Have all your shortcuts disappeared from your desktop? The article is dedicated to those who have not yet encountered this problem. Congratulations, you still have everything ahead of you. Don't be alarmed - this problem may never affect you. But since you are reading this article, then, most likely, it was not bad. You probably accessed the Internet from a friend’s computer or something else. The fact is that you could not read this article from your computer. We are all like that. We don’t learn anything in advance, but start rushing around in search of a solution to the problem only when it’s already reached. I'm in the same category, so I understand you well.

I'll try to help you. The main thing is to calm down and don’t despair – this is not the worst thing in life.

When working on a computer, not only shortcuts from the desktop often disappear, but also the sound icon, and the icon itself, and the icon, and, and everything, and sometimes.

Let's start with the easiest thing - missing Desktop shortcuts.

Displaying Desktop Icons

Right-click on the now completely empty Desktop, and select the item from the drop-down menu Arrange icons, check if the checkbox is checked Show desktop icons .

If this is all it is, then in a couple of seconds all your shortcuts will return to the Desktop.

The first step is to check your computer for viruses, otherwise your further steps will be useless.

System Restore

This method will only work for you if you have the mode enabled.

• Press the keys on your keyboard at the same time Ctrl +Alt+Delete ;
• In the window that opens Task ManagerWindows , go to the tab Applications and press the button New task... ;

In the window Create a new task in the field next to the button Review, type the command % SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press the button OK. Same file rstrui.exe you can find it with the button Review .

Select the disk first WITH:, then the folder with the system (for me this is the folder WINDOWS, then go to the folder system32, then to the folder restore, and find the file rstrui.exe .

A window will open System Restore.

• Without changing anything, press the button Further ;
• Select an earlier date and press the button again Further ;

• In the next window, press the button again Further ;

The computer will reboot and restore everything to the day the point was created. Be patient and don't touch anything.

Starting the Desktop Recovery Process

This is what we do a lot required file explorer.exe don't confuse it with InternetExplorer . Although their names are similar, their functions are completely different.

• Press the three saving keys again: Ctrl +Alt+Delete ;
• In the window that opens Task ManagerWindows , go to the tab Applications and press the button New task... ;
• In the window Create a new task in the field next to the button Review, type the command explorer.exe and press the button OK. You can find the same file using the button Review .
• Restart your computer.

If it doesn’t help again, then we try another method.

This kind of unpleasant situation can simply disorient the user. However, there is no reason to strain your voice and shout guard, much less get nervous over such a trifle - everything can be fixed! Meanwhile, restoring the usual “Windows environment” may still take some time. It all depends on the complexity of the “OS damage”, as well as the user’s level of training. Well, let's solve the problem that raises a completely logical question among many novice users: “The Windows 7 desktop has disappeared: what to do?”

From sad to funny: the tricks of an evil genius

As a result of our own short-sightedness, and often a novice user, for the sake of frivolous curiosity, installs “suspicious” software on his PC without subjecting it to an antivirus scan, we plunge ourselves into a series of problems.

Sometimes this can happen: the user personally “organizes the free space of the desktop” by thoughtlessly manipulating system files - simply deleting, as it seems to him, everything unnecessary.

Believe it or not, in most cases it is the user himself who is to blame for the fact that important documents, shortcuts and, worst of all, OS controls disappear from the desktop. Have you thought about it? Great, let's move on!

How to restore everything that was previously so accessible: the first method is “promising”

• Press the hotkey combination “CTRL+ALT+Delete”.

• In the service area of ​​the screen that opens, you need to use the “Launch task manager” button.

• In the new window, activate the “File” tab.

• Select “New task” from the drop-down list.

• In the “Run” console that appears, enter the command “explorer.exe” - click “OK”.

If you have witnessed the joyful event “Everything has returned as before...” - you can be congratulated! Otherwise, proceed to implementation next method desktop recovery.

Rolling back the system to a working state: method No. 2 - “restorative”

If the above method did help you and “ working space“has again acquired its usual forms, yet one should not rush to conclusions. It is possible that the problem of “emptiness” was resolved only for a while...

Reboot your OS. If you again encounter the “empty desktop” effect, it means that malicious code has made critical changes to the operation of the system Windows registry. In this case, you need to scan all sections hard drive for viral activity, then remove infected objects and perform a complete OS restoration.

• Press the same keys “CTRL+ALT+Delete”.

• Re-activate the “Start Manager...” button.

• However, in the check box of the called “Run” console, we enter another parameter - “rstrui.exe”, of course, without quotes.

• We select a restore point and start the “operational reincarnation” process.

