How to change Windows 10 recycle bin icon and fix refreshing issue!

As you know Windows recycle bin icon is very boring and have to be changed immediately :). Changing your recycle bin is only visual and does not boost or change your operating systems performance... sadly! 

Changing icons is relatively easy and does not require much technical knowledge, only issue you will have after changing your icon is that recycle bin does not refresh anymore and you would have to right click on your desktop and press refresh is order to see correct waste bin status. 

How to change Windows Recycle Bin icon!

First you will have to download 2 icons from internet, FULL and EMPTY icon and they will have to be ICO files not PNG or any other image file. I downloaded mine from Icon Archive but you are welcome to get them anywhere you like, this is not advertisement for Icon Archive just trying to make your life easier. 

Now create folder on your C: drive and name it "Icons", actually you can create this folder anywhere you like and name it whatever you like, alternatively you can even save Icons in System32 folder, drag your recycle bin icons to the "Icons" folder.

Right click on your desktop and choose Personalize, now click Themes link on your left, see image below:

And scroll down and click "Desktop icon settings", this will open new windows with option to change your recycle bin icons. Change both full and empty icons, you will have to navigate to the folder where you stored these new icons, don't forget to apply these new changes ot you will have to change them again.

Now you should have your new and shiny icons on your desktop but pretty soon you will notice and little issue, when you delete something then recycle bin still shows that it's still empty and only way to get it refreshed you would have to right click on your desktop and choose refresh and same goes when you empty your bin then it still shows full!

How to fix Windows 10 recycle bin refreshing issue

Type into your windows search bar "Registry Editor" and click on it, that should bring up this screen

Now paste following into field what is marked with red on the above picture and press enter: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon

And you should have screen like this now:

Click on each on of them and add: ,0 to the end, see sample below:

Do that for all 3 and close this window after. That's pretty much it, now your Windows Desktop recycle bin icons are changed and everything is working as it should.

Video: Change your boring Windows 10 Recycle Bin icon now!!!