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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 :-)
I look around Microsoft's site to locate a fix to this issue of missing Icons and found only the reason for the problem. I could not find a fix to get back what was lost. I did, lucky me, find this group and the fix.
Thanks for an actual fix to get back my missing stuff. So easy and simple a solution at that.
Thanks again, M...
Here was my solution:
I only have one monitor plugged in, but I did use multiple monitors in the past. At some point the icons were no longer visible on the desktop, but they are present in the myComputer\Desktop folder.
I went into control panel: Display, Screen Resolution
and picked the first monitor (currently connected) and picked the "Multiple displays" - "Show desktop only on 1" option. - click "Apply"
All icons came back.
possibly - they may have been organized off the desktop on another monitor.
-cpm
Thanks for the suggestion but that hot fix for some reason doesn't resolved in my case , neither the manual registry settings creating the Dword. I just do the troubleshooting manually and skip delete Desktop Icons, but for the most part I use a different program to troubleshoot my system
The solution of turning off the diagnostic was outdated years ago by a hotfix and registry update (or fixits), to only stop the icon missing problem. Turning off a possibly major function, might not be the best for everyone.
See KB2642357, and be sure to run the hotfix at the top in blue box before running the fixits, or doing the registry updates. It will send an email with the link to the hotfox, but comments in other solutions give the link if you can't wait for the email.
Or see my recent post...
