Your Questions About Recycling

The Expert answers:

Are you talking about maybe… Right click on the recycle bin on the desktop and then empty recycle bin?

Same way to delete from the recycle bin as usual…

Kind of confused but…

The Expert answers:

If you did restore it from the recycle bin, then it’s no longer in the recycle bin. So what are you talking about?

Also, not all “delete” functions go through the recycle bin. There are some programs like Recuva (recuva.com) that will undelete files, but the more stuff you install, the more likely you’ll wipe out the file you’re trying to restore. And even then, you’ll likely get it back in bits and pieces that are of no use.

The Expert answers:

RECYCLE BIN PROBLEMS

There are a number of possible problems that can develop with the Recycle Bin if it becomes corrupted. One is that you get the following error message when you try to delete a file:

Cannot delete “filename”, cannot find the specified path.
Make sure you typed the right path.

The steps to take to correct this problem are discussed in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;246726
Cannot Delete Any Files in Windows

The above article mentions only Windows 95 and 98 as being the possible Windows versions affected, not Windows ME. But if it occurs in WinME, the process to correct the problem would be similar; the main difference would be that you would have to boot to a startup disk before you could get to your C: hard drive, for WinME eliminated the MS-DOS mode of Win95 & 98.

For Windows 95 or 98, you click on the Start button, select Shutdown from the menu, and then click Restart to MS-DOS. When you have the “C:” prompt showing on your screen you need to type in these MS-DOS commands (each followed by typing the Enter key):

CD
(changes control to the root directory of your C: drive)

CD RECYCLED
(changes control to the Recycled directory)

ATTRIB -R -S -H INFO2.*
(removes the readonly, system, and hidden attributes of the INFO2 file)

DEL INFO2
(deletes the damaged INFO2 file and creates a new file automatically)

Now, in Windows 95 and Windows 98 you would restart the computer and hold down either the F8 function key (Win95) or the Ctrl key (Win98) to get to the Startup Menu, where you select the option for Command Prompt Only.
In Windows ME, you would again have to restart using your bootdisk and then change to the C: drive before typing these MS-DOS commands:

ATTRIB -R -S -H C:RECYCLED
(removes the readonly, system and hidden attributed of the Recycle Bin)

DELTREE C:RECYCLED
(delete the entire Recycled folder)

Restarting the computer and going into Normal Windows mode will re-create the Recycle Bin.

Another possible problem that can develop with the Recycle Bin is the inability to empty it or to get to its Property page, as described in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;173416
Cannot Empty Recycle Bin or Modify Recycle Bin Properties

If you right click on the Recycle Bin, the Empty Recycle Bin command and/or the Properties command may be unavailable (greyed out.) You might also find that when you delete files, they are permanently deleted rather than being moved to the Recycle Bin. If you have several fixed hard disks on your computer, this problem may affect any one or combination of them. The problem comes about on a particular drive because it is marked to the system as a removable drive, rather than a fixed drive.

To fix this problem, click on the Start button, select Settings, then Control Panel. Open up the System applet and click on the Device Manager tab. Double click the Disk Drives branch of the tree to expand it. Click the hard disk with the problem, then click the button labelled Properties.
Click on the Settings tab, click the Removable check box to clear it.
Click OK, and then click OK. Restart your computer.

The Expert answers:

Show or hide the Recycle Bin

The Recycle Bin usually appears on the desktop. If you prefer, you can hide it.

To show or hide the Recycle Bin on the desktop
Click to open Personalization.

In the left pane, click Change desktop icons, and then do one of the following:

To remove the Recycle Bin from the desktop, clear the Recycle Bin check box.

To display the Recycle Bin on the desktop, select the Recycle Bin check box.

Click OK.

Note
Even if you don’t choose to show the Recycle Bin, deleted files will still be temporarily moved to the Recycle Bin until you choose to permanently delete them. To turn off the Recycle Bin, see Change the Recycle Bin settings.

The Expert answers:

Our city recycles, but our condo complex wasn’t participating because they didn’t want the bins cluttering up the place, so they built a recycling center and now the recycling people come once a week and pick it up just like they do the garbage. Check into that with your city and/or condo board. You pay taxes for this if it is included, so force the issue till they cooperate. I did.

If your city recycles, they will bring you the bins for free, but make sure your condo doesn’t have rules against garbage cans/recycle bins on the sidewalks.

The Expert answers:

You can empty the Recycle Bin by right-clicking on it and selecting Empty Recycle Bin (RB)

At this site – I trust it and have used their “tweaks” many times – search, by typing Ctrl +f, for Recycle. You can Remove the RB, restore the RB, repair the RB and more:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

The Expert answers:

It’s probably already made of recycled plastic, and the more you re-recycle plastic the less useful it becomes. Plastic is made of long-chain polymers, but recycling (which involves heating and chopping and grinding) shortens the chains.

At this point it is probably best used as a planter or as a storage bin for the junk you won’t need until after you throw it away.

Make sure you keep your recycling bin on a bottom shelf, or at the base of a mountain so you don’t use up all the gravity. Remember, there’s a gravity shortage.

The Expert answers:

Its pretty straightforward, here is a tutorial :

http://ask-leo.com/i_accidentally_deleted_my_recycle_bin_in_vista_how_do_i_get_it_back.html

The Expert answers:

If you have Windows Vista:

To show or hide the Recycle Bin on the desktop

1.

Open Personalization by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Personalization.
2.

In the left pane, click Change desktop icons, and then do one of the following:
•

To remove the Recycle Bin from the desktop, clear the Recycle Bin check box.
•

To display the Recycle Bin on the desktop, select the Recycle Bin check box.
3.

Click OK.