Home Issue 'Desktop Icons Not Showing Up' Fix

'Desktop Icons Not Showing Up' Fix

Posted: December 24, 2020

Having the desktop icons on your Windows computer may sound like a terrible issue. However, we assure you that it is improbable that the problem is caused by a malware infection or an evil-minded user. This problem often might be caused by a misconfigured setting or because the Windows Explorer process has crashed. If you are looking for 'Desktop Icons Not Showing Up' fix, then we have some basic troubleshooting tips and steps, which may help you solve the problem in a matter of minutes:

Verify that Windows Explorer is up and Running

If Windows Explorer crashes, it will cause both your taskbar and desktop icons to disappear, leaving you with nothing but wallpaper. Even if the process has not crashed completely, it may have frozen and requires a restart to operate normally. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the 'Task Manager,' find 'explorer.exe' and use the right-click menu to select 'End Task.' Windows Explorer will restart automatically.

Check Windows' Settings

Windows gives users the ability to hide/shop desktop icons, and it is entirely possible that you might have changed this option accidentally – or maybe someone in your household did it to play a harmless prank on you. To check for a problem, right-click the desktop and select the menu 'View' – make sure that 'Show Desktop Icons' has a checkmark before its name.

Update System and Device Drivers

Conflicting or corrupted drivers may sometimes cause unexpected side effects like the disappearance of your Windows desktop icons. It is recommended to keep your drivers up-to-date manually or by using 3rd-party driver updating software.

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