How to Restore Missing Windows XP Desktop Icons

Windows XP missing desktop icons

Have you ever encounter Windows desktop icons missing when your PC is starting up, or icons disappear during the middle of your work? The problem will usually remedy itself and the desktop icons should reappear a few seconds later. You can first restart your PC again (remember to save your work) and see what will happen. If the icons remain missing, here's how to fix and restore Windows XP desktop icons.

Things You'll Need

• PC Windows XP O.S., any edition of
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• PC troubleshooting experience recommended

Instructions

1. 

   Click on the Start button on the task bar. Select Run, then enter in the text box "regedit" (less the quotes) to launch the Registry Editor.

2. 

   Scroll down the Registry list and find this key shown in the image.

   (Note: programming scripts and paths are currently not supported on eHow article template, as that will create conflict with their sever).

3. Find the DWORD value and set it equal to "MaxCachedIcons" in the right-pane. Always use the exact capitalization and phrase when entering information in the Windows registry.

4. Double left click mouse on this "cache size" value and change it to 4096 in decimal to enlarge its size. If the problem persists, come back and try an even larger value.

5. Now right-click mouse on any empty area on the desktop. On the mouse drop-down list, select Properties then click on the Appearance tab.

6. Click on the Advanced button under the Appearance tab.

7. 

   In the Item list, select "Icon". Increase the size setting by 1 pixel as shown in the image. By default the size will normally be 32, so add +1 and make it 33. Click on "OK" button, and then click the "Apply" button.

8. Next we are going to force Windows to recreate the icon cache. Again, click on the Advanced button then change the icon size back to what it was.

9. Click on OK, then select OK again. Exist the Registry Editor. Your Windows should now be in the process refreshing the desktop icons. If this is not happening, restart Windows; reboot computer.

10. After restarting Windows, the problem should resolve. Otherwise repeat all the instructions, and especially increase the entering number for the size in Step 4.