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I created several icons on the desktops of 4 computers after clean installed the computers with Windows 7 Profession (either with 32 bit or 64 bit versions). After a few days, some of the desktop icons disappear. However, when I click on the Desktop toolbar at the bottom of the Windows desktop, the icons that disappeared from the desktop were still present and available in the Desktop toolbar listing. I saw many users have the similar problem on the Internet but no proper solution for the problem. Any suggestion for the fix.
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.
There is an issue with an application called InfraRecorder, this is a CD\DVD recording software. When you install this software the Windows option to Show Desktop Icons is unselected. To Fix this just turn that option back on. To turn the option back on , do this:
I hope this helps.
Kevin
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Hi guys,
I found the cause of the misteriously disappearing Windows 7 desktop icons and the reason why Show desktop icons now and then gets unchecked.
It's INFRARECORDER !! Try for yourselves, when you start Infrarecorder and close it again, go have a look at "Show desktop icons", it is unchecked (but the icons are still there). Check it on again and start Infrarecorder.... it is unchecked again.
This Windows 7 "bug" is irritating me since the beginning and now I found the cause: It's Infrarecorder which is causing this problem.
Test it and please let me know and spread the news :-)
thanks Kevin answer was very helpfull!
Thanks musicMagic, sincerely appreciated. The guy we bought our PCs frrom fixed it with some work-around but I'll send him this answer of your for future reference and I'm sure he'll be grateful as will a lot more people on this forum. I only had to rebuild me desktop five times ..... aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eureka! I can prove why some desktop shortcuts in Win7 get deleted. I think I know how to prevent the shortcuts from getting removed, though I can't fix this bug by MS.
The problem: Win7 has a bug that incorrectly thinks some desktop shortcuts are broken, then when System Maintenance cleans up your desktop, it removes those supposedly broken shortcuts. Proof and check of at-risk shortcuts: create several desktop shortcuts that have been removed in the past (or make shortcuts by right-clicking items in the Control Panel while in Small/Large icons view). After shortcuts are created, while in Small/Large icons view in the Control Panel, select Action Center | Troubleshooting | System and Security | System Maintenance, and select Advanced. Uncheck Apply repairs automatically, hit Next, click View detailed information. Select the blue Broken shortcuts to display the desktop shortcuts that Win7 believes are broken. (If there are only a few shortcuts, it will detect them but won't flag them as an issue that should be fixed.)
Preventing shortcut removal: (I haven't tested this, but I believe this will prevent System Maintenance from running to remove shortcuts) - goto Control Panel | Action Center | Troubleshooting | Change settings (on left panel), then turn Off the Computer Maintenance. Unfortunately, this will turn off all of the other maintenance checkups (bad!), not just the removal of broken desktop shortcuts; it's probably best to keep it 'On' and to not place any at-risk shortcuts on the desktop -- some shortcuts aren't at risk, for some reason. I hate to lose my shortcuts, but I also hate not having my computer maintained!
Someone should check to see if there's a registry setting to turn off just the broken-shortcut checking. I know nothing about registries, and it's risky.
My 3-week old ZT AMD FX8120 computer has almost no software installed on it, and I don't have InfraRecorder. The internet is my only network connection.
