"Windows 10/11 Desktop icons appearing incorrectly"

Windows 10/11 desktop icons make it easy to access your favorite apps, files, and folders. But when these icons go missing, it can be frustrating, leaving you wondering how to get them back.

This issue might occur due to problems with Windows Explorer or the Windows settings. Hence, here are the ten best methods to resolve the Desktop icons not showing issue.

10 Ways to Fix Issues with Desktop Icons Not Displaying Properly on Windows

When Windows 10 desktop icons appear incorrectly, you might have blank or purely white icons on your screen. Here are the top ten methods to fix this issue. Let's look at the detailed steps.

Fix 1: Restart File Explorer

File Explorer is what you use to navigate your Windows computer. Most navigation issues, and temporary glitches that cause blank desktop icons, are resolved by restarting File Explorer.

Step 1: Right-click the taskbar and select Task Manager.

Step 2: Click the “Processes” tab, then choose “Windows Explorer” or “File Explorer.”

Step 3: Click Restart.

Fix 2: Clear Icon Cache

Clearing the icon cache will restore any missing desktop icons, as the icon database will rebuild itself from scratch, bringing back all of your missing icons.

Of course, more can and should be done.

Tool Todo Backup

It's always a good idea to back up your Windows before any updates or changes.

Here's how to clear the cache for icons:

Step 1: Open File Explorer, and then click File >

Step 2: Select "Options" from the drop-down list.

Select options from the drop-down list

Note: In Windows 11, click the three horizontal dots on the right, and then click “Options.”

Step 3: Click the “View” tab and check the box that says “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.”

Step 4: Go to the C:\Users\%your active account%\AppData\Local folder.

Step 5: Find and delete the icon cache files that have “Database File” as their type.

Fix 3: Change Desktop Icon Settings

If you're missing just some of the system icons, like This PC, Recycle Bin, Control Panel, or Network, they might be turned off in the Desktop Icon Settings window. You can return them to your desktop with these steps:

Step one: Open the Start menu and click on Settings to run the program.

Step 2: Click Personalization, and then click Themes.

Select the icon theme

Step 3: Under “Related settings,” click “Show desktop icons.”

Step 4: Check the specific checkboxes for the system icons you want to display on your desktop in the “Desktop Icons Settings” window.

Step 5: Click Apply, and then click OK to save your changes.

4. Run an SFC Scan

An SFC scan can help locate and fix corrupted files. Corrupted files can interfere with File Explorer and cause desktop icons to appear empty. Running an SFC scan will restore icons after it fixes any corrupted files. Here's how.

Step 1: Type cmd and run the Command Prompt application as an administrator.

As the process goes on, System File Checker will notify you if any corrupted files have been repaired or replaced with new ones. The Command Prompt will let you know when the process is over.

Fix 5: Change the Theme

Most themes should run seamlessly on Windows, but some don't. If your desktop icons disappear after applying a new theme, it's likely that the theme is incompatible with your operating system or the theme file itself is corrupted. Switching to another theme temporarily can help you rule out this possibility. If the issue goes away after changing the theme, then it was most likely caused by the previous one. Avoid using it in the future.

6. Repair Desktop Shortcuts

If you've tried all of the above and your icons are still missing, you may need to restore them manually. See How to Fix Missing Desktop Icons for instructions on doing this.

To add an icon to the Windows 11 desktop, follow these steps: 1. Right-click on the desktop and select "New" from the context menu that pops up. 2. In the dropdown, choose the type of icon you want to create. For instance, if you want to make a shortcut, select "Shortcut." 3. A Create Shortcut window will appear. In the "Type the location of the item" field, enter the path of the program or file you want to create a shortcut for, or click "Browse" to locate it. 4. Click "Next," then give your new shortcut a name. 5. Finally, hit "Finish." The new icon should now be on your desktop. If you want to add other types of icons, like a folder or system setting, just follow these steps but choose the appropriate option in step 2.

Step 1: Click the Start button, and then click All Apps.

Step 2: Choose the apps you want to add to your desktop.

Select the application

Step 3: Finally, drag the app's shortcut to your desktop.

