Have you deleted an important file on Xiaomi RedmiBook, and the desktop baskets have never happened? Or are you trying to clean the disk, but you can't find where the temporarily deleted data is stored? This problem is familiar to many owners of Xiaomi laptops - the brand uses a customized shell MIUI for PC, which hides familiar elements of Windows, as a result, users are lost: whether the basket is missing at all, or it is hidden in an obscure place.
In this article, we’ll break down 3 ways to find a Recycle Bin on RedmiBook (including RedmiBook 14/15/16 Pro models), explain why it’s not on the default desktop, and show you how to restore files if you’ve already cleared the Recycle Bin. You’ll also learn how to set up the icon display and avoid data loss in the future. If you’re working with Windows 11 on Xiaomi, there’s a nuance here – we’ve taken them into account too.
Why doesn’t RedmiBook have a desktop shopping cart?
The reason is simple: Xiaomi delivers laptops with a pre-installed MIUI for PC shell that modifies the standard Windows 10/11 interface. Unlike a "clean" system, here:
- 📁 Standard icons (basket, "This computer", "Network") are disabled - they must be turned on manually.
- 🔄 The paths to the system folders have been changed: the basket can be called Recycle Bin or $Recycle.Bin, hidden.
- 🛠️ Installed branded utilities (for example, Mi) PC Managers that duplicate Windows functions but don’t always sync with Windows.
Also, on some RedmiBook models (especially with Windows 11), the cart may be hidden due to brand policies - Xiaomi is committed to a minimalist desktop.
⚠️ Note: If you have connected an external drive or flash drive, the basket may not be there at all — Windows creates it only for internal drives. Files deleted from external media are harder to recover.
Method 1: Standard path through Windows Explorer
Even if there's no badge, the basket itself exists, and you can find it through a conductor.
- Open This Computer (or My Computer) – its icon is usually on the desktop or in the Start menu.
- In the address bar, enter the path: shell:RecycleBinFolder and press Enter.
- You open a basket window with all the deleted files, and you can restore them or clean the basket completely.
If the team doesn’t work, try an alternative route:
C:\$Recycle.BinThis folder stores all deleted files (shared by user) and note that the files here have encrypted names — don't delete them manually!
Check the administrator's rights|Restart the laptop|Launch the guide on behalf of the administrator|Try a different user profile-->
Method 2: Enabling the basket icon on the desktop
If you're more comfortable with a basket, you can return it to your desktop.
- Press the right mouse button on the free desktop space.
- Choose Personalization → Topics → Desktop icon settings.
- In the window that opens, tick the box opposite the basket and click Apply.
On Windows 11, the path may be different: Settings → Personalization → Topics → Desktop icon settings.
⚠️ Note: On some RedmiBook models (e.g. RedmiBook Pro 15 2023), this item may be blocked by Xiaomi policies, in which case only registry editing will help (see Method 4).
RedmiBook 14|RedmiBook 15|RedmiBook 16|RedmiBook Pro|Other-->
Method 3: Search through Mi PC Manager
Xiaomi installs on laptops the proprietary utility Mi PC Manager, which duplicates some of the functions of Windows, it also has a section for managing deleted files:
- Open Mi PC Manager (the icon is usually in tray or in the Start menu).
- Go to Clean up or Manage Files (name depends on version).
- Find the Recycle Bin tab or Deleted Files – here you will see data that can be restored.
Important: Mi PC Manager doesn't show all files in the system basket, only those that were deleted through this utility. If you erased files through Shift + Delete or third-party programs, they won't show up here.
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If Mi PC Manager doesn’t find deleted files, try third-party utilities like Recuva or Disk Drill – they scan the disk at a low level and can recover data even after cleaning the basket.
Method 4: Manual restoration through the registry (for experienced)
If the Recycle Bin doesn't show up even after you turn it on in the settings, the problem may be in the Windows Registry.Warning: Registry editing is a risky operation.Put a backup before you change it!
- Press Win + R, enter regedit and press Enter.
- Cross the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace
- Check if there is a key {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}. If not, create it manually (right click → Create → Partition).
- Close the registry and restart the laptop.
After the reboot, the cart icon should appear, and if not, check if it is blocked by MIUI for PC or antivirus.
What if after editing the registry, the laptop stopped booting?
How to recover files if the basket is cleaned?
If you have already cleared your shopping cart or deleted files through Shift + Delete, the chances of recovery are there, but they depend on several factors:
| Recovery method | Efficiency | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recovery with Mi PC Manager | Low. | Just | Only shows files deleted through this utility |
| Recuva, EaseUS Data Recovery | Tall. | Medium | Scanning the disk at a low level, can be restored even after formatting |
| Restore from Windows backup | Medium | Hardly. | Pre-configured backup is required |
| Contacting the service center | Very high. | Hardly. | Expensive but effective for critical data |
For the maximum chance of success:
- 🛑 Stop writing data to disk immediately – new files can overwrite deleted files.
- 🔍 Use deep scanning in recovery programs (it will take longer, but find more files).
- 💾 Save the recovered files to another disk, not the one from which you deleted them.
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The faster you start recovering, the better the chances of returning files, and once you clean the recycle bin, the data stays on the disk until it is overwritten with new files.
Frequent Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
RedmiBook users often experience typical shopping cart problems, and here are the most common ones:
- 🗑️ "The basket is not cleaned, usually associated with access rights. Try running the guide on behalf of the administrator.
- 🔄 "Files are not “recoverable” – check if you have manually moved them from the folder $Recycle.Bin.
- 📉 "Recycle bin takes up too much space" - set up automatic cleaning in Recycle Cart Properties.
- 🖥️ "Recycle Bin Badge Disappeared After Update – Reset the icon settings via Settings → Personalization.
On Xiaomi RedmiBook laptops with Windows 11, the shopping cart can automatically hide when you connect to a Microsoft account. To fix this, turn off synchronization of settings in Settings → Accounts → Synchronization of settings.