At 8 years I recycled filesystem directories. I didn't know you can create new folders, so when I needed one I grabbed a random one from C:\Windows, moved it to my desktop and deleted its contents.

That’s funny. When I was little I found “format” in my mp3 player’s settings. Thought it would customize the UI or something, but instead I ended up with no music for the rest of the road trip.

Makes total sense, it used to be called "Recycle Bin" after all!

I wonder if Microsoft did focus group testing and found understandably computer illiterate people were concerned about "trashing" files meant they were somehow permanently using up HDD space

Worked ok til it was a system dir and the system wouldn’t boot anymore? :)

No better way to learn System32 folder was essential is Windows than by destroying your family computer by removing it.

I deleted the files from there to free up disk space

I don't need autoexec.bat or config.sys! it's got some garbage in there that I don't understand, so it must not be important.

I was doing that at three or four and was reminded of it constantly for the next ten years or more. (I actually raised the subject on my mother's death bed.)

When I was a boy all we had were high-voltage vacuum tube electronics, it was fun.