Desktop files showing in File Explorer Desktop folder but not on my desktop


M

Memsahib

Active member
Local time
12:26 AM
Posts
14
Location
Western Australia
OS
Windows 11 Home
I do have my data on drive D and have changed the location from C. It was working fine but somehow a confusion with Onedrive desktop and local desktop have made it so that when I save a file to D:\Users\Name\desktop they are no longer showing on my desktop, but are in the desktop folder in FE. Yes, I have set view hidden icons . One suggestion was to stop backing Desktop to Onedrive but all that has done is remove Desktop as an option under my Personal folders. There seem to be so many other people having the same problem and I have tried a few of the suggestions but I still have the problem of saving documents or downloads to teh desktop. Other icons like Recycling Bin and Control panel show. There are regular reports and lists that I like to download to my desktop so I have easy access and so really hope that there is someone who can help me sort this problem out! Thanks in advance!
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 home 23h2 22631.3396

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Zenbook 14
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor 2.8 GHz (12M Cache, up
    Memory
    16GB PDDR4X on board - Max Total system memory up to:16GB *Supports dual-channel memory.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® Iris Xe Graphics 154481 *Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics is only available in models with Intel® Core™ i5/i7/i9 processors with up to 80 graphics execution units (EUs) and dual-channel memory.
    Sound Card
    Audio by ICEpower®\nBuilt-in speaker\nBuilt-in array microphone, harman/kardon (Premium), with Cortana voice-recognition support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED 16:9 aspect ratio, 0.2ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, 550nits HDR peak brightness, DCI-P3: 100%, 1,000,000:1, VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 500, 1.07 billion colors, PANTONE Validated, Glossy display, 70% less harmful blue light, SGS Eye Care Display, - (Screen-to-body ratio)88%
    Hard Drives
    512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
    Keyboard
    Wired
    Mouse
    Wired
    Internet Speed
    53Mbps download
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Laptop using an Asus monitor when not travelling

To post a screenshot on this forum...​

1. Take the screenshot, edit it as desired, save to your desktop as .png or .jpg (max. size = 2MB)
2. Left click in your post, where you want to place the screenshot.
3. Click the Attach Files button at lower left, browse to your pic and click Insert.
4. After clicking Insert, I usually choose the Thumbnail (smaller) option, or the Full Image (larger) option.

If the "new" PrtSc key function is not to your liking... here is how to set it back to it's classic function...

www.elevenforum.com

Enable or Disable Use Print Screen Key to Open Screen Snipping in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off to use the Print Screen key to open screen snipping for your account in Windows 11. The Snipping Tool app includes a built-in screen recorder and allows you to quickly take and annotate screenshots, photos and other images with your pen, touch...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8457 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
That is odd, because regardless of where you tell your PC where your desktop folder resides, as long as right click desktop context menu “view/show desktop icons” is checked, they should show.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Sin-built 2013
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4770K CPU @ 3.50GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus VI Formula
    Memory
    32.0 GB of I forget and the box is in storage.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte nVidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super OC 6GB
    Sound Card
    Onboard thingy
    Monitor(s) Displays
    5 x LG 25MS500-B - 1 x 24MK430H-B - 1 x Wacom Pro 22" Touch Screen Tablet
    Screen Resolution
    All over the place
    Hard Drives
    Too many to list.
    OS on Samsung 1TB 870 QVO SATA
    PSU
    Silverstone 1500
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 820 Full-Tower Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Elite Class Dual Tower CPU Cooler / 6 x EziDIY 120mm / 2 x Corsair 140mm somethings / 1 x 140mm Thermaltake something / 2 x 200mm Corsair.
    Keyboard
    Corsair K95 / Logitech diNovo Edge Wireless
    Mouse
    Logitech: G402 / G502 / Mx Masters / Mx Air Cordless
    Internet Speed
    2000/500Mbps
    Browser
    All sorts
    Antivirus
    Kaspersky Premium
    Other Info
    ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
    TP-Link BE9300 WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4 (Archer TBE550E)
    TP-Link TX201 V1 2.5GB Lan

