TechTips - How to Move the Recycle Bin to the Task Bar in Windows 7

I am always trying to make my Windows 7 setup more efficient and easier to use, with windows 7 you can do a lot of cool things to modify the interface if you know how. Well an easy to use tool is the tool bars, you can create and edit these as you please and you can also edit your Task Bar and add things to it as you please as well. So for me one of my heavily used tools is the Recycle Bin, I am always trying to get rid of unwanted icons from testing new software tools and games. So I decided for easier access I would put the Recycle Bin on my Task Bar, and then decided to write this guide explaining how to accomplish this task so hopefully it helps all of you as much as it has helped me.

The Recycle Bin is a very useful tool that you can simply drag and drop things into it that you want to delete. It doesn't delete them right away; you have to actually "empty" it to delete the files. This comes in handy in case you decide you put something in there that you might want to restore; it's not deleted until you empty it. Well the Recycle Bin is the only Icon on my desktop that I have left and I decided to get rid of it, but I still wanted to use the Bin. So I thought why not put it on the Task Bar.

So to create the Recycle Bin on the Task Bar just follow these steps:

1 - Right Click on the desktop

2 - Choose New >> Folder

3 - Name the Folder (Recycle Bin Tool Bar is what I used)

4 - Right-Click the Recycle Bin

5 - Click Create Shortcut (it will create a Recycle Bin shortcut on your desktop)

6 - Drag new Shortcut Icon and drop in Folder you created

7 - Now Drag the Folder to the location you want it stored (mine was C:\Toolbar; It can be any location you want)

8 - Right-click the Desktop

9 - Click Personalize

10 -Click Change Desktop Icons (upper left hand corner)

11 - Uncheck Recycle Bin box (this will remove Recycle Bin from your Desktop)

12 - Right-Click Task Bar

13 - Click Lock Task Bar (only if it is locked, if its locked there will be a check mar)

14 - Right-Click Task Bar

15 - Click Toolbars >> New Toolbar

16 - Locate the folder where you put your shortcut (C:\Toolbar was my location)

17 - Double Click the Folder

18 - Click the Recycle Bin Shortcut

19 - Click Select Folder

20 - You should now see the Recycle Bin on your Taskbar

21 - Right click the Toolbar

22 - Uncheck Show Title

23 - Right click the Toolbar

24 - Uncheck Show Text

25 - Right click the Toolbar

26 - Click View >> Large Icons

Well now you should have the Recycle Bin icon on your Task Bar instead of your desktop. It will function just as it did on your desktop, you can drag and drop anything you want to delete to this icon and it will place it in the Recycle Bin. If you right-click the Recycle Bin you can empty it just like you did on your desktop.

Well I hope this guide helped you to move the Recycle Bin from your desktop to the task bar. I prefer it down there out of the way and it allows my desktop to be nice and clean.