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microsoft / PowerToys

Windows system utilities to maximize productivity
MIT License
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Add Recycle Bin to Windows Task Bar #995

Open jschroedl opened 4 years ago

jschroedl commented 4 years ago

I do this manually with every system I configure. Many coworkers and family ask how I manged to get the Recycle Bin into my task bar so it's proven to be very popular! Super handy for dragging files to delete and file recovery. I think every Windows user would love to have this automated.

The PowerToy should have a option which will create a folder containing a link to Recycle Bin and then add that new folder as a toolbar in the Task Bar.

Settings can control whether the icon is large or small and whether text is shown below the icon. There should also be a setting to remove Recycle Bin from the Desktop if it's currently shown.

image

Here are the manual steps I usually use. I'm hoping you'll automate this.

  1. Open Documents, right-click > New Folder. Name it RecycleToolbar.
  2. Open RecycleToolbar
  3. Drag the recycle bin shortcut from Desktop into RecycleToolbar and close the folder.
  4. Right-click Task Bar and unlock.
  5. Right-click Task Bar > Toolbars > New Toolbar...
  6. Select your new RecycleToolbar
  7. Right-click RecycleToolbar grab handle in the Task Bar and change settings (I prefer): View > Large Icons, View > Show Text (un-check it), View > Show Title (un-check)
  8. Right-click Task Bar and Lock.
  9. In Settings, turn off the Recycle Bin on the Desktop, it's visual clutter now.
  10. Enjoy!
widersky commented 4 years ago

I think would be nice to have recycle bin in tray as a monochrome icon. There is an app for that called MiniBin

mariobesen commented 4 years ago

This is actually a very good idea. Current manual steps provided by jschroedl do result with convenient solution, but when setting size to large icons it changes the height of taskbar, thus decreasing usable screen space. Having an official way to get more flexible Recycle Bin options (maybe also allow putting it in systemtray?) would be great to have.

Jay-o-Way commented 4 years ago

Hah, I like this little thing (even the manual solution). I place it on the most-left, because if it's on the right, it doesn't slide with the occasional (dis)appearing of icons in the systray. Best thing imo is that "Pin to taskbar" is going to be allowed by OS. ~I have no idea why that is disabled in the first place.~

Jay-o-Way commented 3 years ago

The thing is that the Recycle Bin is (treated as) just another File Explorer location. You can pin it to the Start Menu and you can pin it to Explorer, it will then show up in Quick Acces and in the pop-up menu in the task bar.

mdtauk commented 3 years ago

If this get's picked up, it would be nice to use a jumplist to give you your Empty Recycle Bin option. At the moment it displays a (sometimes) busy Context Menu, and the only option I would want is the Empty one.

If you can choose custom Full and Empty icons to use, that would also be neat. Especially with Light and Dark theme support.

image I have also been doing this for decades now, adding it to the right of my Taskbar (as well as altering the short date format - which has to change OS wide, just to display it on the Taskbar the way I like)

riverar commented 3 years ago

Windows 11 no longer supports toolbars in the Taskbar. And Taskbar has no extensibility points. So creating a PowerToys module for this is no longer possible.

Jay-o-Way commented 3 years ago

Windows 11 no longer supports toolbars in the Taskbar. And Taskbar has no extensibility points. So creating a PowerToys module for this is no longer possible.

Some people are still using the old Windows 10 though.

ceituna commented 3 years ago

Can't it somehow work like minibin instead?

gander-code commented 2 years ago

Windows 11 no longer supports toolbars in the Taskbar. And Taskbar has no extensibility points. So creating a PowerToys module for this is no longer possible.

as ceituna mentioned, a feature like minibin would be good. The "Awake" module creates another tasktray icon with a context menu so it seems like it should be possible.

HO-COOH commented 1 year ago

It should be possible to make a normal app, and add "empty recycle bin" as actions to the jump list when you right click on it.

Eirinn75 commented 3 weeks ago

Indeed this would be a useful addition, if implemented like the minibin app. Having the trash bin in the tray area is quite convenient and shouldn't be too difficult to implement.