Step 4: Click on Taskbar behaviors option at the end of the page. If youve recently tweaked any of the Windows performance options, you might not see any thumbnails previews on Windows. Browse more videos. Select the icons that you want to display on the desktop, For example, Computer, Recycle Bin, Users Files, Network, or Control Panel. Sometimes you dont. Step 2: Pick a different application and mark the box that reads Always use this app to open files. Note: If you notice a checkbox next toShow desktop icons,icons should already be enabled on your Windows 11 installation. 2. I am about to smash my laptop because of this issue. Now all you will see is the icon. First, you need to check the File Explorer Options on Windows to ensure that thumbnails are enabled on your PC. Step 2: When you click the Folder Options tab. Go to Windows Settings > Personalization > Themes and click on Desktop icon settings. Right-click on the Desktop and then click on View. Choose View and select Show desktop icons. 5. First, you need to uninstall OneDrive, then Rebuild Corrupt Icon Cache here is how to do it. For example, if you'd like to see the Recycle Bin on your desktop . Under Themes, scroll down and select Desktop icon settings. Method 1: Enable Show Desktop Icons. If you configure your Desktop to hide all icons, all icons including the Recycle Bin will be hidden. Also Read: How to Fix Windows 10 Taskbar Not Working. The Windows Explorer process handles the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for a number of utilities, including the desktop. The following are the step-by-step directions to do it. For some reason all of a sudden my computer is showing the Windows "Live Tiles" rather than the desktop icons that had been showing. Check whether the above steps fixed the issue or if the Windows 10 desktop icons are still not showing. When they made it a mandatory it really soured me on them because of syncing issues. While we all love to keep icons and files on the Desktop for quick access . I strongly believe that there may be issues with the MS OneDrive that may also be a culprit in this scenario. In this case, move directly to the next method below. Its possible that youve been logged in with a temporary profile, or you need to fix corrupted values for icon spacing in Registry Editor. We covered this topic in more detail in our guide to how to add icons to the desktop on Windows. After knowing the possible causes of the problem, let us move towards troubleshooting. How to Lock Desktop Icons in Place on Windows 11 Windows 11 Nov 5, 2021. When you run such an application, you will get a UAC prompt. Step 3: Scroll down to select Thumbnails and click on the Remove files option at the top. What did work? Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and go to Personalize. Hence, below is how to check the operating system files and fix them. Top 5 Ways to Fix YouTube Thumbnails Not Showing. Incidentally, on a related note, this post will help you if your Desktop Icons not working or are unclickable. Missing important WhatsApp messages is never fun. Windows 11 Home doesnt have Group Policy Editor. At the User Account Control (UAC) prompt, click Yes to grant admin access. If you want to hide or unhide the desktop icons, or if your Desktop icons are not showing in Windows 11/10/8/7, then this post is sure to help you. That said, now that Start Menu and Taskbar have evolved, putting icons on the Desktop may not make a lot of sense. 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. How do I fix icons not displaying on Windows 10? Step 2: Click on Temporary Files. Top 6 Ways to Fix File Explorer Tabs Not Showing in Windows 11. However, sometimes you may find it troublesome when you try to unpin or remove a program or app icon from Windows 10 Taskbar. 1. Type command prompt in the box and select Run as administrator. Click the Start button and select Settings. Tip: You can also use the scroll wheel on your mouse to resize desktop icons. Guiding you with how-to advice, news and tips to upgrade your tech life. In Windows 11, only the Recycle Bin icon is not automatically on the desktop by default. Now, uncheck the Auto arrange icons option from the sub-menu. Also Read: How to Fix Run as Administrator Not Showing in Windows. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Try checking and unchecking Show Desktop icons option a few times, but remember to leave this option checked. First, this setting is also present in Windows 10, and can be accessed using the same steps listed above. Right-click on the NoDesktop DWORD value and use the Delete option. Fix PC issues and remove viruses now in 3 easy steps: Your IP Has Been Temporarily Blocked: 4 Ways to Unblock It, How to Improve Sound Quality on Windows 11: 6Must-tryTips, Does LDAC Work on Windows 11? A Confirm Value Delete box will appear. Delete the hidden IconCache.db file. Rebuild the icon cache. Step 2: It will open the Themes menu in Windows Settings. Unfortunately, Windows 11 still lacks the "Show all icons" option from Windows 10. Here are a couple of troubleshooting tips to fix the problem of Windows 11 desktop icons not showing. Credit to the author. Do you know if theres a way to make the previews show below the taskbar? Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Select all the checkboxes for desktop icons. Right click on your desktop and select View. Below are the steps you may take to show desktop icons. The good news is nothing is lost, you just need to re-enable the setting. 2023 Guiding Tech Media. Press the Yes button in that box.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thewindowsclub_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',821,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-leader-1-0'); if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thewindowsclub_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_6',801,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');In the final step, you need to restart File Explorer. There might be other reasons why the Recycle Bin icon is missing from your Desktop. Change the Desktop icon settings. Once you select it, click on the Apply button, and the icons appear. Then click on Apply followed by OK. Corrupted or missing system files can lead to errors on Windows 11, including this one. Windows 11 Windows 10. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. Press Enter after each command. Fix 6: Perform computer reset. Unclickable desktop icons may be a result of broken shortcuts or problematic file association. 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. 