How to Hide or unhide Your Desktop icons in Windows 10/8/7

If your Desktop icons are not showing in Windows10/8/7 or if you want to hide or unhide the desktop icons, then this post is sure to interest you. If your desktop icons are missing or do not display on your Windows desktop, try this:

Hide or unhide Desktop icons

Right-click on your desktop > View > Check Show desktop icons.

It should help. If it doesn’t, type gpedit.msc in the Start menu and hit Enter.

Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop.

Now in Desktop, in the right pane, open Properties of Hide and disable all items on the desktop.

Configure your choice there.

If Enabled, this setting removes icons, shortcuts, and other default and user-defined items from the desktop, including Recycle Bin, Computer, and Network Locations.

To show desktop icons, ensure that the setting is Not Configured.

Hit Apply > OK.

Restart your computer and see if it has helped.

Gpedit:  

Please perform the following steps: 

Please go to Pearl button (Start) and click on the Search programs and files
For more information about the change from Start to Pearl button click here

Type gpedit.msc and press Enter

In the Group Policy window please navigate to User Configuration -> Administrative Templates ->
Desktop -> Desktop and open Disable Active Desktop.

Not Configured -> is the Default state
Enabled -> apply this GPO
Disabled -> this GPO will not be applied

To finish press ok button and close Group Policy window.

Type regedit and press ok

Please confirm User Account Control pop-up

Microsoft official disclaimer

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by
using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall the operating system. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

Note: This registry key is created by Group Policy when this GPO is Enable. The GPO Default state is Not
Configured -> this registry entry is not present. For Disable this registry entry is not present.

Please navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies
\Explorer and locate NoActiveDesktop registry key

Regedit:          

Please perform the following steps:

Please go to Pearl button (Start) and click on the Search programs and files
For more information about the change from Start to Pearl button click here

   

   

Double click on NoActiveDesktop and edit the value:

To Enable:
Change the data value with:
NoActiveDesktop = 1

To finish press ok button and close Registry Editor window

Note: Manual editing of this registry key will not be reflected in Group Policy. If you modify this GPO from
Group Policy this registry key will be rewritten. 

Type cmd, right click on cmd icon under the Programs and click on Run as administrator

Please confirm User Account Control pop-up

Please select, right and copy a registry key from below, then right click on command prompt window
, select Paste and press Enter

Enabled:
REG add "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoActiveDesktop /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Not Configured:
REG DELETE "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer" /v NoActiveDesktop /f

Note: Manual editing of this registry key will not be reflected in Group Policy. If you modify this GPO from
Group Policy this registry key will be rewritten.

CMD:         

Please perform the following steps:

Please go to Pearl button (Start) and click on the Search programs and files
For more information about the change from Start to Pearl button click here

   

VBScript:         

Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
strComputer = "."
Set oReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _
strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")

strKeyPath = "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer"
oReg.CreateKey HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath
strValueName = "NoActiveDesktop"
'Enabled
dwValue = 1
oReg.SetDWORDValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName,dwValue
'Not Configured
'oReg.DeleteValue HKEY_CURRENT_USER,strKeyPath,strValueName

   

PowerShell Script :         

Enabled

$RegKey = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies"
If(Test-Path ($RegKey + "\Explorer"))
{
 $RegKey = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer"
  ##Enabled
  New-ItemProperty -path $RegKey -name NoActiveDesktop -value 1 -PropertyType DWord -Force
}
else
{
 New-Item -path $RegKey -name Explorer
 $RegKey = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer"
  ##Enabled
  New-ItemProperty -path $RegKey -name NoActiveDesktop -value 1 -PropertyType String
}

Not Configured\Disabled

$RegKey = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies"
Remove-ItemProperty -Path($RegKey + "\Explorer") -name NoActiveDesktop
If( (Get-Item -Path($RegKey + "\Explorer")).ValueCount -eq 0 -and (Get-Item -Path($RegKey + "\Explorer")).SubKeyCount -eq 0)
{
 Remove-Item -Path($RegKey + "\Explorer") 
}