AOMEI FastRecovery
How to Fix Shortcuts Disappearing from Desktop
On this article, you will learn 6 effective remedies to "shortcuts disappearing from desktop". This document also includes detailed and explicit rules.
By Lucas / Updated on September 13, 2024
All desktop shortcuts disappeared, desktop folder empty
“I logged into my work laptop this morning and discovered that all of my custom shortcuts(rdp, shortcuts, etc.) and some saved text files on the desktop had vanished but my workplace IT support contact "card," adobe, mouse without borders and the recycle bin are still there in their normal spots. How can I find my shortcuts on the desktop back?”
--User from Microsoft Community
Shortcuts are a quick way to locate and run files or programs. Once you've created a shortcut on your desktop, you may open your file or program by simply clicking on it. You may experience an unintentional issue, such as losing shortcuts on desktop icons, making it difficult to locate your original file or program. How do you get your shortcuts back on the desktop? Continue reading to find out how to solve this issue.
What causes shortcuts disappearing from desktop?
Before learning how to restore your shortcuts to your desktop, you may want to understand why they disappear in Windows 10 or older versions of Windows systems.
- Activation of tablet mode: Desktop icons may not appear correctly if your device is in tablet mode.
- Accidental concealment: Desktop icons may have been accidentally deleted.
- Incorrect System configuration settings: Wrong System configuration settings may prevent the display of essential elements such as the Recycle Bin, This PC, Control Panel, Network, and user folders on the desktop.
- Issues with graphics drivers: The lack of or outdated graphics drivers can result in the incorrect display or disappearance of icons.
- Icon cache corruption: The icon cache files may become corrupted, resulting in the appearance of distorted or nonexistent icons. Although the icon cache can be rebuilt to resolve this issue, it will not resolve any issues associated with incorrect file associations or shortcut targets that have been moved or deleted.
In short, there are two situations: your source file goes or it stays but the shortcut vanishes. They have a range of sensible responses. Should your source file still exist, you could have to change certain settings to let your shortcuts show on the desktop. Should your source file disappear or be deleted, you might first want to investigate methods of file recovery.
How to recover missing shortcuts on desktop in Windows PC
Restoring desktop icons depends on the reason your Windows 10 desktop icons are absent. Use the following troubleshooting techniques to find out why your desktop icons vanished from Windows 10 and how to bring them back on desktop.
Method 1. Turn on desktop icons display
Perhaps the desktop icon visibility settings cause your shortcuts to vanish. It can be a human mistake or the result of a freshly installed new program. Desktop files missing following an update can also be solved using this approach.
1. On the desktop of your computer, right-click on an empty part.
2. Click on the View option on the pop-up window.
3. Then, tick the Show desktop icons and you will see your shortcuts desktop icons appear on desktop again.
Method 2. Turn off the tablet mode
The Tablet mode may be the reason your desktop shortcuts disappear in Windows 10; it will affect your PC in several ways. You may thus disable Tablet mode in Windows Settings.
1. Click the Windows symbol at the bottom of your screen to open the Windows menu; then, select Settings.
2. See the "System" part. Click then on the "Tablet mode" choice on the left menu.
3. Under When I sign in, kindly select "Use desktop mode". Under When this gadget automatically switches tablet mode on or off, also choose "Always ask me before switching".
Just restart your computer after configuration to see whether your shortcuts icon shows on desktop once more.
Method 3. Recover shortcuts disappeared from desktop with CMD
Command Prompt can also resolve the "shortcuts disappear from desktop" issue. It can assist you in rebuilding the icon cache so that your shortcut icons can be retrieved from the desktop. Perhaps using Command Prompt is difficult for you.
1. To activate the Run utility, press the Windows and R keys simultaneously.
2. To run as an administrator, type cmd and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
3. Type the command, remembering to hit Enter after each new line:
taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local
attrib -h IconCache.db
del IconCache.db
start explorer.exe
At last, restart your computer to check if your shortcuts icon reappears.
Tip: If you lost files, you can also use CMD to recover lost data files.
Method 4. Restart Windows File Explorer
When your shortcut desktop icons disappear, you can restart Windows Explorer because the desktop icon is a component of Windows Explorer.
1. Run Task Manager in the Windows menu.
2. Locate Windows Explorer and choose it, then press the Restart button. Then it will be restarted and your shortcuts icon will show on desktop.
Method 5. Recover shortcuts via a data recovery tool
If none of the solutions listed above work to resolve the shortcuts disappearing off the desktop issue, you should evaluate whether your source files or programs have been lost or destroyed. To repair that, try AOMEI FastRecovery an easy data recovery program.
AOMEI FastRecovery is a trustworthy data recovery solution with professional recovery capabilities. It can successfully recover your lost data or applications to their original location, regardless of the cause.
● Recover data from a variety of devices, including SSDs, USBs, HDDs, and SD cards.
● Provide support for over 200 categories of data recovery.
● Rapid and high-speed recuperation.
● Graphical user interface that is both straightforward and uncomplicated.
● Fully compatible with NTFS, FAT32, exFAT, and ReFS in Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Server.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI FastRecovery. Choose the exact partition or disk where your data lost and click Scan.
Step 2. Then, the recovery tool start to scan and search. lt will execute the “Quickly Scan" first to find your deleted data fast, and then execute the “Deep Scan" for searching other lost data.
Step 3. Once the scan is completed, all deleted files, recycle bins and other missing files will be displayed. Please select the file you would like to recover and then click "Recover".
Step 4. Then, select a folder path to save your recovered files.
Step 5. Wait patiently for this process of recovering ends.
Conclusion
This article presents some viable solutions to the problem of shortcuts disappearing off the desktop in a step-by-step manner. The icon for your shortcuts can be restored by modifying the settings, utilizing the command line interface (CMD), and restarting Windows Explorer. Nevertheless, if your source file is lost or erased, you should first attempt to retrieve it by using a straightforward data recovery program.
