Is it possible to remove the recycle bin icon from the desktop in Windows XP?

I have had two people tell me it's possible, but neither know how to actually do it, and Google brought me to Microsoft pages that have nothing to do with what I was searching for!

I am trying to live with an icon-free desktop and the only thing I can't remove is the recycle bin. Is there a way to force it into the Quick-Launch bar, or so that things automatically delete when I hit "delete," or stick it on the Start Menu?

Thanks in advance and I will still try to mess with it in the meantime!

start-run
type gpedit.msc

You can change about anything imagineable in here (including forcing classic start menu .. thank god)

User Config- Admin Templates - Desktop - Remove Recycle Bin Icon From Desktop

You can also right click on the bin, - properties, and tell it not to use the bin, but to delete everything. This will not get rid of the bin, but it will keep it from ballooning once you cant see it to readily empty it.

yes, it is - but - like others - dont know off the top of my head. and - if it does turn out to be impossible - you can make a new Icon for it, which is either tranparaent, or disappears in the background.

Huh, I tried searching for stuff unrelated to my question and I found the answer to my question!

Just use TweakUI for XP and uncheck the recycle bin from the "desktop" section.

Thanks to all, though!

quote Originally posted by SonataInFSharp: Huh, I tried searching for stuff unrelated to my question and I found the answer to my question! Just use TweakUI for XP and uncheck the recycle bin from the "desktop" section. Thanks to all, though!

yep..

and I tried the gpedit.msc... didnt work, says it cant find it..

quote Originally posted by AJ7: yep.. and I tried the gpedit.msc... didnt work, says it cant find it..

What version are you running? Could be a missing file, or might not be installed with your version.

Its the group policy editor, will let you change pretty much any aspect of the OS you could want.

quote Originally posted by 86GT3.4DOHC: start-run type gpedit.msc You can change about anything imagineable in here (including forcing classic start menu .. thank god) User Config- Admin Templates - Desktop - Remove Recycle Bin Icon From Desktop You can also right click on the bin, - properties, and tell it not to use the bin, but to delete everything. This will not get rid of the bin, but it will keep it from ballooning once you cant see it to readily empty it.

Worked for me. Thanks

XPHOME dosent have a group policy editor

Home doesn't have it, Pro does. I have Media Center at home so I am going to try it anyway to see if MC has it. MC is supposed to be "feels like HOME with the features of PRO" so we will see...

1. Open Registry Editor.
2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
3. Back Up that registry key
4. Find the following key:
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
5. Delete that key
6. Close the Registry Editor
7. Wait a few seconds and your Recycle Bin will disappear.
8. To get it back either re add that registry key or import your backup that you made (you did back it up didn't you?)

[This message has been edited by fieroluv (edited 06-28-2007).]

quote Originally posted by fieroluv: 1. Open Registry Editor. 2. In Registry Editor, navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace 3. Back Up that registry key 4. Find the following key: {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} 5. Delete that key 6. Close the Registry Editor 7. Wait a few seconds and your Recycle Bin will disappear. 8. To get it back either re add that registry key or import your backup that you made (you did back it up didn't you?)

So if I right click on the recycle bin in regedit, and it asks me if I want to send the recycle bin to the recycle bin, should I laugh?
Is it sad that I find this humorous?

Brad

Ok, guys, it's not that technical... lol..

right click desktop
arrange icons by
click off show desktop icons

See? Not so hard.. took me 20 minutes to remember how to do it... lol..

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quote Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: XPHOME dosent have a group policy editor

must have been my problem

quote Originally posted by Amethyst: Ok, guys, it's not that technical... lol.. right click desktop arrange icons by click off show desktop icons See? Not so hard.. took me 20 minutes to remember how to do it... lol..

Lol, leave it to a woman to tell us how to clean up our desktops...awwww, Mom...

quote Originally posted by Vonov: Lol, leave it to a woman to tell us how to clean up our desktops...awwww, Mom...

Yep, and while I'm at it, there's a nifty little program where you right click on the desktop, go to properties, under the Desktop Tab click on Customize Desktop, under the General tab at the bottom is Desktop Cleanup that removes unwanted icons from your desktop... if you want to leave certain ones, just un-click them from the generated list... you can set it up to run automatically, or you can run it whenever you want to....

Course if you have your icons hidden, you don't really see them anyway... but they do tend to multiply very quickly... lol
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[This message has been edited by Amethyst (edited 06-29-2007).]