Recycle Bin is gone. How do I restore it / delete files from hard drive?

This article applies to XP.  Does 95 use the same registry entry?  I need to be very careful doing anything to the registry since my sister-in-law is a real novice.

I'll try the workaround to see if the file is just hidden.  Might take a while, since she lives different time zone and we sometimes have trouble connecting.

I agree with sunray about editing the registry as long as you guide her through all of the stpes over the phone she should be fine just go slow

bleek,
   We have not heard from you in awhile? Did any comment help you solve your problem? Do you have any more questions? If an Expert help you, please accept his/her answer with an excellent or good grade.

Thanks, war1

Sorry, she was out of town for a funeral.  I'll try to reach her this week.

Have you tried reaching her ? what is the status ?

Sunray

Highlight the file in the Explorer/file manager and press "Shift" + "Delete" keys. Think twice before executing
and you won't need a recycle bin.
/RID

I've had problems reaching her.  I think she said that the recycle bin was gone (can't even see it with "find".  I ned to verify that.  If it is completely gone I'll have her try "rid"'s solution.  Probably won't get through until this weekend though.  Sorry for the delay.

An active Recycle Bin is a means of storing deleted files with the ability to restore (undelete) those files should one decide one needs them again.  Simply deleting a file in Win95 normally sends the file to the (active) Recycle Bin.  

However as rid posted, even an active Recycle Bin can be by-passed by holding down the 'Shift' key while pressing 'Delete' (or while right-clicking with the mouse and selecting 'Delete').  This has the same effect as 1) deleting a file to the Recycle Bin and then 2) emptying the Recycle Bin.  As rid says 'think twice' before using this method on a file as there's no easy recovery.

She did a search on "recycle" and came up empty.  I think is's more than a registry problem.  She tried the "'shift' & 'Delete' and it didn't work either.  

war1 - I do owe you some points.  My neighbor called this weekend with the same problem.  You suggestion from the 23rd did work on his machine with a just a tiny problem.  You can no longer double click on the recycle bin icon and have it open.  It says it's missing Program.exe???  However, right clicking and selecting open works so he's happy.  

Missing "program.exe"? Isn't that a virus? He should scan his machine.
/RID

The machine isn't on the internet and doesn't have e-mail.  (It probably doesn't have a virus scanner either.)

Bleek:

Try this...

1. Open your registry editor.

2. Create the following key:  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

3. Create (or confirm) the following string value in the above key:
Name = (Default)
Type = REG_SZ
Value = Recycle Bin

- Scott

Scott,

Thanks.  I'll snail mail her youranswer and see if she can do it.  Between job schedule differences and time zone differences we play phone tag for weeks.  I'm still scared to have her touch the registry.  She just started using a Windows based machine a short while ago and isn't very comfortable with it.

bleek

Bleek:

If this works, you should award the points to Sunray.  I just took a look at the knowledge base article he referenced and it basically contains the same information (if not more).  I do believe the CLSID settings are the same for the various Windows operating systems.  CLSID stands for "class identifyer" and it is a unique code that tells Windows how to connect objects.  In this case the long number in the registry key refers to the "recyle bin" object.

If all else fails, you can always re-install Windows -- it should't delete anything so long as you install as an upgrade rather than a new installation.

- Scott

You are probably using a compressed open My Computer look for G{or another letter} host for C look and see if it has a copy of recycle bin click on properties then click the box which will allow you to see it in drive c:

As far as I can tell, she did a search for any file/folder with the name containing the word recycle.

If she did a search it would have probably been on her C drive.Frequently the host drive will  have a copy of recycle and if it is there right click and select properties it will give you the option to display in C as well as G{ or what the drive letter the host for C is assigned}

I'm not aware that a host drive has been assigned.  This is an old machine that has never been networked.  I think she did the search on "My Computer", which should get everything.

Most computers from that era had a host drive networked or not,if it does it will most likely have a RB.The other solutions seem to work fairly well,my way is just easier.

if win 95 is installed on the drive if she deletes a file recicle bin should show back up.

My sister-in-law's machine no longer boots.  So issue is moot.  However, I am waiting on IT checking out sunray's suggestion (it may be a week or so since we've had major problems at work) to see if I will split points between sunray & war1 or just give war1 all the points.