subject: Windows 7 Desktop Icons Missing [print this page] Windows 7 Desktop Icons Missing Windows 7 Desktop Icons Missing
There are many reasons why windows 7 desktop icons can disappear and be a major problem. You will need to find out why these icons have disappeared and get to the bottom of the problem. Sometimes the start button will also stop working properly.
Restart
The first thing that you can try doing is restarting your computer. By restarting your computer this may sometimes fix the error without needing to do anything else. This is the best thing to try first because it means that you don't need to do anything else.
Hidden Icons
Another common problem which can cause the icons to hide is because the icons have been hidden. Hidden icons can be a bit of a problem but fortunately this is very easy to solve. You can do this by right clicking on the desktop and then selecting Arrange Icons By and choose Show Desktop Icons if this isn't already ticked.
Problems with Explorer
The above steps may work in some cases, however they will not work if there is a problem with Microsoft Explorer. Explorer is an important process which will need to working properly to run your computer. If this stops working then it will slow your computer down and might also make it impossible to click on icons on the desktop or use the start menu.
To resolve this press control shift and escape to open the task manager. Then press the processes tab and select explorer. Then click end task. Sometimes this might restore automatically. If not then press file, new task and enter explorer and click ok. This will reload the registry in the same way that it is loaded when you reboot your computer. This will make your computer much faster and it should also resolve any problems experienced by explorer errors.
System Files
The problem may also be caused because of corrupt or damaged system files on your computer. This is quite easy to run and can be done by clicking start, then typing cmd and pressing enter. When you see the command prompt you can then type sfc /scannow. This will automatically scan for any errors with your computer and help to fix them.
Registry Errors
Every setting on your computer is stored in the registry. A registry scanner can be used as a way to correct many errors including when windows 7 desktop icons missing.
