desktop changed and apps missing after house power shutdown

Question

desktop changed and apps missing after house power shutdown

Steve Spear 0

after re-starting windows 10 computer following power shutdown my desktop has changed and some apps and file shortcuts are missing. It appears that my user profile has changed. How do I fix this?

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2 answers

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Answer 1

This usually means Windows signed in with a temporary or different profile after the unexpected shutdown. Start with the least disruptive fixes first:

Restart the PC normally 1–2 times.
- If Windows loaded a temporary profile, a normal restart can restore the original profile.
Check whether Windows says a temporary profile is in use.
- Go to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings.
- If a message appears such as You are logged on with a temporary profile. Roaming options are currently unavailable or We can't sign into your account. This problem can often be fixed by signing out of your account and then signing back in, restart and sign in again.
- Important: if a temporary profile is being used, back up anything created in that session before signing out, or it can be deleted.
Check whether the desktop icons are only hidden.
- Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
- Select View.
- Make sure Show desktop icons is checked.
Restore standard desktop icons if only items like This PC or Recycle Bin are missing.
- Right-click the desktop and select Personalize.
- Select Themes.
- Select Desktop icon settings under Related settings.
- Re-enable the icons needed, then select Apply and OK.
If files and shortcuts seem missing, search the whole PC.
- Right-click Start and select File Explorer.
- Select This PC.
- In Search This PC, search for a known missing file or shortcut name.
- If needed, turn on hidden files in Settings so hidden items can be shown.
If Desktop files are in OneDrive but not on the current desktop, check the Desktop folder location.
- Open File Explorer and expand OneDrive folders.
- Right-click the Desktop folder and select Properties.
- Open the Location tab.
- Select Move, browse to the Desktop folder that contains the expected icons/files, select Select Folder, then Apply.
- If prompted to move files from the old location to the new one, select Yes.
If the original profile still does not load, create a new user profile and copy files from the old one.
- Add a new user account and configure it as an administrator.
- Sign in with the new account.
- Open File Explorer > This PC > C: > Users.
- Copy files from the old profile folder into the new profile folder.
- Restart the PC and sign in with the new account.
- Warning: some apps may need to be reconfigured or reinstalled afterward.

If the screen is completely blank after sign-in with no Start menu, shortcuts, or icons, that is a different issue from missing desktop items. In that case, the local Users group membership may have been changed from its default settings.

Answer 2

Clary-N 15,730 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Steve Spear,

I wanted to check whether you've had a chance to try the suggestions in the AI Answer yet. If so, could you let me know how it went and whether any of your desktop items, shortcuts or apps have returned?

Since the issue started immediately after an unexpected power shutdown, it would also be helpful to know:

Whether your desktop background, taskbar pins or account picture have changed.
Whether you can still see your original user profile folder under C:\Users.
Whether Windows displays any message about being signed in with a temporary profile.

If you have not already done so, I would also recommend running a disk check (chkdsk) and the System File Checker (sfc /scannow), as file system corruption after a sudden loss of power can sometimes prevent Windows from loading the correct profile.

*Disclaimer: Running chkdsk can check the file system and file system metadata of a volume for logical and physical errors. To avoid any trouble for you, do not cancel or interrupt chkdsk and back up important data.

As a separate note, Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. When convenient, please consider transitioning to a supported version of Windows to continue receiving security updates and support.

Please let me know the results and I'll be happy to help with the next steps.

If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Clary-N 15,730 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-29T09:22:25.23+00:00

Hi Steve Spear,

May I know if you have got any chance to check my answer?

I am glad to help if you have any other questions.
Steve Spear 0 Reputation points

2026-08-29T20:35:28.95+00:00

Hi Clary-N -- Just now able to get back to troubleshooting my problem. I will post my hopefully successful outcome later today. Thanks for your help! Cheers _ Steve
Steve Spear 0 Reputation points

2026-08-29T21:49:18.3233333+00:00

Hi Clary-N -- Just now able to get back to troubleshooting my problem. I can't add a new user to my PC. Nothing happens (besides a screen flash) when I click + (add someone to this PC)
Steve Spear 0 Reputation points

2026-08-29T22:16:56.6766667+00:00

Clary-N - I can't add a new account. When I click "add someone else to this PC" I get a flash and no box or window opens. ?? In step 2 (start>settings>accounts>Sync your settings) I do not see a link for "Sync your settings".
Clary-N 15,730 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-08-31T08:32:45.6066667+00:00
Hi Steve Spear,

Thanks for the update.

The brief screen flash when you select Add someone else to this PC suggests that the account setup window is not opening correctly. Also, not seeing Sync your settings does not necessarily confirm a temporary profile, as the available options can vary depending on the Windows version and account type.

Please let me know whether chkdsk and sfc /scannow completed successfully and whether either scan found or repaired any errors.

As an alternative, try creating a test account through netplwiz:

Press Windows key + R, type netplwiz and press Enter.

On the Users tab, select Add.

Choose Sign in without a Microsoft account > Local account.

Enter a username and password, then select Next > Finish.

Select the new account > Properties > Group Membership > Administrator > OK.

Sign out and sign in to the new account. Its profile folder under C:\Users should be created after the first sign-in.

If netplwiz does not open or its Add button also does nothing, press Windows key + R, type winver and share the Windows edition, version and OS build shown. Please also confirm whether your current account has administrator rights. This will help determine whether the issue is limited to the Settings app or affects Windows account management more broadly.
Steve Spear 0 Reputation points

2026-09-01T01:21:44.3633333+00:00

chkdsk result: "Windows has scanned the fie system and found no problems.

sfc /scannow result: Verification 100% complete. Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations
Clary-N 15,730 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-01T08:02:30.9466667+00:00

Hi Steve Spear,

Thanks for checking both scans. It is helpful that neither chkdsk nor sfc /scannow found any problems.

Please proceed with the netplwiz method and let me know whether you can create and sign in to the test account. If netplwiz does not open or its Add option is unresponsive, please share the details shown by winver and confirm whether the current account has administrator rights.

I hope this helps us narrow down where the account setup issue is occurring.
Clary-N 15,730 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-09-04T07:33:36.16+00:00

Hi Steve Spear,

I have not heard from you for a couple of days.

Please let me know if there is anything I can help by leaving your comment down here.