In addition, you can use the Create Shortcut wizard to create a shortcut on your desktop.

Step 1: Right-click the desktop, and then click New > Shortcut.

Step 2: Click the "Browse" button to find the file, folder, or application you want to add to the desktop.

Step 3: Click Next, and then click Finish.

Fix 7: Check if Desktop Icons are Enabled

If your desktop icon visibility is disabled, the icons might be hiding. This could be due to a user error or something that was triggered by an app you recently used or installed. Here's how to enable desktop icon visibility:

Step 1: Right-click on the desktop and select "View."

Step 2: Make sure the “Show desktop icons” checkbox is checked.

Note: If it isn't, click it once to make sure it isn't affecting how desktop icons are displayed. You should see the icons reappear immediately.

Fix 8: Disable the Second Monitor

The Tablet Mode usually replaces the icons on a laptop or Windows tablet with live tiles for navigation. As such, you should check if Tablet Mode is turned on and turn it off to fix the issue immediately. Here's how to disable Tablet Mode to fix the desktop icons not showing:

1. Click the Action Center icon on the taskbar, which is located next to the time and date. It looks like a speech bubble. If it's not already open, expand it.

Click on “Tablet mode”

Step 2: If Tablet mode is on, select the tile to turn it off.

If you can't find it in Action Center, follow these steps to turn it off.

Step 1: Open “Settings” and go to “System.”

Step 2: On the left sidebar, go to “Tablet settings.”

Step 3: Tap Change other tablet settings.

Step 4: Turn the Tablet Mode toggle to the left to turn it off.

Note: If the issue is not caused by Tablet Mode, you must run an SFC scan.

Fix 9: Update your display driver

Outdated display drivers can cause your icons to turn white. Updating your display driver will restore the default settings and replace any damaged files. Learn how to update your display driver.

Okay, please provide the Chinese text you want translated into English, and I'll assist you with that.

Tool Todo Backup

It's always a good idea to back up your Windows before any updates or changes.

Step 1: Right-click "This PC" on your desktop, and then click "Manage."

Step 2: From the left menu, choose Device Manager, and then expand the Display adapters category.

Tap on "Update Driver."

Step 3: Right-click on the GPU or adapter you're using and select 'Update driver.'

Step 4: Click “Search automatically for updated driver software” and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: If updating the driver doesn't help, you can also try reinstalling the display driver.

Fix 10: Update the Windows operating system

If your Windows is outdated, you need to update it. This will automatically fix any issues. Here's how to update Windows:

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will translate it for you as soon as possible.

Tool Todo Backup

It's always a good idea to back up your Windows before making any updates or changes.

Step 1: Open Settings.

Step 2: Go to Update & Security.

Next up, just translate this into American English: "

Step three: Click “Windows Update,” and then click “Check for updates.” Windows will search for any recent updates.

Step 4: If an update is available, click Download and Install.

Note: You should keep Automatic Updates turned on so you never have to worry about Windows updates again.

Share this post on your social platforms to help others fix issues with their Windows desktop icons.

Ultimately

"Windows 10 desktop icons not showing" can be a major issue, mainly because icons help you navigate through apps and files/folders on your computer. We've shared the best solutions to fix missing desktop icons, which should definitely help resolve the problem. None of your files will be compromised in the process, but it's still advisable to back up important files before attempting any significant fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Why are my desktop icons not displaying correctly?

If Windows can't find the icon file associated with an app, the icon appears blank. A few different issues can cause icons to appear blank:

• The application is an outdated version
• Your graphics driver is outdated
• The icon cache file is corrupted

If you're missing the Windows icon, it could be due to a few different things:

• Your desktop icons are hidden
• The taskbar is hidden
• You need to restart the Windows Explorer process

Q: How can I align desktop icons on Windows 10?

You can align desktop icons by right-clicking on an empty area of the Windows 10 desktop. Then, click "Arrange Icons" to sort them by Name, Type, Date, or Size. Click on the command representing the icon arrangement you prefer, such as "By Name," "By Type," and so on.

To auto-arrange shapes, click Auto Arrange .

Deselect that, click on Auto Arrange, and you can arrange icons individually.