How to Fix Missing Desktop Icons; All Icons

It can be frustrating when one’s desktop icons disappear, as it is a lot easier to just click on the things you need to open and start working on them. Below, we have listed some of the possible reasons as well as the solutions.

1. The icons may have been hidden.

How to fix this?

  • Right click anywhere on your screen > Choose “View” on the options. > Under “view” there should be an option for “Show desktop icons”, click on it and the isons should be back.

2. Explorer.exe process not running.

If the explorer.exe process is not running, it can cause desktop icons to disappear. How to fix it? Restart the explorer.exe process.

  • Open the task manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard.
  • Click on the “Details” tab and locate “explorer.exe”.
  • Right click on it and there should be an “End Task” option. Click on it.
  • Then click on “File” at the top of the Task Manager window.
  • Click on “Run New Task” then in the box, type “Explorer.exe” then enter.

3. Malware or virus.

A malware or virus can cause desktop icons to disappear. In this case, you have to run a full system scan with an antivirus program to detect and remove any malware.

4. System or software update.

Sometimes an update to Windows or a software program can also cause desktop icons to disappear. what you can try do is to try restarting your computer to see if the icons reappear.

5. Display driver issues.

It can be due to corrupted or outdated display driver. To fix this issue, go to Device Manager, right-click on the display adapter, and select “Update driver.”

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