All my desktop icons disappeared from my Windows 7 desktop

Anonymous
2009-11-30T08:07:29+00:00

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.

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
2010-03-26T16:06:25+00:00

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:

  1. Right click the desktop
  2. Select View -> Show Desktop Icon
  3. Make sure the option is checked.

I hope this helps.

Kevin

If you find that my answer was what you were looking for, please remember to click the "mark as answer" box below!

Was this answer helpful?

100+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2010-02-21T11:51:42+00:00

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 :-)

Was this answer helpful?

70+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

231 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2012-06-22T03:39:42+00:00

    This is the official "fix" until SP2

    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2642357

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2012-06-19T13:57:14+00:00

    Well, I don't have that app installed and I still have the problem of missing icons. When I change size to medium they turn up again, but with a black hole

    where the small icon should have been. When I change text size in the resolution section I get them back again unharmed in full. Then, after a shutdown or reboot,

    they are all gone as before. I tried to change theme and wallpaper and colors, to no avail.-          COMAaaaahh..............!! 

      That never happened on winXP  

    For me, having desktop icons disappear

    -- is not a problem with InfraRecorder -- I don't have it installed. 

    -- is not a problem with "Show Desktop Icon" -- that option was already checked. 

    I lose desktop icons when I restart at home (where my 2nd monitor is above),

    after using the laptop at work (where my second monitor is on the side).

    ((Note that since my desktop icons are all on my primary monitor, there is no good reason that placement of my secondary monitor would cause the icons to move, much less disappear... and as others have noted, Windows XP did not have this problem.)) 

    In any case, RESOLUTION:  for me, a few simple tricks brings them back: 

    1. change the icon size (best, but does not ALWAYS work)
    2. auto-arrange.

    Steps for (1): 

    1a. right click the desktop

    1b. select View

    1c. select a different icon size (I suggest smaller) -- if you see a bullet next to "medium icons", then click on "small icons", etc.

    1d. if icons do not appear, follow steps for (2).

    1e. if icons appear, but not in the usual place, reorganize them before changing the icon size back:  in my case, the top row has often been moved to the bottom of the desktop, and the other rows have often been moved one column to the right, so I drag all the other rows down 1 row and to the left 1 column, then I drag the row at bottom back to being the top row.

    1f. right-click desktop, select view, and change icon size back to normal. 

    If (1) does not work, then here's the steps for (2): 

    2a. right click the desktop

    2b. select View

    2c. select auto-arrange.

    2d. do it again to turn off auto-arrange... then decide if it's worth it rearranging things the way you had them, (ugh, lol).

    Good luck, all.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2012-06-18T19:17:15+00:00

    Remove my name plese

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments