How to open the Recycle Bin from the Windows command line?

How do I open the Recycle Bin from the command line?

I'd be very glad if there is a built-in Windows command.

colemik

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 1 414

2Do you mean the Recycle Bin window or just the directory? Does it have to be for all drives or a specific one? – Synetech – 2012-02-28T23:02:38.133

Answers

Command line

On the command line, type

start shell:RecycleBinFolder

It is not case sensitive, so you can just type start shell:recyclebinfolder.

Run dialog

An alternative is to use the Run dialog (menu Start/Run or Win + R) - there is less to type. Type

shell:RecycleBinFolder

and press OK (or hit Enter).

It is portable!

This method works on all versions of Windows, at least back to Windows 2000.

Peter Mortensen

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 10 992

More shell shortcuts (94). – Peter Mortensen – 2012-11-09T13:46:30.657

(Depending on the OS and filesystem, the directory may be $Recycle.bin, Recycled, or Recycler.)

To open the Recycle Bin window (showing deleted objects on all drives):

C:\> start ::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
or
C:\> start shell:RecycleBinFolder
or
C:\> start C:\$Recycle.bin
To list deleted objects on a specific drive:

C:\> dir /s/a <driveletter>:\$Recycle.Bin

(NB, the original filenames will not be shown in this mode.)

r00m

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 641

That command does not show files in this directory, because they are Super Hidden files. You must use a Super Hidden solution. Go to: Tools > Folder Options > View and select 'Show hidden files folders and drives', and untick 'Hide protected operating system files'. – Ed999 – 2017-03-15T13:42:13.590

2In windows 7 start C:\$Recycle.bin just gave me an empty directory. I needed to use start shell:RecycleBinFolder – icc97 – 2013-04-17T09:01:26.653

You can open the Recycle Bin window by using its GUID:

explorer ::{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

iglvzx

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 21 611

This works in Windows 7, in a command window. And it opens the Recycle Bin normally: i.e. it shows you the original names of the files. – Ed999 – 2017-03-15T13:39:55.650

This should work. Tested on Windows 7 successfully.

Open a command prompt and enter

CD \$Recycle.Bin

xXPhenom22Xx

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 517

In Windows 7, to view the files, at the command prompt type the following (although, if the Recycle Bin contains a lot of files, the results will possibly scroll off your screen) - but this method will not show you the original filenames: DIR /A /S – Ed999 – 2017-03-15T13:34:43.733

To save the list to a log file, type the following: DIR /A /S > C:\LOG.TXT – Ed999 – 2017-03-15T13:35:47.437

1Cool! How do you view files in RecycleBin that way? dir doesn't work for me. Are you also able to empty recycle bin? – Alexander Bird – 2013-07-31T17:17:38.563

Windows button on keyboard + R; then type "shell:RecycleBinFolder" and press Enter: This will take you into the Recycle bin folder and shows the deleted items.

Items deleted using "Shift + Delete" won't be available in Recycle bin because they are permanently deleted. These items can be recovered using data recovery software like Easerus data recovery

Tried and worked perfectly on Windows 10.

user2339224

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 11

4Welcome to Super User! This duplicates another answer and adds no new content. Please don't post an answer unless you actually have something new to contribute. – DavidPostill – 2015-12-02T21:10:06.710

The bit about Shift + Delete was new to the thread and relevant (IMHO). – BillP3rd – 2016-02-07T18:42:25.693

None of the previous 'run' commands for Recycle Bin worked on my Windows 10 machine. The start shell:RecycleBinFolder from inside the command window worked. I could not however find a way to have the system display the usual desktop icon. None of the solutions worked. I was however able to re-create the icon by making an Internet Explorer shortcut:

Target = "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" shell:RecycleBinFolder

And then changing the icon to the expected icon by browsing the shell icon DLL file. I now have it back...

Dave P

Posted 2012-02-28T17:03:44.237

Reputation: 11