Place a Fully Functional Recycle Bin on your Windows 7 Taskbar

I'yard not exactly sure when information technology became cool to abandon the utilize of your operating system's desktop, but a growing number of people these days prefer the "clean" look. Recent releases of Microsoft Windows seem to encourage this. Past default, Windows Vista and 7 strip the desktop of all icons but the Recycle Bin.

Try as yous may, ignoring this lone icon is impossible. Sure, you can hide it in merely a few seconds, merely at the cost of losing quick access to deleted files. You could also elevate the Recycle Bin icon to the taskbar, merely and then it will appear pinned under Windows Explorer -- requiring an extra click to open and offering half the functionality.

In this tip, nosotros volition show you i method of bringing a fully functional Recycle Bin to your Windows 7 Taskbar, then you can clear off your desktop in one case and for all with little to no compromise.

To go started, we'll have to bring out the Quick Launch bar. Rest assured, it will not replace the new Windows 7 Superbar -- in fact yous won't even know Quick Launch is at that place. Right click on the Windows 7 Taskbar, hover over Toolbars and click New toolbar.

When prompted to provide a folder directory, enter the following cord of text: %userprofile%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

After doing so, a labeled Quick Launch bar should appear near the clock. Odds are it will have several icons onboard, but since we won't exist using this bar for anything autonomously from hosting the Recycle Bin I would just delete all of the shortcuts.

Right click on the Taskbar and uncheck Lock the taskbar if it isn't already. Now, right click on your Quick Launch bar and uncheck Show text, besides every bit Show title. Finally, right click and hover on View to select the size that your Recycle Bin icon will be -- I chose large to match my Superbar icons.

With the Quick Launch bar configured, all you accept to practice is drag and drib the Recycle Bin onto it. Feel complimentary to grab the dotted lines and drag the Quick Launch bar to your preferred location. I would recommend either pulling it all the way to the left virtually the Outset card, or all the way right about the clock.

When you lot are satisfied with the position of your Quick Launch bar, relock the Taskbar and hide the Recycle Bin on your desktop by correct-clicking an empty space and selecting Personalize, so clicking Alter desktop icons in the left column of the Personalization window and un-checking the advisable box.

Did yous know?
Apple sued to foreclose other software companies from offering graphical user interfaces similar to its own. The visitor lost most of its claims but courts agreed Apple's Trash icon was original and protected by copyright. Non-Apple software must apply other metaphors for file deletion, such equally Recycle Bin, Smart Eraser, or Shredder.