Windows Vista has a new recycling icon that you may not be aware of. The recycling icon is located in the taskbar at the top left corner of your screen. If you do not see the recycling icon, you may need to change your computer’s settings to enable it. The recycling icon is a small blue triangle with a white circle inside it. The triangle has the word “RECYCLE” written in black on one side and the word “WASTE” written in white on the other side. The triangle is located next to the trash can and recycle bin. If you do not see the recycling icon, you may need to change your computer’s settings to enable it. To do this, open your computer’s properties and click on the “System Properties” button. Then click on the “Advanced System Settings” button. Under “System Resources,” check the box next to “Recycling.” If you have not already done so, add an empty recycle bin under “Other Files and Folders.” Click on OK to close these properties windows and return to your computer’s normal display mode.
Just download the registry patch, unzip, and then double-click on the file. You’ll get a bunch of UAC prompts asking if you really want to do this.
After the patch has been added, right click on the desktop and choose Refresh, and you should see your new Recycle Bin icon without the text:
This is pretty sweet.
If you want to restore the Recycle Bin icon text, you can download this registry patch instead, unzip, and then double-click on the file. Your recycle bin text will go back to normal.
If you want to hide the text on regular desktop icons, you can follow this guide.
