Success is neither magical nor mysterious. Success is the natural consequence of consistently applying basic fundamentals.
~ E. James Rohn.
Just recently on my Windows workstation, a bug occurred on which the Recycle Bin doesn’t refresh its icon on the desktop. I know for a fact that I’ve recently deleted some files, so there should be contents inside the bin, and yet the icon stubbornly refused to update. It is a small cosmetic bug, and also exactly the kind that can drive a person mad, because restarting the Explorer shell is the classic cure, and it was not working either.
I know for a fact that I’ve recently deleted some files, so there should be contents inside the bin.
🔄 What are the steps to reset explorer?
Here are the steps I’ve created for when I need to reset the overall explorer settings or when it has a flaw. The goal is simple: kill the shell process so Windows restarts it fresh, which fixes most desktop rendering glitches in one move.
1. Open the Run Command
Open the “Run command” window by pressing WIN+R.
(i.e. hold down the Windows key and then press R.)
2. Open the Command Prompt
Type cmd at the prompt, and press Enter.
This opens a command prompt where the magic happens.
3. Kill the Explorer Process
Wait for the command prompt to open.
(It will be a flashing cursor block.)
At the command prompt, type this: taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F. You should notice all of these vanish: Start Menu, Taskbar, and any open File Explorer windows. That looks alarming the first time, but it is completely normal and expected; the shell is being restarted, not destroyed.
4. Restart Explorer
Type this at the command prompt: explorer.exe. Now those components should all load back in. The desktop comes back, the taskbar returns, and the Recycle Bin icon should finally refresh with the new content.
🧠 Final Thoughts
That’s it, all done. The whole trick is just the classic “turn it off and on again,” applied to the process that draws your desktop. If there is a bug, there is always a workaround, and sometimes the workaround is one command and a patient minute.
Keep this one in your notes: any time Windows refuses to repaint something correctly, the taskkill plus explorer combo is the first thing to try, and it requires no tools, no admin rights, and no reboot. I’ve already reported the bug to Microsoft feedback, but I am not holding my breath, so this workaround stays in my back pocket.