What is a Recycle bin and how does it work?

The Recycle bin is a feature in all Microsoft Windows Operating system Versions that stores deleted items temporarily before they are deleted permanently (removed from the computer memory).

When you attempt deleting a folder etc. in the explorer window, you will get the message asking you “Are you sure you want to move this folder to the recycle bin?” Below the message, you will see two options, which are Yes and No. When you select yes an Item will be deleted temporarily from your computer (sent and stored to the recycle bin). This means that you can recover or restore it back to its original place, when you need it.

How to open the Recycle bin

The Recycle bin is usually located on the desktop as an Icon and its labeled as ‘Recycle bin’. To open it just right click it and select open, or double click it. It will open up and you will see the deleted Items (files, folders, programs, etc.) if you recently deleted them.

There are two Common Icons for the recycle bin, Empty and Full. An empty icon simply signifies no items inside the recycle bin, while the full one indicates that there are items inside the recycle bin, waiting for you whether to view, restore or delete them permanently.

Learn more about the Recycle bin