If the Recycle Bin Icon is missing from the Desktop of your computer, you won’t be able to view or recover accidentally deleted files located in the Recycle Bin.
When the Recycle Bin Shortcut is available on Desktop, it provides easy access to deleted files and allows you to recover accidentally deleted files by simply dragging them to Desktop or using the restore option.
You can expect deleted files to remain available for recovery in the Recycle Bin for a good period of 30 days, after which they are automatically cleared by the system.
Recycle Bin Icon Missing in Windows 11/10
The most common reason for Recycle bin Icon missing from the Desktop of a Windows computer is due to display of Recycle Bin being switched-off in “Theme Settings” under “Personalization”.
In addition to this, Recycle Bin is known to go missing after a Windows update and it can also disappear due to a glitch in File Explorer, malware and corrupted system files.
1. Show Recycle Bin Icon on Desktop
In most cases, you should be able to restore the missing Recycle Bin Icon by selecting the option to Show Recycle Bin Icon on the Desktop of your computer.
1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Themes.
2. On the Themes screen, scroll down in the right-pane to “Related Settings” and click on Desktop Icon settings tab.
3. On Desktop Icon Settings screen, select the check box next to Recycle Bin.
4. Make sure that you click on Apply and OK to save this change on your computer.
Note: Also make sure “Allow themes change desktop icons” check box is selected.
2. Refresh Desktop Windows Explorer
Right-click in any Empty space on the Desktop and click on Refresh. If the Recycle Bin is still not visible, restarting Windows Explorer might help in fixing the problem.
1. Right-click anywhere on the Taskbar and click on Task Manager.
2. On the Task Manager screen, right-click on Windows Explorer and select the Restart option.
After this, refresh the Desktop once again and look for the Recycle Bin icon on the Desktop.
3. Run Malware & System File Scans
As mentioned above, this problem can also be caused due to presence of malware and due to the system files on your computer being damaged or corrupted.
Hence, it is good idea to rule out the possibility of malware on your computer by running a malware scan and check system files for corruption by running SFC (System File Checker) scan.