Location of Recycle bin?

where, in the directory tree, can I find the "recycle bin "? Can files be restored from a cmd window?

 

You may skip the first paragraph, but I think it should be done by anyone attempting to get control of their computer.

Start > Run > explorer > tools tab> folder options> view tab> make sure nothing is hidden. Then select apply and select apply to all folders and Ok.

Then open your C: Local Drive > tap 'r' and if your recycle bin isn't highligherd either keep tapping 'r' or scroll down (down arrow key) 'till you see it.

 

On my XP Home SP2 system it's at C:\Recycler. Inside the Recycler directory is another Directory named S-1-5-21-2857422465-927890586-840360825-1003. Inside that Directory are the files that I delete.

I can't say if your system will be the same.

Recovering files via the command prompt is possible but is very labor intense. I have succeeded in doing it in test situations and have even made batch files for finding and retrieving them. They worked well in Win9x but I haven't updated them for XP usage.

 

Its counted as a system file and is hidden by default. Go to the control panel, open folder options, click the view tab then untick "Hide protected system files" and click the "Show hidden files and folders" button. It is then accessable from the root of your system drive (c:\). Remember to turn those options back on
when you have finished.

 

Thanks (all) for the replies....

Can't do what any of you have suggested because my windows interface (GUI) is dead.

I am limping along trying to do what I can from the cmd prompt. System files are not showing up because the "hide system files" button was selected.

Can't go to control panel.
Can't open folders - explorer won't run.

Thanks,
~Bob

 

Ok just tried it, even with hide system files on, i can get to the recycle bin folder, which is C:\Recycled also try recycler. The folder recycled had a recycle bin icon on it so im guessing that is the one. Also im guessing you know DOS commands.


EDIT

Sorry, but you cannot see the files within the folder recycled through DOS but can using explorer. What happend to your GUI

 

If you look in a thread named "windows xp interface dead" I've described, in some detail, my utter stupidity in complying with a series of viruscan alerts that prompted me to delete multiple files due to a trojan that they were supposedly infected with. I didn't recognize any of the file names so I hit the delete button on the virus warnings.

At next boot, after trying to log onto my windows xp account, it got as far as displaying my wallpaper and stopped. No desktop icons, no taskbar, no start button, no clock, no diddly.....

Thought if I was really lucky, just maybe those files that I deleted ended up in the recycle bin and I could restore them somehow. So far, no joy.

I know (remember) a few basic DOS commands but I haven't really had a need to use dos in a buncha long times. Anything you can think to try would be appreciated.

I've run SFC and chkdsk. No help.
I've booted in safe mode and back. No help.
I tried going to a restore point prior to this event. No help.

I also have another thread going ( "windows registry problem? ") that describes how I am able to launch applications using "new task(run)" and browsing to the executable I want to run from the "file" drop down in "task manager ". Machine seems to be working ok, in that, I can run Word, Excel, Netscape etc.... I can print and save files..... I can't run IExplorer.exe or explorer.exe. Either one of those evokes an error message stating that windows can not find the file. Both .exe files are still in the directories where they belong and appear to be the correct filesize and date. Gueassing that either the executables got corrupted or I have a registry problem. Never messed with the registry, I understand that can bring a "supergeek" to tears.


~Bob