Share via

Where is "Desktop"?

Anonymous
2023-05-13T14:14:28+00:00
  1. I like a nice clean desktop, with no icons, no shortcuts, no files are kept on it for more than two minutes, as I hope can be seen from the background.
  2. When I click on the desktop icon on the left-hand pane of File Explorer... this folder is empty. When I look in the public desktop folder, this folder is empty. When I move up and up through the parents to the top... I get all the stuff on the right-hand side.

Because I have an IQ in excess of sixty, I don't need Microsoft's "help" with setting up default folders for music, videos, and pictures. And I can certainly do without the value-free Libraries.
So my question is very simple - where is that desktop located, and how do I get rid of all the useless clutter on it (I am aware that Windows apparently simply cannot function without Pictures/Videos/Music folders, so I have moved the default locations to somewhere else (i.e. where I can't see them and they don't bother me).

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

12 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2024-01-24T23:43:10+00:00

    Hello! I'm nobody, but I might have an answer for you.

    Windows 11 might have set your "Desktop" folder inside your OneDrive. This may be true with other common folders, such as Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Videos, etc.

    To check, right-click the folder you want (for example, Desktop). Select "Properties". Under "General", look for Location. If it's in OneDrive, it would look something like "C:\Users[Name]\OneDrive\Downloads".

    If you want to change this, go to the "Location" tab, and select one of three buttons. I personally used the "Restore Default" button; it was quick, easy, simple. Your computer will ask you to --create a new folder if the "default folder" doesn't exist, and/or --move all your current files to the new folder. If all the above is okay with you, select "Ok" for all of the pop-ups.

    If all goes well, you will now have a hard drive location for a common system folder.

    Hope this helps!

    100+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2023-05-13T17:52:57+00:00

    Thank for you the super-fast response - much appreciated. But, alas, no sign of a "location" field in the Desktop Icon Settings window (nor from following my actual empty desktop, nor from the weird desktop that appears in File Explorer), unless I'm being really dumb (can't be ruled out).

    20+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2024-05-14T15:39:49+00:00

    Good job Kishi-Neo. You seem to know more than Microsoft employees. Microsoft is ruining their product with OneDrive

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2024-05-14T15:40:55+00:00

    It appears that recent updates to Windows 10 has this problem also. OneDrive is garbage.

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2023-05-14T19:22:24+00:00

    No 'desktop folder' associated with This PC, just hard drives (internal and external), sorry.

    10+ people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments