8 Ways to Fix Recycle Bin Is Grayed out Issue in Windows 10

4. Administrator user account

Does your user account have administrator rights? Ask your administrator if you are not sure. If you are an individual, now switch to the administrator account if you are using a guest user account.

If you still experience the same problem when the trash is grayed out, create a new user account with administrator rights. Open the settings again and go to Accounts> Family and other users. Select Add someone else to this PC.

Click I don’t have this person’s login information.

Click Add User Without Microsoft Account.

Then follow the on-screen instructions to create a new account and be sure to grant administrator rights. Once done, restart your computer once and log in using the new account. Check again if the basket is grayed out or not.

5. Third-party applications

Do you use Rainmeter to manage and access the trash? Several users have reported accessibility issues due to this. Disable the app once and see if the issue is resolved or not. Disable or uninstall any other application you use to replace or manage the trash.

Have you recently installed an application or updated an old one that could cause a conflict? Usually this shouldn’t be a problem when it comes to the trash, but if in doubt, do a clean start up to find out.

6. Corrupted Recycle Bin

Files, folders and even system applications can get corrupted at any time. Some common reasons include malware, viruses, and unsystematic or direct shutdowns. I wrote another detailed guide to fixing a corrupted trash problem some time ago. Check it out.

7. Registry editor

Press the Windows keyboard shortcut + R to open the execution prompt and type regedit before pressing Enter.

Access the folder structure below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesNonEnum

In my case, the NonEnum folder does not exist, and if this is the case with you, skip this step. Otherwise, you should see a DWORD file named:

{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

Otherwise, right-click anywhere in the right pane and create a 32-bit DWORD file with the name above. Don’t forget the braces.

Double-click the file to open it, and set the hexadecimal value to 0.

Save everything, then explore the folder structure below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesNonEnum

Again, check the file name above. If there isn’t one, create one with the same name and set the same value for that too. Save everything and check if the trash is grayed out, or you can access it now.

8. Group Policy Editor

GP Editor is available only in Windows Pro and Enterprise editions. If you are on the Home edition, skip this step. Open the Run prompt again as you did before and type gpedit.msc before pressing Enter.

Go to User Configuration> Administrative Templates> Desktop and locate a file named Remove the desktop trash icon in the right pane.

Double-click the file to open it and set the status to Enabled.

Save everything and check again if the trash is visible or grayed out.

Recycle it

Recycling waste, be it files and folders or plastic, is a healthy habit. It reduces wasted storage space, keeps the disk clutter-free and offers built-in security in the event of accidental deletion. Trash is a great little app, but only while it’s working. Did you know that by pressing the Shift key while deleting a file / folder, you skip the Recycle Bin? It will be deleted forever.