The disappearance of shortcuts from the desktop on a computer running any version of Windows most often occurs due to the fact that viruses and other malicious programs have entered the memory. There may be other errors that can cause a PC or laptop to suddenly stop displaying files, folders and icons on the desktop space. There can be many reasons, so we should look at them in more detail. This material explains why desktop shortcuts may disappear, what causes this, and how to restore them.
What to do if desktop icons disappear on Windows 7
The problem when icons disappear from the desktop of a personal computer or laptop running the Windows operating system is most typical for the seven. This is due to the fact that by default it can activate the function of timely cleaning the desktop from shortcuts that the system considers unnecessary. Also, Windows 7 has not been updated for a long time, and its support ended in 2020.
Icons may have disappeared due to a virus infection on your PC.
To answer the question of what to do in such a situation, it is necessary to find out what could be the reason for the disappearance of shortcuts.
Reason one
In this case, the deletion of shortcuts could have happened for one reason - someone simply deleted all the shortcuts from your desktop. Speaking about this case, I can say that it’s easy to check: just move the mouse cursor over any place, click on the right mouse button and try to create any element, which could be a shortcut, a folder or, say, a text document. If the element was created, then everything is in order, now you just have to restore the necessary shortcuts.
It is much worse if the element was created, but did not appear on the screen. This suggests that the problem is somewhat more complex. But more on that below. In the meantime, we continue to deal with more prosaic reasons.
How to return icons using built-in tools in Windows 7 and 8
Icons disappeared from the Windows 10 desktop - how to restore
First of all, you need to figure out what caused the disappearance of the icons. Most often, such problems arise due to viruses and other malware that enter the operating system with applications and games downloaded by the user from unknown sources.
Important! By downloading from an unofficial site, you can easily run into malicious software. It can start acting immediately: deleting files or hiding icons, or it can quietly steal passwords and mine cryptocurrency using the power of the computer.
You need to check your PC for viruses. You can do this with any free antivirus: Dr. Web CureIt!, Malwarebytes anti-malware, AdwCleaner, 360 Total Security, etc. Just download any of them from the official website of the developer and scan your PC memory. Found objects should be deleted.
Note! If this did not help or nothing was found, then you should move on, since, most likely, viruses are not the reason for the disappearance of shortcuts on the desktop.
Option to pin icons to desktop
Disabling the service tool
This tool checks each desktop shortcut for functionality. If there is a shortcut, but there is no file (referring to an inaccessible location or a deleted file), the program will delete such an object. If the desktop contains links to removable drives or network directories, which sometimes become inaccessible and are defined as non-working, their number must be reduced to a maximum of 4 pieces. Create a separate directory for such objects or pin them to the “Taskbar”.
Also, so that not a single such icon disappears, you can disable the system maintenance tool.
- It is launched through the “Control Panel” - open it.
- Click on the “System and Security” element.
- Through the search bar (top right) we find the “Troubleshooting” object and click on it.
Activating the icon display feature on Windows 7
Experienced users know that the explorer.exe service program is responsible for displaying the desktop and all shortcuts on it. It is nothing more than Explorer - the standard Windows 7 file manager. The desktop is just part of the Explorer space, since it contains the same files and folders that can be opened in the program of the same name.
Windows 10 - how to remove the Recycle Bin from the desktop
If explorer.exe crashes or changes, it will not be read correctly. This causes not only icons to disappear, but also the taskbar and notification bar.
Note! If the process is disabled, then instead of the desktop the user will see a black screen on which only the mouse cursor will remain.
You can solve the problem with icons by activating the function to display them. If all the icons and files are gone, but the taskbar works fine, then most likely the user accidentally disabled the shortcut display function. If this is the case, then all the files will be displayed in the “Desktop” or “Desktop” folder, but they will not be on the desktop itself. To activate the option, you must:
- Minimize all windows and go to an empty desktop.
- Right-click and place the cursor anywhere.
- From the context menu that appears, select the “View” tab and the “Show desktop icons” item.
Note! If the checkbox was already there, and there were no files in the “Desktop” folder, then they were moved or deleted. Most likely, malware or incorrect settings made by the user are to blame.
Using Registry Editor to set the value of an Explorer setting
Restarting Explorer to Recover Windows 7 and 8 Desktop
As mentioned earlier, the desktop is part of the explorer.exe process, so damaging this file or disabling it will certainly cause the workspace and Explorer to crash. If the file was not damaged, then you can simply restart it to restore correct operation that was disrupted due to any failures. To do this, proceed as written in the following step-by-step instructions:
- Go to the Start menu and find the Run utility there. You can also quickly access it by pressing the key combination “Win + R”.
- Enter the command “explorer.exe” in the special field and click on “Ok”.
- Wait for the Explorer process to restart or activate and watch the icons appear.
Setting up the desktop in Windows 10 - how to change it to another
The same can be done through the task manager. To do this, press the key combination “Ctrl + Alt + Delete”, and then select the appropriate item. Next, click on “File” - “New task”. The Run window will open, where you will need to enter a similar command.
Important! This is the only method that will help solve the problem when a black screen with one mouse appears instead of the desktop.
Restarting the explorer.exe process
How to restore desktop shortcuts in Windows 7 and 8 using Registry Editor
Another way to restore shortcuts is to use the Registry Editor program.
Important! It is suitable for experienced people, since one incorrect deletion or change of a key can lead to very serious consequences for the Windows 7 operating system.
However, if none of the above helped, then you will have to go to the registry. The thing is that malicious software that could have entered the computer with an infected game or application blocks the launch of the Explorer file and activates its services instead. The Registry Editor helps correct the situation.
