Quick Tip

090-2010

Delete files when the Recycle Bin is hidden

By default, the Windows XP Recycle Bin sits at the bottom right of the desktop, just above the tray notification area and system clock. If you've got a number of windows open, it's possible to obscure the Recycle Bin and make it impossible to drag files and folders there for deletion. Microsoft must have thought of this because you can automatically hide all of those open windows during a drag operation.

TIP: Make sure make sure there are a number of windows open on the screen, with at least one of them hiding the Recycle Bin. Then, find a file or group of files you'd like to drag to the Recycle Bin. Click and hold the files with the mouse and drag them to the lower right of the screen. As you reach the bottom area of the screen, pass the mouse cursor over a blank area of the task bar, hover there for an instant, and by magic all the open windows all minimize, leaving the Recycle Bin available to accept the dragged files.

NOTE: This tip also works when windows are maximized, assuming the file(s) you want to delete are visible in one of the available windows.