How to Restore Original Desktop Icons

You can restore your original desktop icons.

When you first use a newly installed Windows system, several default icons are on your desktop. These include the My Computer, My Documents, My Network Places and Recycle Bin icons. Over time, you may delete or remove one or more of these icons from your desktop. Additionally, if you do not use one or more of these icons and have the Desktop Cleanup Wizard set to run, the icons may be removed from your desktop. The process of restoring them varies depending on which version of Windows you are using.

Things You'll Need

• Computer

Instructions

Windows XP Home Edition and Professional

1. Right-click on your computer desktop and click "Properties." The Display Properties dialog box opens.

2. Click the "Desktop" tab, then click "Customize Desktop." The Desktop Items dialog box opens.

3. Click the "General" tab, then click "Restore Default" to restore the original icons on your desktop. Click "OK."

Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95

1. Launch the command prompt by clicking "Start" > "Run" and typing "command" in the "Open" field. Then click "OK."

2. Start the Registry Editor by running one of the following commands from the command prompt: Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe.

3. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE registry key and navigate to:
   Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace. A registry key looks like a folder and is used to a control certain aspect of your computer's functions. Each registry key in the NameSpace directory corresponds to a desktop icon.

4. Select the name of the file that the registry key was saved as and click "Open." Then, click "OK." Repeat this step for each icon you want to restore.

5. Close the Registry Editor. Log off the computer and log back on.

Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. Click "Start" > "Control Panel" > "Appearance and Personalization" > "Personalization."

2. Click "Change desktop icons" in the left pane.

3. Select the check box in the Desktop icons section, which corresponds to the icon you want to restore to your desktop, then click "OK."

Tips & Warnings

• Make a backup of your registry before changing it.

References

• Microsoft Support: How to Restore Icons That Have Been Removed from the Desktop in Windows XP
• Microsoft: How to Remove Default Desktop Icons
• Windows: Add or Delete Desktop Icons