You need to do the following:
- Go to the Start menu and enter “Registry Editor” in the search bar. You can also run it from the Run window by typing “regedit”. If you can’t enter “Device Manager” or “Start”, then you need to try to boot the operating system in safe mode.
- Go to the “Registry Editor” and find the “Winlogon” folder, following the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
- View the "Shell" parameter and see what it means. It should say "explorer.exe". If the value is different, then the problem is a virus that changed the configuration.
- Double-click on the “Shell” parameter and change its value to “explorer.exe” by clicking on “Ok”.
- Restart your personal computer or laptop to check the results. The shortcuts should come back.
Running a program through the Run utility
We solve problems
It is immediately worth noting that there may be several reasons. Starting from the most harmless ones, which we will fix in a couple of seconds, to the more serious ones. But we are able to overcome them too. Let's talk about everything in more detail.
Desktop Settings
As you understand, there are a large number of parameters. Among this list there are also those that are responsible for labels - appearance, size, location.
Let's imagine, as an example, a situation where shortcuts on the Windows 7 desktop disappeared. What should we do?
Call the context menu - to do this, right-click on any free space on the desktop. The same result is achieved by pressing the “menu” button on the keyboard.
We move the cursor over the “view” line and go to the drop-down menu. Here we need to make sure that the “show desktop icons” checkbox is checked. Now click on the “arrange icons automatically” item and check the result.
At first glance, the method may seem too simple, but for inexperienced users it can be useful.
Explorer.exe
Problems with Windows Explorer may cause shortcuts to disappear from the desktop. As we have already noted, when problems arise, the first thing we do is scan the computer for viruses.
If everything is clear, we move on. We should launch the task manager - press Ctrl+Alt+Del.
In the menu we should click the “file” button, then “new task (execute...)”. The program launch window will open. Here we should type explorer.exe from the keyboard and press ok.
It happens that the explorer does not start automatically, for one reason or another. We thus launch it manually. If this does not help to return files to the Windows 7 desktop, move on to the next step.
System Restore
Note. On our website you can download cursors for Windows 7. Installation instructions are provided.
The Windows operating system is thought out to the smallest detail. And of course it has built-in diagnostic and troubleshooting functionality.
Please note that in order to use this method, you must have previously saved recovery points. These are so-called system snapshots, with all the necessary settings. You can check this as follows. Find the “my computer” icon on the desktop, call up the context menu for it and click “properties”.
In the window that opens, in the left navigation menu, click “advanced system settings” and go to the “system protection” tab. In the picture above you can see that for drive C, system recovery is enabled. This means that restore points are created automatically.
So, if this feature works for you, read on. If not, move on to the next step.
The easiest way to run System Restore looks like this:
Press Win+R and type rstrui.exe in the “Run” window. Then press Enter.
So, if shortcuts have disappeared from your desktop, you need to return the system to the previously saved working state. The process is extremely simple - after launching the utility, you will need to select the desired restore point and start the process. The computer will restart and the system will return to the selected state. All you have to do is check the result.
You will find this detailed guide helpful: How Windows Recovery Tool Works. What recovery tools are there in the Windows operating system?
Working with the registry
What else can be done to return our shortcuts to the desktop? Let's check that the system registry settings are correct.
Press Win+R and enter regedit.exe.
Sequentially reveals these folders in navigation:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/WindowsNT/CurrentVersion/Winlogon/
Here we find the shell parameter, click on it, and check the value. The correct option is explorer.exe. If it is stated incorrectly, change it. The figure below shows the correct option:
After that, we tear off this branch:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/WindowsNT/CurrentVersion/Image File Execution Options/
Here we check if there are such sections:
- explorer.exe
- iexplorer.exe
If present, they should be removed. After this, restart the computer and check the result.
We use the AVZ utility
The powerful AVZ software allows you to scan your computer for viruses and carry out diagnostic measures.
You can download the program from the author’s website - avz program.
We install and launch it. We will see the start window:
The program has many useful functions, including restoring Explorer settings. This can help bring back shortcuts that have disappeared from your desktop.
Click the “File” menu, then “System Restore”. in the menu that appears, mark items 5, 8, 9, 16. And click “perform selected operations.”
We wait for the process to complete, reboot the PC as always, and check the result.
One way or another, one of the methods should return the missing shortcuts to you.
Video for the article:
Using third-party utilities to restore all shortcuts on the Windows 7 and 8 desktop
If everything that was written above does not help, and you cannot get into the registry editor or task manager even in safe mode, then it is recommended to resort to using third-party tools - antivirus programs, which were described at the very beginning of the material. Sometimes viruses block the downloading and scanning of well-known antiviruses, so it’s worth downloading the AVZ utility.
Note! Its advantage is that it not only scans and removes viruses, but also restores system data, revives icons and provides access to other programs.
Working with AVZ is extremely easy. The process is described in the following step-by-step instructions:
- Download the program from the official website and install it on your computer or laptop. This happens in a standard way, and there is nothing complicated about the procedure.
- Launch the AVZ utility. If this fails, you can use the “Run” window, where you enter the path to the executable file.
- Click on the “File” tab and select the “Update Database” context menu item.
- Go to the “System Restore” item located in the same tab.
- Check the ninth and sixteenth option numbers and click on “Run operation failure”.
- Wait for the check to complete and errors to be corrected. The icons should be restored without restarting the personal computer.
Installing a change using the AVZ utility
When all else fails, you will have to copy your important data, if possible, and reinstall the Windows 7 operating system. This should completely format the hard drive, but all user files will be deleted.
If icons have disappeared from the Windows 7 desktop, then there is no need to panic. Just follow the instructions above and everything will work out.
