Horror! All desktop icons have disappeared. And now that? Where are all my files , folders and shortcuts ? Well, it may be that in a sleepwalking escape at dawn you have turned on the computer and deleted all the files on your desktop, but it is unlikely.
If you suddenly find that all the icons on the Windows desktop have disappeared, it does not mean that they have been deleted. The most plausible option is that they are hidden . It may be that due to a bad involuntary keystroke or an unexpected movement of the mouse, you have activated the option to not see the icons on the desktop. How do we fix it?
Incredible as it may seem, for years Windows has had a configuration option that allows you to hide desktop icons. To recover them, it is as simple as following these steps:
- Right-click on the desktop, and select ” View“.
- Click on « Show desktop icons«.
- You will see that all your files, icons, folders and drives are automatically visible again.
As we say, this is an option that is designed for those who like to work without distractions at the desk. For most Windows users it is an unknown configuration option, but it is so “at hand” that we may activate it by mistake.
Fixed!
Once your desktop icons have been recovered, if you miss a file or folder, don’t forget to check all its possible locations carefully before giving it up as lost. If you can’t find it, remember that you can also use a good data recovery program for Windows. The best recovery programs are usually paid, although there are quite powerful alternatives that are free, such as Recuva .