Have the icons on your desktop disappeared in Windows 11? If so, you don’t need to be a magician to get them back. You can fix desktop icons not showing in Windows 11 with the resolutions below.

Why are my icons not showing on my desktop Windows 11?

Before fixing desktop icons not showing, it’s worth considering some of the causes for them disappearing in the first place. These are the causes for desktop icons not showing in Windows 11:

A Show desktop icons option is disabled: Windows 11 has a Show desktop icons option that needs to be selected for icons to be visible. Updates can sometimes change that setting without user input. Icon cache corruption: The Windows 11 icon cache might have corrupted data. System file corruption: Icon display issues can feasibly arise from corrupted system files. A Group Policy setting is hiding them: Group Policy editor has a setting that can hide all desktop icons. If you’re sharing your PC with other users, maybe one of them enabled that option. Registry database issues: The icon registry database could be corrupted. A NoDesktop DWORD value can also cause the problem.

Now let’s get your Windows 11 desktop icons back. First, go through the following resolutions in the order specified to restore desktop icons in Windows 11.

How can I get desktop icons back in Windows 11?

1. Select the Show desktop icons context menu option

2. Change a Hide and disable all items on the desktop policy setting

3. Rebuild the icon cache

4. Restart File Explorer

5. Scan system files in Windows 11

6. Delete NoDesktop in the registry

7. Reset Windows 11

If desktop icons are still not showing after applying all the aforementioned potential solutions, a more drastic fix might be needed. First, consider resetting Windows 11 to resolve the issue. SPONSORED Resetting Windows 11 will likely resolve registry or system file issues for missing icons. However, apps that weren’t pre-installed on your PC will not be preserved after a reset. WR’s guide to factory resetting Windows 11 includes instructions for how to do that with the built-in tool and other methods. Make sure you select the Keep my files option. It’s essential to have icons on the desktop for quicker software access. The fixes above are most likely to work for restoring missing desktop icons. Yet, there could still be other ways to fix desktop icons not showing in Windows 11. Users who’ve restored missing Windows 11 desktop icons with other methods are most welcome to share alternative fixes in the comments below.

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