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my desktop icon vanised from my del laptop

Theodore Starr 0 Reputation points
2026-04-19T06:25:18.9233333+00:00

desktop apps have vanished from my dell laptop help 590665 I must get help mow I Don;t know my to much about laptops.

Windows for home | Other | Desktop, Start, and personalization
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  1. DaveM121 884.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-04-19T11:47:22.7933333+00:00

    1

    Right click your Desktop and select View, is the 'Show Desktop Icons' setting enabled?

    2

    If that was not the problem, you may be logged into a temporary account, even though it may not seem so, it is a bug in the update process.

    Before you do anything or move any files around

    Restart (not shut down) your PC 4 times, each time let your PC get to the Desktop before the next restart, this will fix this issue a lot of the time.

    3

    Otherwise:

    Please open Windows File Explorer

    Navigate to C:\Users

    Do you see two user folders that look like yours?

    Open those folders and check inside Pictures, Documents . . . etc. and see if your files are there

    If your files are there:

    NOTE VERY IMPORTANT: Do Not copy your files into the Temporary profile you are currently in, when the situation is corrected, your files will be deleted with the Temporary Profile and will not be recoverable !!

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  2. AI answer

    2026-04-19T06:25:27.6033333+00:00

    Try these steps in order; after each step, check if the desktop icons are back.

    1. Turn desktop icons back on
      1. Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
      2. Point to View.
      3. Click Show desktop icons so it has a check mark.
    2. Restore system icons (This PC, Recycle Bin, etc.)
      1. Right-click the desktop and click Personalize.
      2. In the left side, click Themes.
      3. Scroll down and click Desktop icon settings under Related settings.
      4. Tick the icons that should appear (for example Computer, Recycle Bin, Control Panel).
      5. Click Apply, then OK.
    3. If files and shortcuts are missing because of OneDrive If the desktop is using OneDrive backup, Windows might be pointing to the wrong desktop folder.
      1. Open File Explorer.
      2. In the left side, expand OneDrive.
      3. Right-click the Desktop folder under OneDrive and select Properties.
      4. Select the Location tab.
        • If there is no Location tab, this is not the correct desktop folder; look for another Desktop folder (for example under the user profile or another OneDrive account) and repeat.
      5. Click Move.
      6. Browse to the folder that contains the desktop icons that should appear, click Select Folder, then Apply.
      7. When asked whether to move files from the old location to the new one, choose Yes.

    If icons are still missing but programs open from Start, they can be added back by opening the Start menu, finding the app under All apps, then dragging it to the desktop to create a shortcut.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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