Which Windows version was the first to include a Recycle Bin?

Windows 95 was the first Windows version to include a Recycle Bin. Released on August 24, 1995, it introduced a more approachable desktop shell built around the Start menu, taskbar, My Computer, and special folders such as the Recycle Bin.

The feature gave deleted files a temporary holding place instead of removing them immediately. Users could open the bin, restore an item to its original location, or empty the bin to delete its contents permanently. This made everyday file management safer for people who were not comfortable recovering files through DOS commands.

Microsoft had earlier experimented with recovery tools. MS-DOS included utilities such as UNDELETE, and Microsoft’s Delete Sentry could move deleted files into a hidden folder. Those tools were less visible and less intuitive than the desktop Recycle Bin. Windows NT 4.0 also supported the feature, but it appeared first in Windows 95.

A common mix-up is confusing the Recycle Bin with Windows Explorer: Explorer provided the shell and file-management interface, while the Recycle Bin was a special desktop folder managed through that shell.