Restore the Recycle Bin to the desktop

Helpline Q&A Directory

When I started Windows 98 SE I found that the Recycle Bin had disappeared from the desktop. I can't find any way of recovering it but I don't want to reload Windows if there's a simpler way to get it back.

Yes. Use Tweak UI, a free Windows accessory that installs in the Control Panel. Tweak UI didn't come with Windows 98 SE as it didn't support it but, due to overwhelming demand, Microsoft produced a new version that is compatible with Windows Me and 2000 as well. You can get Tweak UI from PC Advisor's Download Directory or from Microsoft's website at www.microsoft.com/.

After you've downloaded the Tweak UI utility, run it. This unzips some files into a temporary folder. Open that folder in Windows Explorer, right-click the file tweakui.inf and then select Install from the context menu. Tweak UI will now be installed on your system. You can now delete the files that were unzipped and copy the EXE file you downloaded to a safe place in case you need to reinstall it at any time.

To run Tweak UI, open Control Panel and double-click the Tweak UI icon. To restore your Recycle Bin click on the Desktop tab. Scroll down the list of desktop icons until you see the Recycle Bin listed. Place a tick in the checkbox beside it and click ok. And that's it.