanted file rubbish. Information technology'due south one of the few Windows tools that has its own dedicated desktop shortcut by default; yous can ever click the Recycle Bin's desktop icon whenever you need to empty the bin.

Yet, that desktop shortcut isn't a "normal" shortcut. Unlike normal shortcuts, you can't pin the default Recycle Bin shortcut to the taskbar or utilise a hotkey to it. Withal, you can still pin the Recycle Bin to the Windows taskbar and set a hotkey for it without any third-political party software as outlined below.

How to Add together the Recycle Bin to the Taskbar on Windows 11

To add a Recycle Bin to the taskbar, you lot must offset set a standard desktop shortcut for it. Then you lot tin select to pin that shortcut to the taskbar much the same as whatever other. This is how you tin ready a new Recycle Bin shortcut and pin it to your taskbar in Windows 11.

  1. First, right-click the desktop and select New.
  2. Click the Shortcut option to bring up the Create Shortcut window.
  3. Enter explorer.exe shell:RecycleBinFolder within the Type the location of the item text box, and click the Next button.
    The Create a shortcut window
  4. Input Recycle Bin within the Type a proper noun for this shortcut box.
  5. Press the Next push to add your new shortcut to the desktop.

The shortcut will not accept a File Explorer icon. However, you tin can modify that icon to a more appropriate Recycle Bin 1. To practise so, right-click the desktop shortcut and select Properties. Then printing the Alter Icon push button to open up up a window.

The Change Icon window

At that place, blazon %SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll in the Look for icons in this file text box, and press the Enter key. Then select 1 of the Recycle Bin icons. Click the OK push button, and select Apply to save the new icon settings.

A custom Recycle Bin desktop shortcut

Alternatively, you could download a new Recycle Bin icon from IconArchive. Select a bin icon at that place, and click the ICO button. Press the Relieve button to download it to a folder. And then y'all can select the downloaded icon by clicking Browse on the Alter Icon window.

Now y'all've changed the shortcut's icon, it's time to add information technology to the taskbar. Right-click your new Recycle Bin shortcut and select Bear witness more options. Then select the Pin to taskbar option to add together it.

A Recycle Bin taskbar shortcu

Voila, now you have a Recycle Bin shortcut on the taskbar! Go ahead and click that icon to open and empty the Recycle Bin. If y'all ever want to remove information technology, right-click the Recycle Bin icon and select the Unpin from taskbar option. You tin also erase the desktop shortcut you gear up up past right-clicking information technology and selecting Delete.

How to Set Up a Keyboard Shortcut for the Recycle Bin in Windows 11

Alternatively, you lot can set up up a hotkey for the Recycle Bin with a new desktop shortcut. By doing and then, you can open that bin by pressing a hotkey. To practise so, prepare upwards a new desktop shortcut for the bin as outlined higher up. And then follow these steps to add together a keyboard shortcut to it.

  1. Right-click your new Recycle Bin desktop shortcut and select Properties.
  2. Click in the Shortcut central box.
    The Shortcut key box
  3. Then, press the R button, which will institute a Ctrl + Alt + R hotkey.
  4. Select the Employ option to save the changes.
  5. Click OK to close the Recycle Bin Properties window.

Now press the Ctrl + Alt + R hotkey you just prepare. Pressing the keyboard shortcut volition open the Recycle Bin. However, note that removing the custom Recycle Bin shortcut from the desktop volition also delete its hotkey.

How to Remove the Default Recycle Bin Shortcut in Windows 11

Pinning the bin to the taskbar or setting up a hotkey for it will make the default Recycle Bin shortcut somewhat redundant. And then, y'all might besides remove the default shortcut from the desktop when you've set up an alternative one. This is how you tin can remove the default Recycle Bin from Windows 11'southward desktop.

  1. Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.
  2. Select Themes on the Personalization tab.
    Windows 11 Personalization
  3. Click the Desktop icon settings option to open up the window in the snapshot directly below.
    The Desktop Icon Settings window
  4. Deselect the Recycle Bin checkbox there.
  5. Then click the Apply and OK options.

Add a Better Recycle Bin Shortcut to Windows 11

That's how you can add a better Recycle Bin shortcut to Windows xi. By doing so, yous'll be able to customize the shortcut'due south icon, add information technology to the taskbar, and assign a hotkey to information technology. A taskbar icon or hotkey for the Recycle Bin is fifty-fifty more than directly accessible than a desktop shortcut considering you lot don't demand to minimize any windows to open information technology with such shortcuts.

Note that this trick likewise works in other Windows platforms. As such, you can perform the in a higher place steps on Windows 10, viii.one, and seven, to name a few.

9 Ways to Open the Windows Recycle Bin When It'due south Missing on the Desktop

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Jack Slater (149 Manufactures Published)

Jack has been a freelance tech journalist for more than a decade. He has covered Windows Vista, 7, 10, and 11 topics inside a multitude of guides for Make Use Of and numerous other websites.

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