After starting your computer again, you find that the monitor no longer displays the usual icons: folders, shortcuts, files and other elements. Sometimes even the taskbar disappears along with the Start button. If you are wondering how to restore your desktop, then you are on the right track.
The very first actions
The reason that the desktop has disappeared may be viruses - worms, Trojans and others - as well as the “inept hands” of the user. In any case, before you run for help service center, try to fix the problem yourself. So, if only shortcuts and folders have disappeared on the Windows desktop, then try the following:
In some versions operating system Windows parameter The "View" may be called "Active Desktop" or "Arrange Desktop Icons". Most often, all files and other elements return to their places.
Launch Explorer
If all the icons on your computer have disappeared, and along with them the taskbar, then, most likely, there was a failure when loading the system and “Explorer” - the program responsible for guiding the user to the necessary files and catalogs, it simply did not start. In this case, to return the usual windows table, you will need to run this application yourself:
After this, after a few seconds, the Windows desktop will boot again. If the restoration was successful, then all existing icons and files and the taskbar will return to their place. But it’s worth considering that to perform the same operation in Windows 8, you need to select “File” and “Run a new task” in the menu bar at the top (click the more details button below). Just repeat all other steps.
Extreme measures
If the presented options did not help restore the missing desktop, then it is recommended to seek help from professionals. But if you don’t have time, or there are no specialists, then you can try to edit some sections of the Windows registry yourself at your own risk. It is worth taking into account that such operations are dangerous for the “health” of the entire computer.
To launch the Windows Registry Editor, you need to open/run a new task (see above) “regedit”:
Tip: Before you edit windows registry, export a copy of it to disk. In case of serious problems, you can restore it.
If you once turned on your computer or laptop, but during the usual Windows boot XP, 7 or 8, all shortcuts, icons, even the start menu and taskbar disappeared on the desktop. This can also happen due to viruses or accidental deletion. system files or registry data. In this article, we have collected the main ways to solve the problem of restoring the display of shortcuts on the desktop.
Solution to the problem:
1. Explorer.exe file is missing
The fact is that the explorer.exe process is responsible for external display in Windows, and if you press CTRL+ALT+DEL, or CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to launch the task manager, it is missing in the “processes” tab. This could happen due to the action of viruses. If you try to launch the task manager, but no response occurs, try restarting the computer in safe mode (F8 key while Windows is loading) and try again.
To solve the problem, the first thing you need to do is determine whether the explorer.exe file remains on the system at all so that it can be launched. This can be done without Explorer, using the command line.
In the task manager, click “File - New task” and enter “cmd” there; Enter the command there:
C:\Windows\explorer.exe
if your OS is installed on another drive, then instead of C:\ enter the drive on which you have the system installed).
If you don’t know what drive the system is installed on, then enter the following into the command line:
%windir%\explorer.exe
in this case, the system itself will substitute required disk on which it is installed.
If, as a result, all desktop icons and the taskbar appear, then the explorer.exe file has not been deleted from the computer and most likely you will only need to correct a few registry files.
If you see an error message that such a file does not exist, then you will need to copy the explorer.exe file to the Windows system folder yourself. If explorer.exe itself generated the error, then delete it:
DEL C:\Windows\explorer.exe
2. Check icon display function
Let's start with the simplest. You need to check the option that disables the display of icons on the desktop:
For Windows 2000
- In the menu that opens, select “Active Desktop”;
For Windows XP
- Click right click mice on the desktop;
- In the menu that opens, select “Arrange icons”;
- In the expanded submenu, next to the item “Display desktop icons” there should be a checkmark. If there is no checkmark, then click on this item.
For Windows Vista and 7
- Right-click on the desktop;
- In the menu that opens, select “View”;
- In the expanded submenu, next to the item “Display desktop icons” there should be a checkmark. If there is no checkmark, then click on this item.
3. The file explorer.exe is on the computer
To launch the Registry Editor, click “file->new task” in the task manager again and enter the “regedit” command. Next you need to do the following:
- In the Registry Editor, select: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon. Then look at the right panel. The Shell parameter value must be Explorer.exe. If it is not, change it to Explorer.exe.
- We are trying to find: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options. If there is a subsection explorer.exe or iexplorer.exe, delete it (right-click -> Delete).
After this, restart your computer. If this still does not help, then perhaps explorer.exe is damaged and should still be replaced.
4. Explorer.exe file was not found on the computer
If you have installation disk your Windows, then you can find the explorer.ex_ file right there in the i386 folder, rename it to explorer.exe and use it. You can rename in any file manager, or you can go to the control panel, select folder properties -> view there, and uncheck the box next to “hide file extensions”. If not, then you will have to find a computer with the same Windows as yours and copy the file from there from the Windows folder.
