Desktop shortcuts to items on network drives sometimes disappear from desktop

Anonymous
2009-10-05T10:31:59+00:00

I have a number of shortcut icons on my Windows 7 (RC1) desktop to networked items - some are folders on a NAS, some are mapped as drives, etc. However, sometimes Windows 7 seems to simply remove all of them without notice and I have to recreate all the shortcuts to my NAS items again.

I wondered at first if this may have been because Windows would sometimes boot before all of my network devices became available, but when that happens it just correctly marks the icons with a red cross to indicate that it couldn't find them at boot time, and as soon as the NAS is available then the shortcuts work fine.

However at random intervals, all seven of these shortcuts simply disappear from the desktop. All other shortcuts and icons are fine, and the mapped drives are still present in my 'Computer' display - it's just the NAS-related shortcuts on the desktop which vanish.

Any idea why this might be happening?

Andre

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2009-11-02T19:48:31+00:00

If you create desktop shortcuts to removable storage places such as NAS the icons will disappear from time to time because Windows 7 has a built in task schedule to clean up broken and unused links. 

To prevent the task from running you need to disable the task in the task schedular: start-programs-accessories-system tools-task scheduler

Expand the tree in the left hand pane until you get to Task Scheduler Library-Microsoft-Windows-Diagnosis.

In the right hand pane, right click the task named Scheduled and click Disable.

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2015-04-30T16:17:45+00:00

This feature is extremely annoying.  Whenever I take my work laptop on the road, this has happens and I never knew why until now.  In my case, when the shortcuts to my network folders and applications disappeared, there was no trace left, not in my computer or anywhere.  And trying to figure out how to remap them all was a nightmare!!!  Productivity lost, headaches, etc...  thanks MS!

Fortunately, I found a way to get them back!   Check this out:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows\_7-desktop/how-to-restore-desktop-shortcuts/0cfe39d3-16c7-49c3-b538-6d5a3f5b6abe/

After doing the copy from previous versions, I was able to find the missing shortcuts and drag them from the 'Desktop Temp' folder to my desktop.  Thank God.

Was this answer helpful?

10+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

91 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2014-05-30T11:54:34+00:00

    If it says your OS is not the one for which the fix is intended, chances are it isn't going to work.  Try following the 23 steps in the post just above yours.  I understand you're trying to apply a fix to multiple PC's, but once you follow the procedure on one system, you'll find it's not as complicated as it seems.  Maybe you can even simplify it by copying the TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1 file to the other machines

    I changed:

    (Get-ListLength $brokenStartupShortcuts)) -gt 4))

    to this:

    (Get-ListLength $brokenStartupShortcuts)) -gt 400))

    Works like a charm, but of course you have to have the permissions to successfully modify the file...

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2014-05-30T08:16:35+00:00

    I have added these registry keys via GPO to all Win7 PC's, but it doesn't change anything. Shortcuts are still disappearing after disconnecting a PC from a network and working with it offline. Also Fix it files say that my OS is not the one which fix is intended for (i'm on Win7 SP1..).

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2014-04-23T13:46:08+00:00

    The reason this happens obviously from previous reply's, is that Windows 7 does not allow more than 4 "Broken Shortcuts" on your desktop. If you have more than 4, when the troubleshooter runs its weekly check it deletes them all. (We have users that have 15+ shortcuts) This was a big problem. A lot of forums advise to turn the troubleshooter off. For those of you who don't want to disable the troubleshooter........Here is a solution. This fix will allow you to keep the troubleshooter enabled and put as many shortcuts on your desktop as you want and they will never be deleted by the troubleshooter.

    1. Click Start
    2. Click All Programs
    3. Click Accessories
    4. Right-Click Command Prompt
    5. Click Run as administrator
    6. In the command prompt type the text below. This command takes ownership of the 

       TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1 file. (You can copy and paste)

    Takeown /F C:\Windows\diagnostics\scheduled\Maintenance\TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1

    1. Press "Enter" You should get the message below.

    SUCCESS: The file (or folder): "C:\Windows\diagnostics\scheduled\Maintenance\TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1" now owned by user "XXXXXXX".

    1. In the command prompt type the text below. This command gives you full permissions to the

       TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1 file. (You can copy and paste but make sure you change

       "USERNAME" to your user name)

    icacls c:\windows\diagnostics\scheduled\maintenance\TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1 /grant USERNAME:F

    1. Press "Enter" You should get the message below

    processed file: c:\windows\diagnostics\scheduled\maintenance\TS_BrokenShortcuts.ps1

    Successfully processed 1 files; Failed processing 0 files

    1. Close the command prompt box
    2. Click Start
    3. Click Computer
    4. Double Click the C: drive
    5. Double Click Windows
    6. Double Click diagnostics
    7. Double Click scheduled
    8. Double Click Maintenance
    9. Right-Click TS_BrokenShortcuts
    10. Click Edit
    11. Go to line 44. The very end of line 44 should look like this

    )) -gt 4))

    1. Change the 4 to any number you want. I used the number 500. By doing so, the user would have to have 501 or more broken shortcuts on the desktop in order for the trouble shooter to delete them.

    ****22. Click Save****

    1. Close the window

    DONE!

    Hope this helps!! =)

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments