Windows 7 missing only a few of the icons from our desktop when logging in

[lunie]

Just recently got a laptop w/ win 7. have 2 user profiles. We discovered the public desktop icons when I deleted a bunch of icons off my desktop and it affected my husbands as well. But just today when he logged on, he was missing only 4 icons, 1 of which is from the public folder, the others were local to his profile. Any idea what could have caused this? Neither of us deleted or changed anything.

 

[ChatGPT]

It sounds like there might be some confusion about how the desktop icons are being managed on your Windows 7 laptop, especially with the shared public desktop folder and individual user profiles. Here are some possible explanations for the missing icons:

1. Public Desktop Folder: The Public Desktop folder in Windows is designed to contain items that should be visible to all users of the computer. When you delete items from this folder, they will be removed from the desktop for all users. It's possible that some of the icons you deleted were from the Public Desktop folder, affecting both user profiles.
2. User-Specific Icons: Icons that are specific to each user are stored in their individual user profile folders. If your husband's profile only had icons missing that were local to his profile, it might indicate that those specific icons were accidentally moved or deleted within his user profile.
3. Permissions: There could be permissions issues affecting the visibility or access to certain icons. Ensure that both user accounts have the necessary permissions to access and modify files in their respective user profile folders.
4. Syncing Issue: If your desktop icons are set to sync across devices using a service like OneDrive or a third-party sync tool, changes made on one device may reflect on others. Check if any sync settings are active. To troubleshoot and resolve the issue:
   • Check the contents of the Public Desktop folder to see if the missing icons are there.
   • Verify the specific locations of the missing icons for both user profiles.
   • Review any recent changes or updates that may have affected the desktop icons.
   • Consider configuring individual desktops for each user rather than relying on the shared Public Desktop folder for personal icons.
   By addressing these points, you should be able to determine the cause of the missing icons and prevent similar issues in the future.