Changing the Default Desktop Icons

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated August 31, 2015)

Windows, by default, displays only the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop. You can, if you desire, instruct Windows to display a number of other icons as well. Follow these steps:

  1. Right-click at some empty point on your desktop. Windows displays a Context menu.
  2. Choose Personalize from the Context menu. Windows displays the Personalize dialog box.
  3. Click the Change Desktop Icons link, near the upper-left of the dialog box. Windows displays the Desktop Icon Settings dialog box. (See Figure 1.)

    4. Figure 1. The Desktop Icon Settings dialog box.

  4. At the top of the dialog box, make sure a check mark appears beside each icon you want displayed on your desktop.
  5. Click OK.

The icons you selected should now be visible on the screen, along with all the others you have.

 This tip (10958) applies to Windows 7 and 8.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Aborting a Macro and Retaining Control

If you need to exit a macro before it is finished running, you can do it using a brute force method, or you can build in ...

Discover More

ExcelTips: Powerful Lookup Functions (Special Offer)

ExcelTips: Powerful Lookup Functions is a key resource in discovering how to use Excel's amazing lookup functions. ...

Discover More

Saving Find and Replace Operations

Want to repeat the same Find and Replace operation over and over again? Here are a couple of ways you can improve your ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Determining if You Have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows

There are occasions when you may want to know whether you're running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows. This tip ...

Discover More

Restoring Your System from a Restore Point

Restore Points let you go "back in time" to a point before you made system changes that could prove harmful to your ...

Discover More

Evaluating System Performance Using the Task Manager

One of the many functions of the Windows Task Manager is to allow you to see how your system is performing. If necessary, ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WindowsTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is five minus 4?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WindowsTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR AUTHORS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.