changing the default app for the file type, What Is the Difference Between Restore and Reset in Windows 10, 3 Best Ways to Open Unknown File Extensions in Windows 11, https://www.thewindowsclub.com/rebuild-icon-clear-thumbnail-cache-windows-10. I found that my desktop had stopped pointing to OneDrive. If I go to . How do you get the icons back? Folder and file names are not showing in Windows 11/10 If folder and file icon names are not showing . Choose View and select Show desktop icons. This will take you to the folder's properties page. TheWindowsClub covers authentic Windows 11, Windows 10 tips, tutorials, how-to's, features, freeware. There is no reason uninstalling it should have done anything, but I guess that is the story of Microsoft products. None of my older computers with previous Windows OS versions had this issue ever. You'll see the icon and the site address drag with your mouse cursor. You may follow the fixes shared in this article to get the icons back on the desktop. Click on "View" in the pop-up menu. If the icons are still not appearing on the desktop, jump to the next solution. Right-click on the empty area on your desktop. Readers like you help support MUO. If you see a NoDesktop DWORD in the Explorer key, right-click it and select. Step 1: Right-click anywhere on the Desktop on an empty space and from the context menu select View. To show the icons, simply select the . Several users have reported that the Nvidia didn't open when the icon was showing up in the search results. Right-click anywhere on the desktop and expand "View". Fix 5: Check the OS files. Quick Repair Office; Then let the process complete and reboot your PC to check if the Word . Step 1: Open the Start menu, type file explorer options, and press Enter. If you're unable to move icons, you can click and drag them to another place. Now, you'll see a window containing desktop icons. Deleting a corrupted icon cache is among the confirmed solutions for this issue. Click Apply then press OK to show the selected desktop icons. We came around an issue, where some users were facing problems trying to disable drop shadows for desktop icon labels. On the right-side locate Hide and disable all items on the desktop. This Tutorial Helps to Fix Windows 11/10 Desktop Icons are Not Showing00:00 Intro00:09 Method 1 - Restart Windows Explorer00:29 Method 2 - Change View Settin. It is critical that your Windows computer shows the correct date and time. Many users experienced this after an update to Windows was automatically installed. Under Related settings, locate and click on Desktop icon settings. Copyright 2023 The Windows ClubFreeware Releases from TheWindowsClubFree Windows Software Downloads, If you find that your desktop icons are missing, type, Download PC Repair Tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically. Missing important WhatsApp messages is never fun. Select the "View" submenu and choose the "Show desktop icons" option again to hide the icons . In Windows 11, only the Recycle Bin icon is not automatically on the desktop by default. #1 - How to Fix the Desktop Icons Not Moving Issue in Windows 10 / 11 . 2 Copy and paste the ie4uinit.exe -show command into Windows Terminal, and press Enter. A couple of things worth nothing about this issue. Make sure there is a check-mark next to the "Show desktop icons" option. Uninstalling OneDrive. How to Fix Icons Not Showing on Desktop Issue, Fix 1: Activate the show desktop icon feature, Fix 2: Check the settings of your desktop icons, How to Fix Run as Administrator Not Showing in Windows, [Solved] USB Drive Not Showing Up on Windows 10, How to Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Not Working, How to Fix Unable to Determine Filesystem Type, How to Fix Kotion Each G2000 Mic Not Working (Easily), Samsung Xpress M2876ND Driver Download and Update, HP Spectre x360 Driver Download and Update, Windscribe VPN: A Complete Review with its All Features, Duplicate Photo Finder and Cleaner Software. Select the file search tool on the taskbar by clicking its box or button. How To Choose Knowledge Management Software For Windows, Under the Processes tab, locate Windows Explorer, Type wt and press Shift + Enter to launch Windows Terminal with admin permission, Click on the Next button, select one of the available restart points, and click Next. This will force Windows to rebuild the icon cache from scratch and resolve your problem. Method 2: Configure Your Desktop Icons Settings. Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and go to Personalize. If you're only missing a few desktop icons, such as This PC, Recycle Bin, Control Panel, and others, you may have disabled them in the "Desktop Icon Settings" window. Right-click any part of your Windows 11 desktop wallpaper to select, To open Desktop Icon Settings, input this command and click. Top 8 Ways to Fix Mouse Cursor Not Showing on Windows 11. 4 . Open File Explorer on your Windows 11 device and select Options > View > Restore Defaults > Apply to undo any system changes that could be affecting thumbnails. Below are the answers to almost each of the questions that anyone might have about the icons not showing up on the desktop. https://www.thewindowsclub.com/rebuild-icon-clear-thumbnail-cache-windows-10. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Press the WIN + I keyboard shortcut to open the Settings app, then navigate to: Personalization -> Themes. Select it and then hit Restart. In that case, you can try clearing the corrupted icon cache data. Hello all, I've run into a problem on my laptop where icons are not showing up on the desktop. But what if these desktop icons vanish without a trace? Q3. Basic InfoTECH. The content remains unbiased and authentic. The good news is nothing is lost, you just need to re-enable the setting. Then, switch to the Customise tab. The problem may also be associated with your graphics card driver. This setting removes icons, shortcuts, and other default and user-defined items from the desktop, including Briefcase, Recycle Bin, Computer, and Network Locations. Please let us know if this wo. Reply. Reboot. Desktop icons not showing in Windows 11/10. Note: You probably noticed the result you get isn't actually "Desktop Icon Settings," but rather "Themes and Related Settings.". Unfortunately, when email issues happen, they can have a huge impact on your ability to communicate and be aware of issues. Click the magnifying icon on the taskbar to open the search menu. To rebuild icon cache on Windows 11: Press Win + S to open the search menu. Microsoft is aware of this issue and [] Rearrange your monitors by dragging and dropping the squares to the way you want them to be ordered. Your taskbar will disappear for a brief moment and then reappear. Resolution. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken. How to Restore Desktop Icons in Windows 10, How to Change or Restore Desktop Icons in Windows 10, 3 Methods to Hide All Desktop Icons in Windows 10, Fix: Desktop Icons Show Only Text in Windows 10, Windows 11: How to View Command History in PowerShell or Command Prompt, How to Open the New or Old Volume Mixer in Windows 11. When work isn't on his mind, you can find him watching a football match or reading a book. A number will appear for a second on each monitor. Usually, this happens if the file associations are messed up. Can't unpin icon from Taskbar in Windows 11/10. If you notice an application icon or system icon with a blue and yellow shield (Icon overlay) at the corner, it means that the applications need to run with administrator privileges. Make sure the Show Desktop icons feature is enabled. Double-click on it to open its Properties box. If the first method does not work. Note that you can only access the Group Policy Editor on Windows 11 Professional, Enterprise, and Education editions. Onceyou fix the Desktop Icons and File Associations, it should be working again. If you use a PC, there's no doubt you would be using a mouse along with it. Removing icons and shortcuts does not prevent the user from using another method to start the programs or opening the items they represent. Make sure there is a check-mark next to the Show desktop icons option. At the User Account Control (UAC) prompt, click Yes to grant admin access. Try checking and unchecking Show Desktop icons option a few times, but remember to leave this option checked. You have some urgent tasks to complete, but the icons are not showing on the desktop. Several affected users that were also dealing with this issue on Windows 11 have reported that theyve been able to fix the problem by creating a custom .reg file to ensure that the registry database related to icon management is not corrupted. Project Name Stars Downloads Repos Using This Packages Using This Most Recent Commit Total Releases Latest Release Open Issues License Language; Sharpshell: 1,277: 73: 1: Please read the entire post & the comments first, create a System Restore Point before making any changes to your system & be careful about any 3rd-party offers while installing freeware. This PC > Desktop > r-click > Location > [onedrive path] 0 Likes. The icons usually appear when there is activity, but if you want to keep an icon visible, you can do so using the Taskbar Settings. We understand the situation may seem a whole lot frustrating. It appears that Microsoft introduced the option to hide the icon menu somewhere during the Windows 11 22H2 . When you run such an application, you will get a UAC prompt. Right click a blank space on the desktop and choose Display Settings. Press Win + R to open the Run Command. 1. Frequently Asked Questions. All rights reserved. Right-click Windows Explorer and select its, Search for the Command Prompt by inputting a, Right-click Command Prompt within the search tool to select a. Or you can also access the tab through "Start" > "Settings" > "Personalization". Feb 28 2022 11:28 AM. Step 1: Press Win + I keys together on your keyboard.. Now, uncheck the Auto arrange icons option from the sub-menu. There are lots of variations in fonts which is part of what makes choosing one to best fit your project or business so much fun. Visual Studio now has an integrated Accessibility Checker that detects many common accessibility issues for XAML based desktop applications. To add icons to your desktop such as This PC, Recycle Bin and more: Select Start , open Settings , then under Personalization , select Themes . On the desktop, press and hold Ctrl while you scroll the wheel to make icons larger or smaller. Here's what you need to do: Press Windows key + R to open up a Run dialog box. Restart File Explorer as instructed in the fourth resolution. He recently joined Guiding Tech as a freelance writer to cover how-tos, explainers, buying guides, tips and tricks for Android, iOS, Windows, and Web. Top 5 Ways to Fix YouTube Thumbnails Not Showing. YouTube is undoubtedly a popular video streaming service for many users for various reasons. Anyone have any other suggestions? Then use the delete key to remove the text, and press the Enter key. Top 5 Ways to Fix Windows 10 Calendar Not Showing Events. Guiding you with how-to advice, news and tips to upgrade your tech life. [Codecs Support], 5Ways to Run File Explorer as Administrator in Windows 11. The Accessibility