GeekByte: Retrieving your Recycle Bin Icon

There are times when we all get a little punchy with the Delete button and delete something that you weren’t ready to rid your Desktop of just yet. I know we’ve all done this with files and folders, but what happens if you delete My Computer or the Recycle Bin icon off of your Desktop? How do you get it back?

Luckily it’s easy to get these little guys back to their home on the Desktop. For XP users, right click on an empty area of your desktop and choose Properties. Click on the Desktop tab and then click on the Customize Desktop button on the bottom of the window. This will open another window that has checkboxes at the top under the section Desktop Icons (original, isn’t it?). Simply place a check in the boxes next to the icons you want to appear on your desktop and click OK. Click OK again on the Properties window and your icons should be back on your Desktop once again.
If you’re running Vista, the steps are a little different. Right click on an empty area of your desktop and choose Personalize. A new window will open with several links on it. On the left side of the window there will be a Change Desktop Icons link. When you click it a new window will open. Place a check in the boxes next to the icons you want on your desktop and click OK. You can then close the Personalize window.
Conversely, you can go into either of these windows and uncheck any boxes of icons that you don’t want to appear on your Desktop.