2. Press Win + R to open the Run Command. Same as other users, I have gone through all the troubleshooting steps listed above but the issue persists. Your email address will not be published. Created by Anand Khanse, MVP. Refreshing the icon cache will only force-enable the icon cluster back on. How To Fix VLC Shortcuts or Hotkeys not Working Problem? If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken. However, apps that werent pre-installed on your PC will not be preserved after a reset. Click on the File Explorer in your taskbar. Luckily, there is an easy fix for this issue. Select all the checkboxes. Check the box beside Show more restore points. We recommend downloading this PC Repair tool (rated Great on TrustPilot.com) to easily address them. . Open the Group Policy Editor and navigate to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop. Quick Repair Office; Then let the process complete and reboot your PC to check if the Word . Fortunately, there is a way around this Windows 11 problem. Copyright 2023 The Windows ClubFreeware Releases from TheWindowsClubFree Windows Software Downloads, Download PC Repair Tool to quickly find & fix Windows errors automatically, 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. Final remarks: Desktop icons not showing in Windows 11/10. How to Fix Desktop Icons Not Working/Not Showing Properly in Windows 10/8/7. It also keeps you away from critical file loss, hardware failure, and repairs damages made by malware and viruses. 7. How to Restore Windows 10 Administrative Tools Shortcuts, Google Pushes Assistant Shortcuts Once Again For Ease of Quick Actions. To fix this, you must disable this Hide and disable all items on the desktop from the Group Policy Editor. If all desktop icons disappear and you cannot right-click on the desktop, then check if this issue is caused by a improper group policy. #ThisPCWindows11 #CoolITHelp Get all latest content delivered straight to your inbox. Right-click on "fsquirt" and then click on "Copy" to copy the application. Change the Desktop icon settings This post shows how to get all your desktop icons back after they suddenly disappeared on Windows 11 devices. Your taskbar will disappear for a brief moment and then reappear. If Windows 11 is failing to load up thumbnails, you can try running an SFC scan by following the steps below. Anyone have any other suggestions? And if your answer is yes, please share this article with your friends and family to give us your support. 1:06. Below are the step-by-step instructions to do it. Step 4: Turn on desktop . @Deleted the icons should not have disappeared in the first place. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. To hide desktop icons in Windows 11/10, do the following: If you find that your desktop icons are missing, type gpedit.msc in the Start menu and hit Enter to open the Group Policy Editor. Desktop icons on Windows 11 give you quick access to your favorite apps, files, folders, and more. Sometimes you see the icons. To view them, right-click the desktop, select View, and then select Show desktop icons. There's a chance that a recent system change is to blame for the missing desktop icons in Windows 11. Thankfully, Windows 11 comes equipped with an SFC, aka System File Checker scan, that can find corrupted system files on your PC and restore them to their previous version. How do you get the icons back? 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. 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. Hopefully, the above-mentioned solutions have helped you restore the missing desktop icons on Windows 11 and things are back to normal. 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 works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a system corruption. Hit Apply > OK.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'thewindowsclub_com-banner-1','ezslot_2',819,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thewindowsclub_com-banner-1-0'); Restart your computer and see if it has helped. Select the Outlook icon in the notification area. In this case, updating or reinstalling the graphics card driver helps. Click on the File Explorer in your taskbar. Windows Start menu always had quick access to folders and settings. If the method above was not effective in your case, you should proceed by troubleshooting a potential corruption thats affecting the icon cache. Losing shortcuts is annoying, but losing actual files is far more challenging to recover from. Note: You probably noticed the result you get isn't actually "Desktop Icon Settings," but rather "Themes and Related Settings.". I spent my high school years working as a campus writer and researcher, as I get older, I want to broaden my horizons and live life to the fullest. 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. It is critical that your Windows computer shows the correct date and time. I found the solution. Required fields are marked *. Follow these steps to perform a system restore on Windows: Wait for Windows to reboot and revert to the specified restore point. How to Show Desktop Icons in Windows 11. Rebuilding the entire icon cache will require you to build a custom BAT file that will automatically run a series of commands that will effectively rebuild the cache associated with every Windows icon. Thanks again. The Lock icon means that you have a private item in a non-private directory. Microsoft is aware of this issue and [] Disable Windows 10 Tablet mode. Now, right-click on it and choose "Restart". Image: MSpoweruser. In this video tutorial, we will see how to show 'This PC' on windows 11 desktop. This will create a shortcut to the website. Can't unpin icon from Taskbar in Windows 11/10. Step 3: Scroll down to select Thumbnails and click on the Remove files option at the top. In this screenshot, you can clearly see how Windows drops a shadow for icon labels: I purchased this desktop specifically so my editing software would run faster, and now this. Heres a shortlist of potential culprits that might be triggering this error code: Now that we went over every potential cause that might cause this issue, lets go over all the actual fixes that other affected users have successfully used to fix this problem: If youre experiencing this issue immediately after installing a pending update for Windows 11, chances are youre no longer seeing the desktop icons because the update has flicked the visibility of the icons to disabled. Open File Explorer > Folder Options > Views to show Hidden System Files. How to Create & Change Desktop Icons! Right-click the shortcut and select Show More Options. Up until September 14, 1995 domain registration was free. Run the following command to terminate the Explorer process: Finally, type in the following text and hit, Right-click on your graphics driver and select. After you click on Show desktop items, the desktop should refresh automatically and the icons should re-appear on your screen. Restart your computer after completing the repair process. Desktop icons disappeared after Windows 11 update? We came around an issue, where some users were facing problems trying to disable drop shadows for desktop icon labels. Usually, the text in the shortcut icons is of no use as the icons themselves are enough to know which app it points to. Right-click a blank space on the desktop, and select "View/Show Desktop Icons" in the pop-up menu. Open up Notepad with admin access. To show desktop icons, ensure that the setting is Not Configured. 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. Icons in Place on Windows 11 problem Shortcuts or Hotkeys not Working # ThisPCWindows11 # CoolITHelp get all your to... How to add icons to the specified restore point items on the NoDesktop DWORD value and use the wheel... 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