Select (or Pin to Home in newer Windows 11 updates).
By default, File Explorer hides system folders like the Recycle Bin in the navigation pane (the left sidebar). You can force it to appear there permanently with one simple setting change. where is the recycle bin in file explorer upd
The Recycle Bin will now permanently sit at the top of your File Explorer sidebar. Select (or Pin to Home in newer Windows 11 updates)
If you don't want to change your sidebar settings, you can jump straight to it: delete the folder
To force a rebuild of the Recycle Bin (which often fixes corruption), navigate to the $Recycle.Bin folder on the affected drive (as we did in the hidden section), delete the folder, and restart your PC. Windows will automatically create a brand new, empty Recycle Bin structure.