PC Tonic

In Windows Vista, you just get the Recycle Bin by default on your desktop. What if you want to have the other regular places like Computer, Network, your ‘user files’ etc. too? Or, what if you’ve somehow deleted the Recycle Bin icon and want to have it back?

An easy fix for the first problem is to drag the respective items from the Start menu to the desktop, thereby creating their shortcuts. Another way is to use to the Classic Start menu (as found in Windows 2000 and older versions), which automatically removes those specific icons from the Start menu and puts them on the desktop. However neither of these solutions is very effective – unnecessary shortcuts can affect system performance in the long run, while the Vista Start menu is just too good to be replaced with the ridiculous classic equivalent. Again, there is no apparent solution for the second problem (don’t be petrified!). Therefore in this post we’ll see how to bring or remove the regular Windows icons (direct links, not shortcuts) to / from the desktop.

It’s actually damn easy. Just right click on your desktop and select “Personalize”. On the left pane of the Personalization window, select “Change desktop icons”.

That’s it! Now you can choose what to show and what not to show on your desktop. You can also change the icon looks if you want.

Go get back your Recycle Bin now!