Recycle Bin is Greyed Out? How to Quickly Fix it

Reconfigure the Local Group Policy Editor when you face this problem

4 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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Key notes

An issue Windows users complain about is that the Recycle Bin is grayed out. It prevents users from accessing the recycle bin, restoring deleted files, and accessing the Recycle Bin settings. However, this article will discuss what causes the issue and ways to fix it.

Likewise, you can go through our guide about what to do if theRecycle Bin goes missingin Windows 11.

Why is the Recycle Bin greyed out?

Many factors can cause the Recycle Bin to be greyed out on your computer. Some notable ones are below:

These causes may differ on various devices. Nonetheless, you can fix the problem by trying the steps to be discussed in the next section.

What can I do if the Recycle Bin is greyed out?

Observe the following preliminary checks before proceeding with any advanced troubleshooting steps:

If you can get around the problem, go ahead with the fixes outlined below:

1. Re-add the Recycle Bin icon

Re-adding the Recycle Bin icon will help trigger it to come up.

2. Use the Group Policy Editor

The above steps allow you to configure and modify the option for removing the Recycle Bin icon from the desktop and restoring it.

After doing that, check if Recycle Bin is still grayed out.

3. Use the Registry Editor

Tweaking the above registry will hopefully fix Recycle Bin is grayed out issue on your PC.

Conclusively, you may be interested in our guide on how to fixRecycle Bin icons not refreshingon Windows 11.

Also, read aboutdeleted files not being in the Recycle Binon Windows 11 and how to fix the problem.

If you have further questions or suggestions, kindly drop them in the comments section below.

Recycle Bin is Greyed Out? How to Quickly Fix it#

Why is the Recycle Bin greyed out?#

What can I do if the Recycle Bin is greyed out?#

1. Re-add the Recycle Bin icon#

2. Use the Group Policy Editor#

3. Use the Registry Editor#