A few months ago a folder called RECYCLER appeared on the two hard drives on the computer. Can this folder be removed from the computer?

The RECYCLER folder is a hidden Windows system folder which is located on each hard drive on a Windows XP computer. This is essentially a local recycle bin for each drive. When you delete a file or folder from the drive, it is moved to the RECYCLER folder on that drive (which is more efficient than moving the file or folder to a centralised recycle bin folder located on the drive where Windows is installed). Then, once you empty the Recycle Bin, the RECYCLER folder on each drive is purged. So, you cannot and should not delete the RECYCLER folder, given the important function this fulfils on the computer. The most likely reason you can see this folder is because the option to hide hidden files and folders has been disabled. To re-enable this setting, open Windows Explorer or My Computer and go to the ‘Tools’ menu > ‘Folder Options’. In the window that appears, click the ‘View’ tab. Under ‘Hidden files and folders’ enable ‘Do not show hidden files and folders’. Also, further down the list make sure ‘Hide protected operating system files (recommended)’ is enabled. Once you have finished, click OK and you should no longer see the RECYCLER folder.