We compiled potential causes and solutions to missing desktop icons in Windows 10, including configuration settings to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Causes of Missing Desktop Icons
There are several reasons that your desktop icons could go missing. These include:
Inadvertently configuring your desktop to hide all desktop icons. Your computer is in Tablet mode Caching issues Corrupt system files
Troubleshoot Missing Desktop Icons
We’ll look at the easiest and most common solutions first, and then move on to the more advanced ones.
How to Rebuild the Icon Cache With Command Prompt
The Windows 10 OS maintains which icons to display on your desktop via cache files. At times this cache can fall out of sync with the actual icons you created on your desktop. You can force Windows to rebuild these cache files by deleting them. Right-click anywhere in the Windows desktop area and select View from the menu that appears. You’ll see a list of items to customized desktop icons. At the bottom, you’ll see Show desktop icons. If it isn’t enabled already, that’s the reason icons have disappeared from your Windows 10 desktop. See instructions below.
