Quick answer: if your desktop icons disappeared in Windows 11 or 10:
- Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
- Choose View, then click Show desktop icons so it has a check mark.
To bring back This PC, Recycle Bin or Network, go to Settings › Personalization › Themes › Desktop icon settings and tick the icons you want.
Sommaire
- What’s your situation?
- Show desktop icons (all of them)
- Show This PC, Recycle Bin and other system icons
- Add app and folder shortcuts to the desktop
- Change icon size and layout
- Icons gone after setting up OneDrive
- No icons and no taskbar: restart File Explorer
- Blank or wrong icons: rebuild the icon cache
- Other causes and fixes
- Related guides on les-imprimantes.com
- Frequently asked questions
What’s your situation?
| What you see | Most likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop completely empty, wallpaper still there | Show desktop icons turned off | Show desktop icons |
| Your files are there, but no This PC or Recycle Bin | System icons not enabled | System icons |
| Icons and files gone after setting up OneDrive | Desktop moved to OneDrive | OneDrive |
| Icons blank, white or wrong | Corrupted icon cache | Icon cache |
| No taskbar, no icons, black screen | File Explorer not running | Restart Explorer |
| Icons too big, too small or scattered | View settings | Size and layout |
Show desktop icons (all of them)
- Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
- Point to View.
- Click Show desktop icons. A check mark means icons are visible; click again to hide them.
This works the same in Windows 11 and Windows 10. Hiding icons this way doesn’t delete anything: your files are still in the Desktop folder.
Not the same as “Show desktop”: Windows + D minimizes all windows so you can see the desktop; it doesn’t hide or show icons.
Show This PC, Recycle Bin and other system icons
- Press Windows + I and go to Personalization › Themes.
- Under Related settings, click Desktop icon settings.
- Tick the icons you want, then click OK.
| Icon | Opens |
|---|---|
| Computer (This PC) | Your drives, USB sticks and devices |
| User’s Files | Your personal folder (Documents, Pictures, Downloads…) |
| Network | Computers, printers and NAS on your network |
| Recycle Bin | Deleted files |
| Control Panel | Classic Control Panel |
In the same window, Change Icon lets you pick a different picture for each icon, and Restore Default brings back the original one. Windows 10: Settings › Personalization › Themes › Desktop icon settings.
Add app and folder shortcuts to the desktop
- From the Start menu: open Start › All apps, then drag an app onto the desktop.
- Folders and files: right-click › Show more options › Send to › Desktop (create shortcut) (Windows 11). In Windows 10, the Send to menu is directly in the right-click menu.
- Websites: drag the padlock icon from your browser’s address bar onto the desktop.
- Any program: right-click the desktop › New › Shortcut and browse to the program.
Change icon size and layout
| What you want | How |
|---|---|
| Bigger or smaller icons | Right-click › View › Large, Medium or Small icons, or hold Ctrl and turn the mouse wheel on the desktop |
| Icons placed automatically | Right-click › View › Auto arrange icons |
| Icons aligned neatly | Right-click › View › Align icons to grid |
| Sort by name, date or type | Right-click › Sort by |
| Bigger text and icons everywhere | Settings › System › Display › Scale (125 % or 150 %) |
Icons gone after setting up OneDrive
When OneDrive backup is turned on, Windows moves your Desktop folder into OneDrive. If you then pause or unlink OneDrive, the desktop can look empty, even though your files are still safe in OneDrive.
- Open File Explorer and check the OneDrive › Desktop folder: your files are usually there.
- To manage it, click the OneDrive icon in the taskbar › Settings › Sync and backup › Manage backup.
- If you stop backing up the Desktop, move your files from OneDrive › Desktop back to your local Desktop folder.
Careful: don’t delete files from OneDrive to “fix” the desktop. They may be the only copy. Check first that they are in your local Desktop folder.
No icons and no taskbar: restart File Explorer
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
- Find Windows Explorer and click Restart.
- If it isn’t in the list: Run new task, type
explorer.exe, press Enter.
Blank or wrong icons: rebuild the icon cache
Windows stores icon pictures in a cache file. When it’s damaged, icons turn white or show the wrong image.
- Restart the PC first: it often fixes it.
- If not, open Command Prompt (not as admin) and run:
ie4uinit.exe -show- Still wrong? Close your apps, then run these commands one by one. They delete the cache files; Windows rebuilds them after restarting Explorer:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
del /a /q "%localappdata%\IconCache.db"
del /a /f /q "%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache*"
start explorer.exeOther causes and fixes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop icon settings greyed out, “You need to activate Windows” | Windows not activated | Activate Windows in Settings › System › Activation |
| Can’t show icons on a work PC | Group Policy “Hide and disable all items on the desktop” | Ask your IT department |
| Icons hidden on a Windows 10 tablet or 2-in-1 | Tablet mode | Turn off Tablet mode in the Action Center |
| A file is missing from the desktop | Moved, deleted or hidden | Check the Recycle Bin and turn on View › Show › Hidden items in File Explorer |
| Icons rearrange after each restart | Screen resolution change or Auto arrange | Turn off Auto arrange; keep the same resolution |
| Problem started after an update | Incomplete update | Install pending updates, then restart |
🛠️ Real-world case: “All my files disappeared from the desktop”
| Situation | Windows 11 laptop; after a OneDrive sign-in prompt the user had accepted, the desktop was empty the next morning |
|---|---|
| Diagnosis | OneDrive backup had moved the Desktop folder into OneDrive, then the user had paused sync |
| Fix | Files found in OneDrive › Desktop; sync resumed, and This PC and Recycle Bin re-enabled in Desktop icon settings |
| Result | Nothing lost; about 10 minutes, including reassuring the user |
Takeaway: an empty desktop rarely means deleted files. Check Show desktop icons and the OneDrive Desktop folder before anything else.
Related guides on les-imprimantes.com
- Change your lock screen background in Windows
- Customize your screen saver settings
- Switch to a dark theme in Windows
- Install a pending Windows update (in French)
- Uninstall a program (in French)
- All our Windows guides
Frequently asked questions
How do I show icons on my desktop in Windows 11?
Right-click an empty area of the desktop, choose View, then click Show desktop icons so it has a check mark.
How do I get This PC on my desktop?
Open Settings › Personalization › Themes › Desktop icon settings, tick Computer and click OK. The icon appears as This PC.
Why did all my desktop icons disappear?
Usually Show desktop icons was turned off, OneDrive moved the Desktop folder, or File Explorer stopped running. Check these three in that order.
How do I make desktop icons smaller or bigger?
Right-click the desktop › View › Small, Medium or Large icons, or hold Ctrl and turn the mouse wheel on the desktop.
How do I put an app shortcut on the desktop?
Open Start › All apps and drag the app onto the desktop. For a folder, right-click › Show more options › Send to › Desktop (create shortcut).
Are my files deleted if the desktop is empty?
Almost never. Check Show desktop icons, the OneDrive › Desktop folder and the Recycle Bin before assuming files are lost.
Why are my desktop icons white or blank?
The icon cache is damaged. Restart the PC, then run ie4uinit.exe -show, or rebuild the cache with the commands in this guide.
