When you use a custom .ico file to customize the Recycle Bin icons (Empty and Full bin) manually or via a desktop theme, the Recycle Bin icon may not update or refresh correctly when emptying the Recycle Bin or when you add items to it. There was a similar problem reported in Windows Vista where the Recycle Bin did not refresh or update correctly even when using the Windows default icons, and we covered that in article Fix Recycle Bin Icon Does Not Refresh Automatically in Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

Whereas this article talks about a different problem where the Recycle Bin icon does not refresh, only when using custom icon (.ico) files to customize the Recycle Bin (Full) and Recycle Bin (Empty) icons. This is a bug in Windows 7, and a workaround is mentioned below.

Click Start, type Regedit.exe and press {ENTER}

Navigate to the following branch:

In the right-pane, append a Comma followed by 0 (that is, ",0") after the icon file path.

For example, if your custom icon path is:

Change that to…

Repeat the same for the icon file path for the "full" Recycle Bin icon.

Additional Information

To customize the Recycle Bin icon in Windows 7 and Windows Vista, right-click on the Desktop and click Personalize.

Click Change desktop icons on the left pane.

Select the Recycle Bin (full) icon, click "Change Icon" and point to a custom icon file.

Select the Recycle Bin (empty) icon, click "Change Icon" and point to a custom icon file.

To restore the default icons, select the item and use the Restore Default button.

Related Posts

• How to Fix a Corrupted Recycle Bin in Windows 7 and Windows Vista
• Repairing or Rebuilding the Icons in Windows XP Using Tweak UI
• Prevent Themes From Changing Desktop Icons in Windows 7
• How to Rename the Recycle Bin in Windows Vista
• How to Disable the Empty Recycle Bin Confirmation Box in Windows 7

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