Applies to: Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2025.
The Active Directory Recycle Bin allows administrators to restore deleted directory objects with linked attributes preserved.
Prerequisites
- Administrative access to the affected Windows Server hosts.
- A tested backup or documented rollback point.
- An approved maintenance window for production systems.
Step-by-step configuration
- Confirm the forest functional level meets the requirement.
- Record the current forest optional features.
- Enable Recycle Bin for the forest; this action cannot be disabled.
- Delete and restore a test object in a non-production OU.
- Document the recovery workflow and retention settings.
PowerShell and command-line procedure
Get-ADForest | Select-Object ForestMode
Get-ADOptionalFeature -Filter "Name -like 'Recycle Bin Feature'"
Enable-ADOptionalFeature -Identity "Recycle Bin Feature" -Scope ForestOrConfigurationSet -Target "contoso.example"
Get-ADObject -Filter "isDeleted -eq '$true'" -IncludeDeletedObjects
Verification
The optional feature reports EnabledScopes and a deleted test object can be restored with Restore-ADObject.
Rollback
Recycle Bin cannot be disabled after activation. If activation was unintended, stop further changes and follow the organization recovery plan.
Security and operational guidance
- Apply least privilege and document every production change.
- Test the procedure in an isolated environment before broad deployment.
- Replace all example names, paths, and TEST-NET addresses with approved production values.
- Monitor relevant Windows event logs after the change.
Related resources
Deploy or manage Canadian Windows VPS infrastructure with networkmanager.info. Validate production decisions against the official Microsoft Windows Server documentation.