What should those who do not have system restore work do? Method No. 3 - “restoration”

So, download operating system in safe mode. That is, during the initial boot stage, press the “F8” key several times and activate the “Boot in Safe Mode” item.

Attention: On some computers, the optional boot menu may be called up using a different key - you should read the article, which has all the information you need - ).

• If the graphical desktop shell has loaded, so to speak, in its original form - great!

• Go to the “Start” menu and enter the command “regedit” in the search check box.

• Open the registry key (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE).

• Next, navigate to the following final folder of the displayed list: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

• In the right area of ​​the editor's working window, look for the line “Shell”.

• Here everything should look as shown in the figure above; if you see a discrepancy in your registry, change the parameter by double-clicking the left mouse button on the “Shell” item. After entering the correct value, click OK.

• Check the next line of this thread “Userinit”, it should also contain the corresponding entry.

• Otherwise, you should edit the parameter (you already know how to do this from what was written earlier).

• Now go to the next registry key - “HKEY_CURRENT_USER”.

• Follow the path: Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.

• If there is a “NoDesktop” item on the right side of the registry editor, select the line and simply click the “Delete” button to delete this entry.

• In the branch “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\”, the value “Shell” should be empty. Found something extra? Delete!

What to do if system files are damaged: method four - “additional”

To be more precise, the recovery option described below Explorer apps, is that the damaged system files responsible for full-time job Windows graphical shell are simply replaced with complete files during copying from a disk or removable USB drive, which, in turn, contains the distribution kit with the OS.

• Restart your computer.

• Login via the boot option " Safe mode with command line support."

• You need to enter just one command - “sfc /scannow”, of course, excluding the quotes.

Once your system files have been restored, your computer will restart. You can rest assured that your desktop will once again acquire its “familiar shape.” That's all, the stability of your OS and do not forget about the rules of “digital security”!

At one “wonderful” moment, this can happen: you turn on the computer, the operating system loads, and immediately realize that something is wrong, namely, the shortcuts from the desktop have disappeared. This could happen for various reasons; this article will describe the most likely of them, and will also tell you how to deal with this problem.

Below we will consider three reasons why shortcuts could disappear from the desktop. Two of them are completely banal and can be resolved in a couple of seconds, but the third is more serious and will take much longer to solve.

Reason #1

First, let's look at the most common reason for shortcuts missing from the desktop. Perhaps someone simply deleted them (if several people work at the computer, then this option is very likely). It's very easy to check this, create some element on your desktop, for example a folder, shortcut, empty document, etc. If the object is successfully created and it is displayed on the desktop, then the issue is closed, someone simply deleted all the shortcuts.

If the object was created, but it never appeared on the desktop, then the reason is different.

Reason #2

Let's move on to the second banal reason. Perhaps someone (accidentally or on purpose) set an option in the settings, thanks to which icons disappeared from the desktop (in fact, they are there, they just are not displayed).

You need to check the following:

For Windows XP

1. Right-click on the desktop (on an empty space, although in this situation this clarification is very irrelevant :)).
2. Hover your cursor over “Arrange icons.”
3. Pay attention to the “Display desktop icons” item; if the checkbox is not checked, check it.

For Windows 7

If this item was already checked, then this is not your case, let’s move on to the next reason.

Reason #3

And finally, we move on to the third reason for the disappearance of shortcuts from the desktop, and as a rule, it is associated with the activity of malicious software.

For greater accuracy, we will denote this reason with a new subtitle.

Desktop and start menu disappeared

This is very important point, earlier we only talked about the desktop and the icons that disappear from it, but not a word about the taskbar and the start menu.

If, along with your desktop, the taskbar has also disappeared, and therefore there is no access to the Start menu, then most likely this is due to the explorer.exe process (it is not running). Since for Windows Explorer(including the taskbar, start menu, and desktop icons) it is the explorer.exe process that is responsible.

To solve this problem we do the following:

1) First, let's try to manually start the explorer.exe process, to do this we do the following:

A) Launch the task manager using:

• For Windows XP – “Ctrl+Alt+Del”.
• For Windows 7 – “Ctrl+Shift+Esc”.

b) In the task manager menu, select “File”, and then “New task (Run...)”.

V) In the window that opens, write explorer.exe and click Ok.

If Explorer starts and the taskbar and desktop icons appear, then the explorer.exe file is still present on your computer. If after the above operations there is no result, the explorer.exe file may be damaged and will have to be restored. Alternatively, you can copy it from a computer on which exactly the same OS is installed, in most cases this helps. But it’s better, of course, to use your own, native one, from the installation disk.

2) You need to check your computer for viruses. After all, if the cause of what happened is a virus, then it is useless to do anything until it is found and destroyed.

