Restore Desktop Icons

It can be quite shocking to find out that that your Windows desktop icons or some specific icons are missing. You might have accidently removed the icons or a malware program might have infected your PC and caused the removal of desktop icons.

If you’ve removed your recycle bin icon, or you previously added the some of the “special” icons like Computer, User or Control Panel to the desktop and they are now missing, you might want to know how to add them back. However, you can get these icons back using different methods. In this tutorial, we are going to show you different methods for restoring missing desktop icons.

Adding Icons to the Desktop in Windows 10

If you want to add Computer, Recycle Bin, Control Panel, or your User folder icon to the desktop in Windows 10, there’s an extra step you’ll need to know how to do. First, right-click on the desktop and choose Personalize.

Now select Themes on the left-hand menu, and then once you are there, you can select Desktop icon settings under the “Related Settings” section.

And now you can click the checkboxes for the icons that you want back.

You should see the icons show up as soon as you click Apply.

Adding the Desktop Icons Back for Windows 7 or 8

Go to Control Panel \ Personalize (or right-click on the desktop and select Personalize), and then choose the link for “Change Desktop Icons” on the left-hand side. Now you can chose the icons you want back on the desktop by checking the box next to the name:

Click the Apply button, and you should see the icon show up on the desktop immediately.

Restore Icons to the Desktop on Windows XP

In Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and Professional, the new Start menu is enabled by default. When the new Start menu is enabled, the My Computer, My Documents, and My Network Places icons are removed from the desktop. To restore these icons, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the desktop and click Properties.
2. Click the Desktop tab.
3. Click Customize desktop.
4. Click the General tab, and then click the icons that you want to place on the desktop.
5. Click OK.

Show Hidden Desktop Icons

If all the desktop icons are missing, there is a chance you might have accidentally hidden all the icons. To restore all the missing desktop icons, right-click on a blank area of the desktop, and from the context menu, hover your mouse cursor over “View” option.

In the side menu, you will see the option of “Show desktop icons”. Just check this option and you should be able to see all of your desktop icons.