Lost my desktop

Dell tablet with Windows 10.
This morning I turned on the tablet and checked the local weather. All done. Turned off tablet.
Turned it on a couple hrs later, no desktop icons showing, no apps showing. Just have desktop picture showing. I can access internet and file manager from the bar along the bottom of screen. The Windows icon in the left corner does not do anything unless I press and hold for several seconds. Then I get a menu for system, control panel, etc. Downloaded and ran malware scanners, and Avast. No change.
If I swipe the screen left to right, the desktop icons appear for a split second. Swiping right to left doesn't work.

Any ideas?

I don't have a windows 10 tablet.

Can your tablet do a system restore ?
If yes, pick a date or 2 ago as your restore point and run the system restore.

davidhk said:

I don't have a windows 10 tablet.

Can your tablet do a system restore ?
If yes, pick a date or 2 ago as your restore point and run the system restore.

Nope. It said something was corrupted and could not restore.

My suggestion(s) will be based on a PC and hopefully also applicable to a tablet.

Do a system file check. It is to look for corrupt files. It will try to do repair if any found.

Right click at Start button > click Command Prompt (Admin) > at the flashing prompt, copy/paste this.......
sfc /scannow

> press Enter.
It will take quite sometime.
When finished, it will give you one of the 3 reports...............(paraphrasing)
1. No integrity violation.
2. Found corrupt files and repair successful.
3. Found corrupt files but unable to repair.

If the report is #1, your solution lies elsewhere.
If the report is #2, check if your problems have been resolved.
If the report is #3, use this method................
In the same Command Prompt (Admin) windows, copy and paste this command...........

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

> press Enter.
Again it will take some time.
When finished, it will give you a report.

No integrity violation.

Want to do a Reset option ?
You can only keep your files. All 3rd party programs will have to be reinstalled.

If acceptable....................
Start button > Settings > Update & Security > left side, Recovery > right side, under Reset this PC, click the Get Start button.

What will this do? My tablet originally had Windows 8.0. Then I upgraded to 8.1. Then I got the Windows 10 upgrade. Will I end up back at Windows 8.0?

Don't think I can get into Settings.

milford said:

What will this do? My tablet originally had Windows 8.0. Then I upgraded to 8.1. Then I got the Windows 10 upgrade. Will I end up back at Windows 8.0?

Don't think I can get into Settings.

The Reset option is to roll your system back to the first time Win 10 was installed.
It does not take you back to Win 8.


Why can't you get to Settings ?
If you swipe at bottom right, what appears ?

O.K. Should take me a couple of days to install everything. Should be fun. I didn't realize it wiped out my wireless printer. But thats up and running. Thanks for the help.