4) If the problem is not solved after a system rollback, you can look into . If you have not previously worked with the system registry, I advise you to follow the link given above and familiarize yourself with the basics of security when editing the system registry.

A) Launch the task manager, go to the menu: File\Run, write “regedit”, and click OK.

b) Go to the following address:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Check the following settings:

Shell – the value should be “explorer.exe”.

Userinit – the value should be “C:\Windows\system32\userinit.exe,”.

If your values ​​differ from the above, correct them.

V) Go to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options

If you find a subkey “explorer.exe” or “iexplorer.exe” here, delete them.

P.S. The subsection is the one in the left column, in in this case in the Image File Execution Options attachment.

After the above operations, the computer must be restarted.

After this, the desktop and taskbar should launch normally.

The main area that is involved when using a computer. Here users can place folders, shortcuts and program icons. Some services are also displayed on the desktop. For example, "My Computer" and "Trash". But what if you don't see any icons on your desktop? How to fix the situation?

Removing shortcuts

Let's start with the simplest option - this is the banal deletion of previously placed folders and shortcuts on the desktop. This often happens when multiple people use a PC.

To verify this scenario, the user will need:

1. Right-click on any free space on the desktop.
2. Select the "Create" line.
3. Create a shortcut or folder.

If the resulting object is located on the computer, it’s okay. Icons are not showing on the desktop because someone has deleted them.

You can correct the situation in different ways:

• create shortcuts and folders again;
• restore them from the trash.

In the second case, you will have to open the "Trash", and then select the necessary objects and click on the "Restore" button.

Viruses

The second option, in which icons do not appear on the desktop, is a virus infection. Ideally, the user needs to conduct a complete computer diagnostic using different antiviruses. After this, the operating system must be disinfected and documents that cannot be removed must be deleted.

1. Call "Task Manager". For example, using hotkeys. In Windows it is Ctrl, Alt, Del.
2. Switch to the "File" tab.
3. Click on the "New task" option.
4. In the line that appears, type explorer.exe.
5. Press the control called "Enter" on the keyboard or click on the inscription "OK" on the screen.

After the actions taken, the user will restore the shortcuts. It did not help? Then you will have to act differently.

Absent on PC

The thing is that viruses can sometimes damage or completely delete files on your computer. This is a fairly common occurrence.

If the steps above for restoring your desktop did not help, it is likely that explorer.exe is missing from your PC.

1. Find a user with a similar system or find a trusted data source on the Internet.
2. Download document explorer.exe to your computer.
3. Upload document to system folder"Windows".
4. Launch it following the instructions above.

If everything is done correctly, the computer's functionality will be restored. Fast, simple and very convenient.

Registry and its values

Why aren't my desktop icons showing? Maybe the system registry is to blame. It is necessary to make adjustments to its values.

In order to cope with the task, you need:

1. Press Win + R.
2. In the line that appears, type the command regedit.
3. Confirm the operation.
4. Look along the path indicated in point a.
5. In the Shell value set "explorer.ese" (to English language).
6. In the Userinit block, indicate the inscription specified in point b.
7. Travel to the section - see point c below.
8. Remove subitems that have the word explorer in their names. There must be 2 documents.

Here are the sections and addresses you need to go to:

Now everything should work. All that remains is to send the computer to reboot. We found out what to do if work icons are not displayed Windows desktop 7 and more.

Disabling shortcuts

But that is not all. Starting with Windows XP, new add-ons for the desktop were available to users. With their help, users can hide and change the size of shortcuts. System errors may cause related settings to fail.

The user will need to act like this to correct the situation:

1. Right-click on the desktop.
2. Open the "View" menu item. The screen will appear additional list.
3. Place a check mark next to the "Display icons..." item. It is advisable to check the box next to the "Display gadgets..." section.

If everything is done correctly, the shortcuts will appear. As practice shows, the problem under study causes a minimum of trouble. Especially if you follow the suggested instructions.

Service shortcuts

Sometimes users complain that their desktop icons "My Computer" and "Trash" do not appear. Most likely, the reasons lie in broken system settings.

Shortcut Recovery Guide system services as follows:

1. Click RMB on the desktop.
2. Select the "Personalization" option.
3. Follow the hyperlink "Customize shortcuts...". It's in the upper left corner.
4. Check the boxes of the services whose shortcuts you want to see on your desktop.
5. Click on "Ok".

If your work is closely related to personal computer, then you probably have already learned quite well its basic functions. However, no matter how experienced the user is, there is always a risk of encountering something unknown. Especially if it concerns such a complex computer technology. There are actually a lot of problems. From the simplest ones, which can be eliminated by pressing just one key, to real tragedies! In the latter situation, the equipment will most likely not be recoverable.

