Symptom

When you logon to your user account, the Recycle Bin icon may be missing from the Desktop. Also, when you open the Desktop Icon Settings dialog, the Recycle Bin checkbox may be grayed out and unchecked.

Resolution

To restore the Recycle Bin icon to the Desktop (for standalone Windows Vista systems), you may use the registry fix available for download from the Attachments section below. Download showrecyclebin.reg and save it to the Desktop. Right-click on the file and then choose Merge. Click Yes to confirm.