How to show hidden desktop icons in Windows 11 personalization settings

Customize the default desktop icons

To show desktop icons windows 11 users miss like This PC, the Recycle Bin 🗑️, and Control Panel 🎛️, open Settings ⚙️ and go to Personalization. This brings back standard system elements that may have disappeared from your main workspace by using the legacy theme settings panel.

1. Open Settings ⚙️ by pressing the Win and typing Settings, then pressing Enter.

   

2. Select Personalization from the left sidebar.

   

3. Click on Themes.

   

4. Scroll down and click on Desktop icon settings to open the control window.

   

5. Check the boxes next to the items you want to display, such as Computer, Recycle Bin 🗑️, or Control Panel 🎛️.
6. Click Apply and then click OK to save your changes.

Add shortcuts to your desktop

You can place direct links to your favorite applications, directories, or web pages right on your main screen for faster access. This gives you immediate entry points without needing to drill down through menus every time.

Use the desktop context menu

Creating brand new items directly on your blank workspace is easy using the right-click menu 🖱️. Right-click any empty space, hover over New, and click Shortcut to open the creation wizard where you can type the location of the item and finish the setup.

1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop.
2. Hover over New in the menu that appears.
3. Click on Shortcut to open the creation wizard.
4. Type the location of the item or click Browse to find the file or folder.
5. Click Next, type a clear name for the shortcut, and click Finish.

For Applications

Putting program launchers directly onto your primary workspace requires dragging them from your system menus. Open the Start menu ⊞, click All apps, find the application you want, and drag its icon directly onto your desktop to create a quick access link.

1. Open the Start menu ⊞ and click All apps to see everything installed on your system.
2. Find the application you want to use.
3. Click and drag the application icon directly onto your desktop, then release the mouse button.

For Files or Folders

Pulling specific documents or directories out of File Explorer 📁 (the file management application built into Windows) lets them sit right on your screen. Open File Explorer from your taskbar 🖥️, find the file or folder you want, and right-click it to send a shortcut to your desktop.

1. Open File Explorer (the file management app built into Windows) from your taskbar, or press the Windows key, type File Explorer, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the file or folder you want to access quickly.
3. Right-click the item and select Show more options if you are on Windows 11, then select Send to.
4. Click on Desktop (create shortcut).

For Web Pages

Dragging URLs directly from your web browser creates clickable internet links on your desktop. Resize your browser window so you can see your desktop, click and hold the small icon next to the website address, and drag it out onto the empty space.

1. Open your web browser and resize the window so you can see a portion of your desktop underneath.
2. Click and hold the small padlock or icon located to the left of the website address in the address bar.
3. Drag that icon out of the browser window and drop it onto the empty desktop space.

Resize the desktop icons

You can make your workspace items larger or smaller depending on your display resolution and personal visibility preferences.

1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop.
2. Hover over View at the top of the context menu.
3. Select either Large icons, Medium icons, or Small icons based on your preference.

Show or hide all desktop icons

Clearing your entire workspace during presentations or getting a clean view of your background picture happens instantly without deleting or moving any files. Right-click any empty space on your desktop, hover over View, and click Show desktop icons to toggle everything off or back on.

1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop.
2. Hover over View.
3. Click on Show desktop icons to toggle the checkmark off and hide everything, or click it again to bring them back.

Restore missing system icons and files after an update

Check OneDrive folder backup settings

Cloud utilities can redirect your primary folders to an online storage directory, which changes what displays on your screen if synchronization pauses. Click the cloud icon in your taskbar notification area, open Settings, and check the Sync and backup tab to fix missing items.

1. Click the white or blue cloud icon in your taskbar notification area, usually found near the bottom right corner of your screen.
2. Click the Help & Settings gear icon, then select Settings.
3. Go to the Sync and backup tab and click Manage backup.
4. Verify whether your Desktop folder is toggled on or if it has been unlinked from your account.

Unhide items via Registry Editor

Advanced system errors can flip background configuration switches that hide your workspace items entirely. Press the Windows key, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor, then navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced to restore your view.

This step requires administrator privileges.

1. Press the Windows key, type regedit, and press Enter to open Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following location using the left sidebar: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3. Look for the value named HideIcons on the right side of the screen.
4. Double-click HideIcons and change its value data to 0 to make your items visible, then click OK.
5. Restart your computer to apply the changes fully.

What to do next

Seeing your preferred layout on your main screen means you can now toggle system elements instantly. Next, you can learn how to organize your taskbar or customize your system accent colors to match your newly arranged workspace.