Reasons for shortcuts missing from the desktop and ways to fix the problem

Today we will look at an example where all the shortcuts to the programs you use suddenly disappeared from your desktop. And we are not talking about accidentally deleting some icons. Even the "basket" symbol is missing. Let's say you booted up the operating system, and your gaze was greeted by a completely empty desktop with only a splash screen on it. What to do in this case? What methods exist to solve this problem? Let's take a closer look at the situation.

You need to start by finding out the very reason for the loss. Depending on what happened, the actions will differ. On this moment It is worth describing three main reasons as a result of which the user is deprived of the pleasure of seeing his desktop on the monitor the way he himself once designed it.

Two of them are quite banal. In this case, returning everything to its place is very simple. The operation to “rescue” your computer will take only a few minutes. And here last option already much more serious. And you can spend much more time and effort on it. Let's start with something simpler.

First reason. Bad prank or deliberate sabotage?

Think about it, do other users have access to your computer? If the answer is no, then you can safely consider the remaining two options. If it is positive, we read more carefully and learn the truth in its first instance.

Let's say that someone, by pure accident (or deliberately in order to stop the execution of your immediate work) simply removed all the shortcuts. Believe me, this can be done. A similar trick will work even with the image of a “basket”. It is enough just to know a few simple manipulations.

To check this, try creating an element on the desktop. For example, a document, folder or the same notorious shortcut. To do this, right-click on the screensaver and select the appropriate item in the window. If this procedure is completed successfully and nothing becomes an obstacle, then everything is much simpler than you think.

Shortcuts are restored using the function of the same name. Just click the same right mouse button on the folder or file you need and select “ Create a shortcut" The same can be done using the above method described in the test. Done, problem fixed. You can safely continue to work and gloat over the perplexed glances of cunning spiteful critics.

However, the opposite situation may also arise when the element, in fact, was created, but it did not appear on the desktop. Therefore, the reason lies elsewhere. Let's try to dig a little into the settings.

The second reason. The ill-fated “tick”.

This option is even quite simple and banal. The fact is that the system has a special clause, by agreeing with which, you give your permission to display all elements of the desktop. As a master " Yes" in this case stands " check mark", placed opposite the corresponding item in the menu. If you remove it (again, accidentally or intentionally), then the desktop will be purely visually empty.

However, in this case, all the shortcuts will be in place and will become available again as soon as the mark is put back in its original place. You can do this as follows.

If you are an OS user Windows XP(this information can be found by looking at the Control Panel and selecting the System icon), then the algorithm should be like this:
click on " empty
select the menu item " Arrange icons»;
check mark" opposite the phrase "";

In the case of OS Windows 7 The procedure will be slightly different:
click on " empty» desktop with right mouse button;
select the menu item called “ View»;
pay attention to whether it is worth check mark" opposite the phrase " Show desktop icons»;
If there is no mark, then it must be returned.

If after carrying out such manipulations it turns out that “ check mark” is in its proper place, and the desktop is still empty, then this is not the problem. Here we move on to describe a much more complex option. However, nothing is impossible, as you yourself probably understand.

Third reason. Malicious programs.

So, after starting the computer, you discovered that not only the shortcuts were missing, but also the taskbar, as well as the menu “ Start"? In this case, rest assured that a hidden “virus” is already at work on your PC. It is also commonly called malicious software. If this happens, then first you still need to restore the usual appearance of the desktop, and only after that you need to deal with the extermination of dangerous “invaders” who unceremoniously ruled the system.

To do this, you need to restore the process called. It is he who is responsible for the correct display of the desktop and everything that you suddenly lost.

To solve the problem, use the following algorithm:
1) Manually bring the explorer.exe process back to life. To do this, perform the following manipulations:
2) Launch Task Manager using a special keyboard shortcut, also called “hot”. For Windows XP is “Ctrl” + “Alt” + “Delete”" For Windows 7 - “Ctrl” + “Shift” + “Escape”.
3) In the Manager menu window that appears, select the item called “ File", and then - " New task (Execute…)».

Another window will open in front of you. In it you will need to register the required process () and click “ Ok».

If, as a result of this sequence of actions, the desktop and all other elements are displayed again, as before, then, therefore, explorer.exe is still present in the depths of your PC.

If this does not happen, it means that the file was damaged by a virus. To correct this situation, you can use one of the following options:
replace it by copying it from another necessarily similar system;
install from your native OS disk.

The second action is preferable to avoid system crashes.
After this, do not forget to completely scan your computer for viruses to avoid a recurrence of such an unpleasant situation. After all the actions above in the third reason, it would be best to reboot the system.