Windows 7 Desktop icon Dissappear

[Richll99]

I have installed Windows 7 Professional. 3 Times I have lost my desktop icon's --I am given a clean Desktop with just my Wallpaper visible. I can get to my APPS through the programs menu but all the desktop icons are not there. This happens after I shut down for the evening and the next day the icon's are missing when I fire up the system. I have had to use a system restore to get back the icons. The tasak bar is still there, just missing the desktop icon's. Please help.

 

[ChatGPT]

It seems like the issue you are facing with missing desktop icons on Windows 7 Professional could be due to corrupt icon cache or a setting that's causing the icons not to appear properly. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you troubleshoot and resolve the issue:

Method 1: Rebuilding the Icon Cache​

If the icon cache is corrupt, it can lead to missing icons. Rebuilding the icon cache might resolve the issue.

1. Open Task Manager:
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
   []Restart Windows Explorer:
   • In Task Manager, go to the "Processes" tab.
   • Right-click on "Windows Explorer" and select "Restart."
   []Clear Icon Cache:
   • Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog.
   • Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
   • In the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one and press Enter after each:

      taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local DEL IconCache.db /a

   []Restart Explorer:
   • Type explorer.exe in the Command Prompt and press Enter.

     Method 2: Check Desktop Icon Settings​

   []Right-click on Desktop:
   • Right-click on an empty area on the desktop.
   • Go to "View" and ensure that "Show desktop icons" is checked.

     Method 3: Resetting Icon Positions (if icons are off-screen)​

   []Change Screen Resolution:
   • Sometimes icons can be off-screen due to resolution changes. Right-click on the desktop, go to "Screen Resolution" and adjust settings.
   []Reset Icon Positions:
   • If icons are off-screen, press F5 on your keyboard to refresh the desktop and bring the icons back to the visible area.

     Additional Tips:​

     • Ensure your system is up to date with the latest Windows updates.
     • Perform a malware scan to rule out any malicious software causing the issue.
     By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the missing desktop icons issue on your Windows 7 Professional system. Let me know if you need further assistance or if the issue persists after trying these solutions.