Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10  

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    Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10

    Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10

    How to Hide or Show All Icons on Your Desktop in Windows 10
    Published by Category: General Tips
    03 Mar 2020
    Designer Media Ltd



    How to Hide or Show All Icons on Your Desktop in Windows 10


    The desktop is the main screen area that you see after you turn on your PC and sign in to Windows. Like the top of an actual desk, it serves as a surface for your work. When you open programs or folders, they appear on the desktop. You can also put items on the desktop, such as files, folders, and shortcuts, and arrange them however you want.

    This tutorial will show you how to hide or show all the icons on your desktop as needed in Windows 10.

    When you hide desktop icons, the icons are still on your desktop, but just do not display.

    Your desktop icons will still always show in your opened %UserProfile%\Desktop and shell:desktop folders in File Explorer.



    EXAMPLE: Hide or Show Desktop Icons

    Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10-hide_show_desktop_icons.jpg



    Here's How:

    1 Do step 2 (show) or step 3 (hide) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Show All Your Desktop Icons

    This is the default setting.

    A) Right click or press and hold on your desktop (Shift+F10), click/tap on View, and click/tap on Show desktop icons to check it afterwards. (see screenshot below)

    Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10-hide_desktop_icons_context_menu.png


    3 To Hide All Your Desktop Icons

    A) Right click or press and hold on your desktop (Shift+F10), click/tap on View, and click/tap on Show desktop icons to uncheck it afterwards. (see screenshot below)

    Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10-show_desktop_icons_context_menu.png


    That's it,
    Shawn


    Related Tutorials



  1. Windows 11 Tutorials



  2. dawnrenee1988
    Posts : 17
    windows 10 pro
       New #1

    Freaking awesome tip I just found my correct resolution from emerson for my 32" TV today and now my icons are way to freaking big. And rather then tinkering around trying to make them smaller I just hide them all and wow wee did that make my 32" pc screen pretty.

    Thanks for the tip.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  3. Brink
    Posts : 65,242
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    I'm glad it could help Dawn, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  5. jeannek
    Posts : 5
    Windows 10
       New #3

    Tried the BAT file to display desktop ions on desktop, didn't work. I don't like them on the taskbar.

    Thanks for any assistance
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  6. Brink
    Posts : 65,242
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Hello Jean,

    It appears something has changed not allowing the .bat to show them again, so I removed that option for now.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  8. jeannek
    Posts : 5
    Windows 10
       New #5

    Thanks, any other "fixes" for that problem?
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  9. fracking4oil
    Posts : 605
    Windows 10
       New #6

    dawnrenee1988 said:
    Freaking awesome tip I just found my correct resolution from emerson for my 32" TV today and now my icons are way to freaking big. And rather then tinkering around trying to make them smaller I just hide them all and wow wee did that make my 32" pc screen pretty.

    Thanks for the tip.
    You can change desktop icon size by holding Ctrl and scrolling with the mouse scroll wheel.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  10. Brink
    Posts : 65,242
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    jeannek said:
    Thanks, any other "fixes" for that problem?
    For now, just using the desktop context menu.
      My Computers
    Quote Quote

  11. jeannek
    Posts : 5
    Windows 10
       New #8

    Ok, thanks
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  12. Ol Bab
    Posts : 5
    Win 10
       New #9

    Installed Win 10 this week. Many questions! But for this thread: I right clicked on desktop to hide icons, worked fine, BUT now right click on desktop is ignored, so I can't go back. Must be rare, nobody else on net mentions it...
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

 

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