The Windows Recycle Bin is the place where most deleted files are stored. You can click on the trash can icon on your computer desktop to see all of the items in the Recycle Bin. If you want to restore a file in the Recycle Bin, you simply highlight it and click on "Restore this item" to return the file to its original location.

This is a very valuable feature. Once you get used to it, you may think that it is always available. In most cases, it is. However, there are two important instances when the recycle bin doesn't work. First, there is no Recycle Bin for networked drives. So if you have a file server and you delete a file from it, it is permanently deleted. While this affects mainly businesses with the appearance of Microsoft Home Server software, you can be sure that it will start to affect sophisticated home users as well.

Second, when you delete a file from a removable drive like a USB flash drive, camera, or memory card reader, there is no recycle bin. Any item that you delete will be permanently deleted.

Unfortunately, there is no real alert to this fact. If you look closely when you delete a file from your hard drive, the confirmation box will say something like: "Are you sure you want to send this file to the Recycle Bin?"  When you delete a file from a removable drive, the box will say, "Are you sure you want to delete this file?" but, to be honest with you, no one reads all those common warning boxes anyway. Most people, me included, just click right through them.

 So just be aware that you either need to read the confirmation boxes, or just remember that if you are deleting a file from a network or external drive, you will be permanently deleting it.