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This tip is about the how to Fix ‘Desktop Icon Disappearing on Windows 10’ Issue. So read this free guide, How to Fix ‘Desktop Icon Disappearing on Windows 10’ Issue. If you have query related to same article you may contact us.
How to Fix ‘Desktop Icon Disappearing on Windows 10’ Issue – Guide
If the Windows 10 desktop icons are missing, there may be a problem with the icon settings or with the Windows core system. Problems like these often don’t have a clear reason, making them difficult to solve. However, for the desktop icon missing issue, there are some standard fixes that you can try and hopefully resolve the issue on your computer.
Steps to Fix Missing or Missing Desktop Icons
There can be multiple sources of disappearance of desktop icons, however this also means that various fixes can be applied to get them back. Our article focuses on bringing you the most reliable and tested methods, enabling you to solve this problem efficiently.
Let’s not waste time and get straight to the point!
Solution 1: Enable visibility of desktop icons
It is possible that your desktop icon visibility settings have been turned off, which has caused them to disappear. This could be human error or caused by an app you used or installed recently. You can easily turn it on by following the steps below.
- Right-click on an empty space on your desktop.
- Click on the “View” option from the context menu to expand the options.
- Make sure “Show desktop icons” is checked. If it isn’t, just click it once to ensure it’s not causing any problems displaying the desktop icons.
- You should immediately see your icons reappear. Otherwise, proceed with our next methods.
Solution 2: Turn off Tablet mode
Users have reported that having Tablet mode enabled can cause desktop icons to display errors. This mode is intended to help the touch-enabled devices function, however it can cause unwanted changes for many people.
Below are steps on How to easily disable Tablet mode in Windows 10.
- Open the Start menu by clicking the Windows icon in the lower left corner of the screen. You can also press this key on your keyboard to open the menu up.
- Click on Settings on the left side of the windowup menu. It is indicated with a gear icon. For faster access, just use Windows keyboard shortcut + S.
- You will see a new window displaying many system options. Click on the System tile.
- Use the left pane to switch to the “Tablet Mode” tab.
- Depending on what you see displayed, follow the next instructions:
- If you see the option “Make Windows more touch friendly by using your device as a tablet”, make sure the switch is turned off.
- Otherwise, change the tablet mode settings to “When I sign in, I use desktop mode” and “Always ask me before I switch”.
- Restart the computer and check that the desktop icons are back on.
Solution 3: Use command prompt to rebuild icon cache
Command Prompt allows you to reach a deeper level of system configuration, simplifying resetting of settings. All you have to do is follow the steps below – make sure you don’t make any other changes as typing the commands incorrectly can cause more problems on your device!
Simply rebuilding the icon cache might be the right thing to do if desktop icons disappear. This will ensure that Windows 10 has a clean screen for rendering its icons, restoring any previous issues with cache files.
- Press the Windows + R keys on the on-screen keyboard. This will bring up the Run utility.
- Type “cmd” and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys on your keyboard. By doing this, you are starting the Command Prompt with administrative permissions.
- If prompted, click Yes to allow Command Prompt to make changes to your device.
- Enter the following commands, pressing the Enter key between each new line. This will restore the icon cache one step at a time.
- Restart your device. You should be able to immediately check whether the desktop icons reappeared or not.
Solution 4: Run System File Checker
System File Checker is a tool available in Windows 10 by default. It is also called “SFC scan” and is the fastest way to automatically fix corrupted system files and other problems.
Running this check has proven to eliminate issues with missing Windows 10 icons. Here is what you need to do to run it.
- Press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard. This will bring up the Run utility.
- Type “cmd” and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys on your keyboard. By doing this, you are starting the Command Prompt with administrative permissions.
- If prompted, click Yes to allow Command Prompt to make changes to your device.
- Once at the command prompt, type the following command and press Enter to run it: sfc /scannow
- Wait for the SFC scan to finish scanning your computer and repair the corrupted files. This can take a long time; make sure you don’t close the command prompt or shut down the computer.
- Restart your device after verification is complete.
Solution 5: Update Windows 10 to the latest version
Upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10 may restore some system issues on your device. Many users report that an update has been able to resolve known bugs and also bring new and interesting ones. features, patches up security breaches and more.
Here are the steps to guide you when updating Windows 10.
- Click on the Start menu and choose “Settings.” You can also use the Windows+I keyboard shortcut.
- Click on the “Update and Security” block.
- Make sure you stay on the default “Windows Update” tab.
- Click on “Check for updates” button.
- When an update is found, click “Install” button and wait for Windows 10 to download and apply the update.
Solution 6: Reset your Windows 10
While this is the least desirable option, it can certainly help when dealing with serious system problems. Many users restart Windows 10 in an attempt to get a clean start and fix complicated issues that would otherwise require hours and hours of troubleshooting.
Here are the steps to reset Windows 10. You have the option to keep all of your personal data, but you can also choose to completely wipe all data and start with a new system.
- Click on the Start menu and choose “Settings.” You can also use the Windows+I keyboard shortcut.
- Click on the “Update and Security” block.
- Switch to the “Recovery” tab.
- You should see a header that says “Reboot this PC”. Just click “Start” button underneath it.
- Choose whether or not you want to keep personal files. Both options mean that your apps will be removed, but you can easily keep your personal documents safe.
- Proceed with the onscreen instructions and restart your PC.
We hope that this guide was helpful when restoring your missing or missing desktop icons in Windows 10. You should have quick and easy access to your most important shortcuts and folders again.
Final note
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