Stupid Windows 7 trick: get a functional recycle bin icon on your taskbar
by Lee Mathews Sep 15th 2009 at 3:00PM
For a while now, I've been hiding my desktop icons and using a taskbar toolbar instead. It's a lot tidier, and one somewhat useful benefit is having the recycle bin always close at hand -- without having to windows + D.
The only downside to using the desktop as a taskbar toolbar is that the recycle bin won't move in front of Libraries or your user folder. If you want the bin in full view, you're stuck displaying at least three icons -- two of which you don't need if you already have Explorer pinned.
TechSpot's Matthew DeCarlo points out that if you use the QuickLaunch (or any custom folder of your choosing), you can simply drag the recycle bin icon off your desktop, onto the toolbar, and ba-da-bing, you've got a functioning bin like the one in my screenshot.
Here's the short and sweet way to pull this off:
The only downside to using the desktop as a taskbar toolbar is that the recycle bin won't move in front of Libraries or your user folder. If you want the bin in full view, you're stuck displaying at least three icons -- two of which you don't need if you already have Explorer pinned.
TechSpot's Matthew DeCarlo points out that if you use the QuickLaunch (or any custom folder of your choosing), you can simply drag the recycle bin icon off your desktop, onto the toolbar, and ba-da-bing, you've got a functioning bin like the one in my screenshot.
Here's the short and sweet way to pull this off:
- Right click in some empty space on your taskbar and choose toolbars -> new toolbar from the menu
- Paste %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch into the "folder" box and click select folder.
- Drag the recycle bin icon from your desktop onto the newly-created toolbar.
- Position the bin icon so it's first in line.
One note: this doesn't look all that hot if you have a vertical taskbar since the toolbar icons are left justified while your taskbar icons are centered.
Thanks, Julio!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sean said 4:44PM on 9-15-2009
I did this, but the icon doesn't look like the standard Recycle Bin, it looks like the smaller quicklaunch version, but the pictures show the larger normal version, anyone else see this?
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blaszta said 11:46PM on 9-15-2009
Unlock the taskbar, right click empty space near your recycle bin icon, View > Large Icons.
caseyandrews1981 said 4:57PM on 9-15-2009
Re: the icon doesn't look like the standard Recycle Bin, it looks like the smaller quicklaunch version
True.
After the directions, I removed all icons from the toolbar except Recycle Bin and moved it to the far left.
Seems there still is not a way to pin it to the taskbar though
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Zoinks said 4:58PM on 9-15-2009
I can't understand why they don't just integrate the recycle bin into the task bar in the first place, or at least have it as an option.
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