    Grandstream HT812 - VoIP
    ASUS DSL-AX82U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-AC68U - Mesh
    ASUS RT-BE88U Router

    Brother MFC-L2880DW Printer

    I’m on a horse.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2 Build 26200.8524
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LENOVO Yoga 7 14IRL8 - 7i EVO OLED 14" Touchscreen i5 12 Core 16GB/512GB
    CPU
    Intel Core 12th Gen i5-1240P Processor (1.7 - 4.4GHz)
    Memory
    16GB LPDDR5 RAM
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics Processor
    Sound Card
    Optimized with Dolby Atmos®
    Screen Resolution
    QHD 2880 x 1800 OLED
    Hard Drives
    M.2 512GB
    Antivirus
    Defender / Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    …still on a horse.
There are actually 2 desktops and if restrictions are in place, they might not be shown.
Code: 
%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
Taking ownership of them might help. Run CMD as admin and copy/paste:
Code: 
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop" /r /d y
icacls "%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop" /inheritance:r
icacls "%SystemDrive%\Users\Public\Desktop" /inheritance:e /grant:r %username%:(OI)(CI)F /t /l /q /c
takeown /s %computername% /u %username% /f "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" /r /d y
icacls "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" /inheritance:r
icacls "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop" /inheritance:e /grant:r %username%:(OI)(CI)F /t /l /q /c
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Home26H2Can
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 5 8600G (07/24)
    Motherboard
    ASROCK B650M-HDV/M.2 (07/24) BIOS 4.21 AGESA ComboAM5 1.3.0.1 (04/26)
    Memory
    2x32GB Kingston FURY DDR5 5600 MHz CL36 @5200 CL36 (07/24)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASROCK Radeon RX 6600 Challenger D 8G @48FPS (08/24)
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus (05/24)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" Philips 24M1N3200ZS/00 (05/24)
    Screen Resolution
    1920×1080@165Hz via DP1.4
    Hard Drives
    Kingston KC3000 NVMe 2TB (05/24)
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S11 Pro 512GB (07/19)
    PSU
    Seasonic Core GM 550 Gold (04/24)
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Mini with 3x Noctua NF-P14s/12@555rpm (04/24)
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12S with Noctua NF-P12 (04/24)
    Keyboard
    HP Pavilion Wired Keyboard 300 (07/24) + Rabalux 76017 Parker (01/24)
    Mouse
    Logitech M330 Silent Plus (01/26)
    Internet Speed
    500/100 Mbps via RouterOS (05/21) & TCP Optimizer
    Browser
    Edge, Brave for YouTube, LibreWolf for FB
    Antivirus
    NextDNS blocking 1/3 Traffic
    Other Info
    Phone: Motorola Moto G86 (02/26)
    Backup: Hasleo Backup Suite (PreOS)
    Headphones: Sennheiser RS170 (09/10)
    Chair: Huzaro Force 4.4 Grey Mesh (05/24)
    Notifier: Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Milanese (10/24)
    FlexCore USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (M) to LAN (F) (08/25)
Memsahib said:
when I save a file to D:\Users\Name\desktop they are no longer showing on my desktop, but are in the desktop folder in FE
Click to expand...
This sounds, to me, like a description of a Refresh problem.
Have you Refreshed the Desktop?
- right-click on the Desktop & select Refresh,
or
- press the F5 key.



Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.8037
Thanks everyone for all suggestions. None of which made any difference. Tried CMD suggestion and all except 2 were denied. Could this be because my data is on D drive and the changes were on C? Did restart my PC. I have used Stardock Fences App for several years and beginning to wonder if some changes in that may be to blame. All previous files saved are still in their 'Fence'. Only new files being saved not showing.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Zenbook 14
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor 2.8 GHz (12M Cache, up
    Memory
    16GB PDDR4X on board - Max Total system memory up to:16GB *Supports dual-channel memory.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® Iris Xe Graphics 154481 *Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics is only available in models with Intel® Core™ i5/i7/i9 processors with up to 80 graphics execution units (EUs) and dual-channel memory.
    Sound Card
    Audio by ICEpower®\nBuilt-in speaker\nBuilt-in array microphone, harman/kardon (Premium), with Cortana voice-recognition support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED 16:9 aspect ratio, 0.2ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, 550nits HDR peak brightness, DCI-P3: 100%, 1,000,000:1, VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 500, 1.07 billion colors, PANTONE Validated, Glossy display, 70% less harmful blue light, SGS Eye Care Display, - (Screen-to-body ratio)88%
    Hard Drives
    512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
    Keyboard
    Wired
    Mouse
    Wired
    Internet Speed
    53Mbps download
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Laptop using an Asus monitor when not travelling
Memsahib said:
when I save a file to D:\Users\Name\desktop they are no longer showing on my desktop, but are in the desktop folder in FE
Click to expand...
Are they being saved to C:\Users\Name\Desktop?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell XPS 15 9510
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-11800H @ 2.30GHz (16 CPUs
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
    Hard Drives
    512GB Solid State Drive
    Browser
    Firefox
Memsahib said:
Thanks everyone for all suggestions. None of which made any difference
Click to expand...
Are you saying that Refresh did not make any difference?
And that rebooting did not make any difference?

If the files are in your Desktop folder - by default in C:\Users\%UserName%\Desktop - but are not being shown in the Desktop you look at on your screen then one explanation would be that you have "relocated" your Desktop folder.
Have you?
You can check by running regedit.exe and looking at the Desktop entry in this Registry Key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders



Denis
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home x64 Version 25H2 Build 26200.8037
Again thanks to everyone who has responded. No not on C:\ Drive . I have had my Asus Zenbook laptop Win 11, with partitioned hard drive for well over a year and it has been working fine, but I feel one of the most recent Win 11 updates has affected how Onedrive is working and it seems to have changed the settings. I have ensured that the folders including Desktop are set 'always keep on device" - and while I want the benefits of using Onedrive, beginning to think perhaps I should unlink it for a while and see if that sorts out the issues.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Zenbook 14
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-1165G7 Processor 2.8 GHz (12M Cache, up
    Memory
    16GB PDDR4X on board - Max Total system memory up to:16GB *Supports dual-channel memory.
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® Iris Xe Graphics 154481 *Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics is only available in models with Intel® Core™ i5/i7/i9 processors with up to 80 graphics execution units (EUs) and dual-channel memory.
    Sound Card
    Audio by ICEpower®\nBuilt-in speaker\nBuilt-in array microphone, harman/kardon (Premium), with Cortana voice-recognition support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED 16:9 aspect ratio, 0.2ms response time, 60Hz refresh rate, 550nits HDR peak brightness, DCI-P3: 100%, 1,000,000:1, VESA CERTIFIED Display HDR True Black 500, 1.07 billion colors, PANTONE Validated, Glossy display, 70% less harmful blue light, SGS Eye Care Display, - (Screen-to-body ratio)88%
    Hard Drives
    512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD
    Keyboard
    Wired
    Mouse
    Wired
    Internet Speed
    53Mbps download
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    MS Defender
    Other Info
    Laptop using an Asus monitor when not travelling
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

File explorer shortcuts and download dialog popup keeps sending me to desktop folder that contains random icons.
Replies
8
Views
846
dacrone
dacrone
Desktop crammed with extra files and folders
Replies
8
Views
1K
Ghot
Ghot
Solved My desktop seems like it is a onedrive folder
2 3
Replies
50
Views
12K
tomsters
T
Solved Most desktop icons disappeared -- tied to deleting OneDrive folder?
2
Replies
27
Views
5K
highstream
H
Desktop folder shows on desktop and exactly the same in file explorer.
Replies
9
Views
4K
AndreyT
AndreyT

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom