You can add Recycle Bin to the This PC view in Windows 11 with a Registry Editor change. The method adds the Recycle Bin shell identifier as a namespace key; it is an advanced customization documented by a third party, not a standard Windows setting in Microsoft’s support instructions. If you only need convenient access, Windows provides a supported option to show Recycle Bin on the desktop instead.
What the registry change does
The third-party method adds the Recycle Bin CLSID, {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}, under the registry path for items shown in This PC. Microsoft’s File Explorer and desktop-icon instructions do not describe this as a built-in toggle. Windows 11 build-by-build compatibility for the registry customization is not established in the cited Microsoft documentation. See Pureinfotech’s instructions for adding Recycle Bin to File Explorer.
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Add Recycle Bin to This PC
Registry changes can affect Windows behavior. Before proceeding, create a restore point or export the relevant registry key so you have a way to recover if needed. These are general precautions, not steps prescribed by the cited Microsoft pages.
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Open Registry Editor. You can search for Registry Editor from Start and open it.
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In Registry Editor, navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerMyComputerNameSpace. -
Right-click NameSpace, choose New > Key, and name the new key
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}. -
Close Registry Editor, then refresh the This PC view or close and reopen File Explorer. Check whether Recycle Bin appears under This PC.
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Undo the change
If you want to remove this customization, return to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorerMyComputerNameSpace and delete only the key you created: {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}. Do not remove other keys from NameSpace.
Use the supported desktop option instead
If the goal is simply to reach Recycle Bin easily, Microsoft documents enabling its desktop icon. Microsoft describes Recycle Bin as the place where deleted files are temporarily stored. To show it:
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Open Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings.
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Select Recycle Bin, then choose OK.
If every desktop icon is hidden, right-click the desktop, choose View, and enable Show desktop icons. If only Recycle Bin is missing, check its selection in Desktop icon settings. See Microsoft’s Customize the Desktop Icons in Windows.
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Why This PC may look different in Windows 11
Starting with Windows 11 version 22H2, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, and Videos are pinned in Quick access in File Explorer Home and the left navigation pane; they are no longer displayed under This PC by default. You can pin folders to Quick access from their context menu. Microsoft describes Home as the renamed Quick access landing area in version 22H2, while This PC remains an available File Explorer opening location. See Microsoft’s File Explorer guide.
Keep the navigation pane and opening location separate
Showing the navigation pane and setting File Explorer to open to This PC are separate controls. In File Explorer, use View > Show > Navigation pane to show the pane. File Explorer Options lets you choose This PC as the opening location. Microsoft documents those controls, but does not say they add Recycle Bin to This PC or the navigation pane.
When Recycle Bin visibility is controlled by an organization
On a work- or school-managed device, an administrator-configured policy can remove the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop and File Explorer without preventing every other way of accessing its contents. If the icon remains unavailable after changing personal settings, check with your organization’s administrator rather than changing policy settings yourself. See Microsoft Learn’s ADMX_Desktop Policy CSP.
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