Get Back Missing Recycle Bin on Windows 8.1 or 8 and How To Show The Recycle Bin Icon

Recycle bin is one of the most important icons we have to use in Windows Operating Systems. We do not care it until we need some important deleted files or folders to restore from the recycle bin. If you are facing problem in getting back the missing recycle bin or how to show that icon in Windows 8.1, this post will be helpful. Here is the simple way to show missing recycle bin icon in Windows 8.1 or 8.

Also, I will be showing how to set up the option to delete files and folders directly and immediately without moving into recycle bin in Windows 8.1/8. Bypassing recycle bin while deleting could be risky in most of the time because you can never get those deleted files back, but sometimes it would be useful in deleting larger files quickly.

Missing Recycle Bin – How to Show on Desktop in Windows 8.1 or Windows 8

1) Make sure you are in the desktop mode of Windows 8.1 or 8 computer (press Windows key for that).

Then right click on the blank space in desktop, click personalize.

This method is very similar to our earlier guide about how to show my computer icon on Windows 8/8.1.

2) Click on ‘Change desktop icons’ in the next screen.

3) To show the recycle bin icon, make sure to tick ‘Recycle Bin’ checkbox as shown below. This will bring back the missing recycle bin icon to the desktop of Windows 8.1 or 8.

Also, you can customize the icons of recycle bin (full or empty) in the above box. That is the way of bringing back the missing recycle bin in Windows 8.1 when it got hidden accidentally or purposely.

To Clean Up the Recycle Bin in Windows 8.1

4) Right click on the bin and select empty as shown below.

If you like to see the Recycle bin in the start menu, select ‘Pin to Start’ option from the menu.

To delete the files quickly and directly without sending into recycle bin, follow the below step.

5) Right click the bin and select properties.

6) Select the second option to delete the files directly without moving to recycle bin Windows 8.1/8.

If you like to see the (I prefer this) confirmation dialogue box before deleting the files, tick the check box.

Hope these simple steps are useful to play around with the settings of Recycle Bin in Windows 8.1. Similar methods are applicable to Windows 10 too.