Desktop Shortcuts Disappear in Windows 10: Solutions

Learn why shortcuts disappear from the desktop in Windows 10 and how to fix it with this comprehensive guide. Whether you’re experiencing occasional shortcut disappearance or frequent vanishing acts, this tutorial covers everything you need to know. Dive deep into step-by-step instructions and essential tips for troubleshooting and resolving missing desktop shortcuts.

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How to Recover Desktop Shortcuts and Set Default File Associations in Windows 10 🛠️💻📀

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Overview of the Problem

There is a principle of psychology: the more expectations you have concerning some event, the more chances of your facing severe disappointment. Expect more, get less; expect less, get more. This is a steady principle, and it never fails.

Recently we have received quite a lot of messages on the topic “Desktop shortcuts are gone! What should I do?” Such messages are numerous and it made us write a brief troubleshooting manual.

Why are desktop shrotcuts Gone

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There may be several reasons for that, for example, a computer virus, or a system failure caused by such malware. It can also happen because a user failed to observe common rules of taking care of the computer, such as cleaning it from dust and switching it off properly, or even because a person doesn’t know basic rules of operating a PC, to say nothing of the notorious human factor – haste and neglect.

Though our company provides users with data recovery software, there is no need to use them in this case. Before that, we recommend that you try restoring your shortcuts with standard Windows 10 tools.

First of all, make sure that showing desktop elements is enabled in your computer: right-click on a free area of your desktop. In the menu that appears, see if this option (“Show desktop icons”) is checked. If it is not, activate it.

Show desktop icons

This strategy will also work with Windows 7.

Alternatively, you can also do the following. Go to Start –> Settings –> System. In the tab “Tablet mode” try moving the slider – first “On,” then “Off” or vice versa.

Desktop Shortcuts Disappear in Windows 10: Solutions

If the above mentioned methods did not help you to restore desktop shortcuts, and you are sure they were there before, you can scan your disk with Hetman Partition Recovery.

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

When doing that, remember that all files and desktop shortcuts are stored on disk (:С) in the folder C:\Users\Username\Desktop, and all file shortcuts have a “Shortcut” tag in their names.

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Vladimir Artiukh

Author: , Technical Writer

Vladimir Artiukh is a technical writer for Hetman Software, as well as the voice and face of their English-speaking YouTube channel, Hetman Software: Data Recovery for Windows. He handles tutorials, how-tos, and detailed reviews on how the company’s tools work with all kinds of data storage devices.

Oleg Afonin

Editor: , Technical Writer

Oleg Afonin is an expert in mobile forensics, data recovery and computer systems. He often attends large data security conferences, and writes several blogs for such resources as xaker.ru, Elcomsoft and Habr. In addition to his online activities, Oleg’s articles are also published in professional magazines. Also, Oleg Afonin is the co-author of a well-known book, Mobile Forensics - Advanced Investigative Strategies.

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