Checker uses the same axe-windows engine as Accessibility Insights, which is the same accessibility testing tool the Visual Studio team uses for our own accessibility testing. Also Read: How to Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Not Working. If you already ensured that the desktop icons are enabled from the GUI and you still dont see them, move down to the next potential fix below. Right-click any empty space on your desktop and navigate to the View tab at the top, then check the Show desktop icons option. Click User Configuration in Group Policy Editors sidebar. Go to Windows Settings > Personalization > Themes and click on Desktop icon settings. First, right-click on the blank icon from your desktop and select 'Properties'. If the issue persists even after updating the driver, your graphics driver may be corrupt. Type the name of the program you want to add to the Windows 11 desktop. You can download Restoro by clicking the Download button below. If the problem is still not fixed, move down to the final potential fix below. Weve created sub-guides for both approaches, but our recommendation is to start by deploying an icon cache refresh (since its the easier approach) and work your way to rebuilding the entire icon cache if the first method fail. Unclickable desktop icons may be a result of broken shortcuts or problematic file association. Many of us prefer using thumbnails over icons. Select Show and Click the Hidden items option. Scroll down to Explorer within the Windows processes section. Step 2: In the System Properties window that opens, switch to the Advanced tab and click on the Settings button under Performance. The desktop is a lot less useful if you can't put icons on it. Resetting Windows 11 will likely resolve registry or system file issues for missing icons. You may check and fix the .Ink file association to solve this problem. Log off your account and log in to see if the problem is fixed. Niharika is a passionate soul who finds immense satisfaction in putting all her thoughts in writing. The following may be the reasons Windows 11/Windows 10 desktop icons are not showing properly. If that is the case, then you need to check the Registry Editor setting in your Windows 11/10 computer and make it correct. Change the Desktop icon settings We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Press Enter after each command. To show desktop icons, ensure that the setting is Not Configured. Now, select the program icon and then right-click to . To hide desktop icons in Windows 11/10, do the following: Right-click on your desktop; Select View; Uncheck Show desktop icons. On the Customise tab, beneath the Folder Icons section, click Change Icon. If there has been a recent Windows 10 update, it could be that your missing desktop icons are related to a vulnerability patch contained in that update. Thankfully, such issues are often easily resolved once you restart File Explorer. Get Guiding Tech articles delivered to your inbox. First, this setting is also present in Windows 10, and can be accessed using the same steps listed above. 2. Since there are no icons on the desktop, it should not matter where you right-click. Here's how to do it. If that policy is set to Enabled, select Not configured. Right click on your desktop and select View. Desktop icons on Windows 11 give you quick access to your favorite apps, files, folders, and more. Copyright 2023 www.techpout.com. First, consider resetting Windows 11 to resolve the issue. The updated File Explorer in Windows 11 features a tabbed interface that lets you open multiple File Explorer tabs within a single window and switch between them as necessary. This is driving me crazy! 2. It happens when the shortcut is broken, or the file association has a problem. Select Administrative Template and Desktop to access policy settings for the desktop area. How do I fix icons not displaying on Windows 10? Heres how to refresh the icon cache via Windows Terminal: Note: If the icons are still not showing on your Windows 11 installation, follow the next sub-guide directly below. Make sure to untick the Auto Arrange icons option. Fix them with this tool: If the advices above haven't solved your issue, your PC may experience deeper Windows problems. Now all your desktop icons will appear immediately. While the reason behind this could range anywhere from a minor glitch to corrupted system files, this guide covers all the possible solutions that will help you bring those thumbnails back. Toggle on the settings next to the app icon you want to appear. Open up Notepad with admin access. This should fix the issue if youre only dealing with a minor display glitch but wont work if youre dealing with some type of corruption that is affecting the icon cache. Delete the hidden IconCache.db file. This problem can be easily rectified by right-clicking on a free space on your desktop and clicking on Show desktop icons from the View tab. Now select the Desktop folder, present in the right pane. Rebuild Thumbnail Cache in this tutorial to resolve my issues. How do I fix icons not displaying on my desktop? Heres how to change that. In this screenshot, you can clearly see how Windows drops a shadow for icon labels: Then, click on Apply followed by OK. Unfortunately, a recent Windows 11 update toggled a setting that made all desktop icons seem to disappear. Changing it is very simple. Being a technology enthusiast, she loves learning new things about tech and making everyone technologically literate through her articles. On Windows 11, you can show or hide desktop icons with a couple of clicks. After installation, simply click the Start Scan button and then press on Repair All. So, if youve accidentally hidden your desktop icons, getting them back is fairly easy. If the icons were already there and suddenly disappeared, the quick fix is to restart the File Explorer. Your desktop icons may be hidden. Here's how to bring the desktop icons back on Windows 11. In the Group Policy Editor window, navigate or search for the following path from the left side panel:-. Up until September 14, 1995 domain registration was free. Click on OK to save changes. Post Question; Login; Guides; Apps; Check windows version Schedule auto shutdown on windows 11 Sticky and filter keys on windows 11 Disable animation effects in windows11 Pip mode in windows11 Screen resolution on windows11 Remove sign in pin in windows11 Factory reset in windows11 Disable cortana from windows11 Disable startup sound on windows11 Clear cache automatically in windows 11 . A special window titled "Desktop Icon Settings" will appear. After you click on Show desktop items, the desktop should refresh automatically and the icons should re-appear on your screen. If the refresh doesnt happen automatically, right-click on a free space on your desktop again and click on Refresh from the context menu. This software repairs common computer errors by replacing the problematic system files with the initial working versions. If the problem is still not fixed, move down to the final potential fix below. Now all you will see is the icon. Select the icons that you want to display on the desktop, For example, Computer, Recycle Bin, Users Files, Network, or Control Panel. Step 2: In the following window, switch to the View tab and click on the Restore Defaults button. Sometimes you dont. System file scanning can also sometimes fix Windows 11 desktop icons not showing. If you dont want themes to change these icons, uncheck the box next that allows changing theme desktop icons. I'm using Win 10, but I assume there is something similar in Win 11. This is why you don't want to start adding icons to your desktop again - as you will only be adding duplicates since the original icons are not being displayed. Right-click a folder on your Windows 11 PC and select Show more options to expand the menu. Desktop icons disappear when I click on them [Fix], Taskbar icons not showing, missing, invisible, blank in Windows 11/10, How to remove Green Check Marks on Desktop Icons in Windows 11/10, Microsoft adds the new AI-powered Bing to the Windows 11 Taskbar, New Bing arrives on Bing and Edge Mobile apps and Skype. I want to personally thank you for your tutorial on how to repair the thumbnails issue on Windows 11. THank God I was able to resolve it. Choose Personalization. Credit to the author. ; Now select Apps and expand the MS Office installation. As a last resort, you can perform a clean boot or restore your PC to an earlier restore point. There are multiple reasons why your file names are not showing up, like corrupted system image files, conflicting third-party services or startup apps, etc. The path for this key is: On the right-hand side of the Explorer key, look for the NoDesktop DWORD value. Right-click on an empty area on the Desktop and click on View > Show desktop icons. In that case, I recommend accessing WIdgets; Disable all Widgets and leave only Weather enabled; Press Windows key + i and go to Personalization; Click on Taskbars; Disable and enable Widgets; Verify that the icon now appears on the taskbar; See you soon! Heres a shortlist of potential culprits that might be triggering this error code: To hide the desktop icons, use these steps: Right-click on the desktop area. Choose View and select Show desktop icons. Disable Windows 10 Tablet mode. Close the elevated Windows Terminal app and see if the problem is now fixed. Refreshing the icon cache will only force-enable the icon cluster back on. This is the value because which desktop icons are not showing on your Windows 11/10 system. Select the Outlook icon in the notification area. Note: An issue with the icon cache is much more likely if youre noticing that taskbar icons and File Explorer icons also fail to display. These are the causes for desktop icons not showing in Windows 11: Now lets get your Windows 11 desktop icons back. Make sure to click and drag the icon, not the address itself. After weve investigated this issue thoroughly, it turns out that this problem has multiple potential causes. When a folder is encrypted, Windows adds a lock icon overlay to the folder icon to identify it as an encrypted folder. The . The following are the step-by-step directions to do it. How to Create & Change Desktop Icons! While we all love to keep icons and files on the Desktop for quick access, it results in too much clutter. Therefore, this article focuses on helping you fix the desktop icons not showing issues. Users whove restored missing Windows 11 desktop icons with other methods are most welcome to share alternative fixes in the comments below. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Pankil is a Civil Engineer by profession who started his journey as a writer at EOTO.tech. I strongly believe that there may be issues with the MS OneDrive that may also be a culprit in this scenario. Any update on this? Above were some core culprits behind the no icons on the desktop issue. This works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a system corruption. And if your answer is yes, please share this article with your friends and family to give us your support. If checked, then uncheck it and click OK to apply changes made on your device. Then navigate to this directory path (replace
windows 11 desktop icons not showing