We copy the resulting file, for example, to the root directory of your flash drive and insert it into the broken computer. Run the command line on it again cmd line. We consider what kind of media the inserted flash drive is (this will be the last available disk). There we enter the command “E:”, or “F:”, or another... (depending on what kind of disk the flash drive is). Next, if explorer.exe is in the root folder, enter the command:
copy explorer.exe C:\Windows
copy explorer.exe %WINDIR%
As a result, it should be written that 1 file was successfully copied.
Restart your computer and everything should work.
These are the most basic simple ways solutions to this problem. If that doesn’t work, you can also try to restore the system, but most effective way- this, of course, is to reinstall Windows.
5. System Restore
If method No. 2 gives an error that the explorer.exe file was not found or the problem remains after a reboot, then you should try to perform a system restore:
- In the “Start” menu, open sequentially: “Programs” - “Accessories” - “System Tools”
- In the "Utilities" menu, click on "System Restore". Note. If there is no such item, then follow these steps: in the “Start” menu, select “Run”. In the open field, type the command %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and click “OK”;
- In the “System Restore” window, on the right side of the window, select “Restore your computer to an earlier state” and click the “Next” button;
- In the calendar, select the day that has a checkpoint, such days are highlighted in bold. Choose a day on which your computer worked normally, i.e. if you remember that three days ago the computer started normally, then select a point that was three days ago. If there are no control points, then most likely you have disabled the option to create control points and you will have to proceed to method No. 4.
- Having selected the day, click the “Next” button;
- We listen to the advice written in the window (written in red) and click the “Next” button;
- We are waiting for the process to complete;
6. Registry fix
If system restore does not help, then you will have to go into the system registry:
- On your keyboard, press and hold the Ctrl+Alt+Delete buttons;
- In the Manager window Windows tasks", go to the "Applications" tab;
- On this tab, click the “New task...” button;
- In the “Create a new task” window, in the “Open” field, type the regedit command and click the “OK” button;
- In the “Registry Editor” window on the left side, sequentially expand the registry keys to the “Image File Execution Options” section: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/WindowsNT/CurrentVersion/Image File Execution Options/
- Expand the “Image File Execution Options” section and look for the “explorer.exe” and “iexplorer.exe” subsections. If any of the subsections are found, then it must be deleted.
- Right-click on the subsection and in the menu that opens, select “Delete”;
- When asked to confirm deletion, click the “Yes” button;
- Now let’s check the launch parameters of explorer.exe; to do this, expand the registry keys to the “Winlogon” section: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/WindowsNT/CurrentVersion/Winlogon/
- Left-click on the “Winlogon” section and in the right part of the Registry Editor window we find the “Shell” parameter;
- Right-click on this parameter and select the “Change” menu item;
- In the “Change string parameter” window, the value field should say explorer.exe and nothing else, if this is not the case, then correct it;
- Click OK, close all windows and restart your computer
7. Recovering hidden shortcuts on the desktop
The “hidden” attribute may have been set on all folders and files on the desktop. To check whether this is true or not, go to “Start -> Control Panel -> Folder Options”, open the “View” tab, go to the end of the list of options and set the “Hidden files and folders” switch to the “Show” position hidden files and folders."
If after this the contents of the desktop begin to be displayed, then to restore the display of your shortcuts, files and folders, you need to remove the “hidden” attribute from them. This can be done as follows:
We go to “Start -> Run”, write “cmd” there and click “Ok” - the command line should start.
Remove the “hidden” attribute from all files and folders on a shared desktop with this command (you may need administrator rights for this):
attrib /D /S -h “%ALLUSERSPROFILE%/Desktop/*”
Now make all files and folders on your desktop unhidden with this command:
attrib /D /S -h “%USERPROFILE%/Desktop/*”
Just in case, click on an empty space on the desktop and press F5 to refresh the desktop.
If previously missing icons, files and folders from the desktop are no longer faded in color, then they are no longer hidden and you can set “Do not show hidden files and folders” in the “Folder Options” window.
Greetings, dear readers.
Many users often encounter a situation where, the next time they start the operating system, the desktop suddenly stops showing. And there is nothing - no icons, no taskbar. Sometimes the background even disappears. In this case, the reasons can be very different, ranging from the action of malware to errors in the OS itself. Later in the article I will tell you how to restore the desktop on a laptop in different situations.
general information
There are many reasons why users stopped seeing the operating system shell when they started the computer. In most cases, this happens as a result of viruses or while working with the settings of the monitor itself. In general, although the situations look similar, they are nevertheless completely different.
Malware
The first thing you should pay attention to is this case, because it is much more serious than the others. You need to do the following:
It is this file that is responsible for displaying the elements we need. It starts with Windows 7 or any other version. The component is located in system folder on the main disk.
A completely logical question arises: “ Why didn't the corresponding executable file start on its own?" The fact is that the virus affected only system areas that are directly responsible for its start. However, the element itself remained unharmed.
The solution will be " System Restore" It can be found by searching in " Start" In addition, it will help Task Manager" Click " File" And " New..." Enter " rstrui.exe" In any case, we will see the desired window.
Now, using the hints, we return the functionality of the Windows 8 operating system or another assembly.
Safe mode
Sometimes it happens that " Task Manager"Refuses to start in normal mode. In this case, we boot the system in a safe way. And usually users still manage to see their desktop. To do this you need to perform several movements:
As a result, the necessary information will appear before your eyes.
If this doesn’t help, we try to do everything described in the previous paragraph, only in a new mode. After this, you need to check your equipment for viruses.
Command line support
If the previous option did not help, when choosing to launch the operating system, point to this option. Now right here we type “ explorer.exe" The corresponding component should start.
In addition, you can immediately return to a certain point by writing “ rstrui.exe».
If recovery doesn't work
Sometimes we can observe cases when the solution we need refuses to work. This is usually caused by malware. And in most cases, they do not touch the file responsible for displaying the shell, but direct their efforts to changing registry entries.
As a result, during the start of the same Windows 10 or any other version, the OS accesses wrong file. As a result, users simply do not see graphic elements.
In this case, you need to make several movements:
Now we restart the equipment and check its operation in normal mode.
Explorer.exe
All previous options consider the situation when the file responsible for the shell was not damaged malware. Otherwise system area may be modified or removed altogether. In this case, the above methods are not suitable. As an indicator on the monitor of HP laptops, or maybe Lenovo or any other manufacturers, “ explorer.exe error" In some cases this is accompanied by a black screen.
Again we go to safe mode with command line, in which we indicate “ sfc /scannow" This operation starts a system scan and repair Windows files. Sometimes you will need an installation disk for this.
As a result, everything should work. After this, you need to immediately install anti-virus software and scan the entire computer.
Incorrect settings
Sometimes problems with missing information on the desktop may simply relate to incorrect operating system settings.
For example, some users may observe a picture when unknown device. And if he chooses, everything disappears. In this case, calling “ Task Manager"and even a reboot.
The only true way is " Loading Last Known Known Configuration", which can be selected after pressing " F8" while the device is rebooting.
This will also help restore even Active Desktop, which is a constantly changing shell for the operating system.
If you suddenly don’t understand something, you can safely watch videos on demand, which tell you everything down to the smallest detail.
I hope this article will help you get your device back into working order.
Do you boot your computer, but instead of a beautiful screensaver, there is an empty desktop and nothing is displayed? Windows desktop gone missing? It's no big deal, even if it's just black. There is always a way out, especially since you can restore the latest copy of the registry or an image of the entire system. Of course, provided that all important files have been previously archived. windows partitions 7. Let’s begin to understand in more detail how to restore the system’s functionality.
Reboot in Safe Mode
In case of any critical failure, all manipulations should be carried out in a safe mode. Click on system unit press the reboot button, and while it is loading, look for the F8 or Delete button. Click, boot into safe mode and everything should work.
After logging in, slowly click “Start” and find the control panel in the section bar. Click “Backup and Restore.” We are trying to restore or roll back the entire system back to the last point in the archive. Click, look in the window that opens, look for the “recover my files” button, and take action.
In the window we look for the archiving point and begin the procedure, but while the process is starting, let’s find out the reason why the Windows desktop disappeared.
Advice : You can use the bottom line “restore” to restore system parameters or computer"
and select to start system recovery. 
Main causes of failure
Most often, the loading of the desktop freezes due to damage to any drivers or desktop controls. But the cause of such a failure may be a virus that has entered the registry or made independent changes in the browser. You recently scanned your computer and removed several viruses, but the problem is not resolved. Probably, this virus has already damaged Explorer.exe (if this is not a hardware failure, video card, or memory). And the Windows registry loads completely (look at the “Welcome” sign before the empty table appears). If there is one, it means that Windows is still alive and has not disappeared forever.
Restore all settings
Protection and verification
A prerequisite for the stable operation of your PC is the presence of anti-virus programs. 
Moreover, they should not conflict with each other. Be sure to check their compatibility before installing software. Do constant scanning not in fast modes, and remove any viruses or spyware found. The first sign of poor security is that the system freezes.
After starting the system, icons disappeared from the Windows 7, 8 desktop, a fairly common situation. Depending on the situation, the shortcuts disappear partially or completely. The ways to solve problems are multifaceted. You may observe the following situations:
- Some shortcuts have disappeared from the desktop, but the rest are still there.
- All icons are gone, but you can see the taskbar.
- Icons and other elements are not displayed (only or a black screen is visible).
In the first case, they mostly disappear system icons, such as the recycle bin, my computer and others, read more about restoring system shortcuts for the “recycle bin”, for “my computer”. All other cases of icons disappearing can be attributed to the shortcut display settings and problems with launching the file GUI.
Enable display of desktop shortcuts
If all the shortcuts on the desktop have disappeared, but the icon is displayed and functioning, check for the presence of icons in the user's Desktop folder. Launch “My Computer” from Start or from the taskbar. On the left, select “desktop”, if all the icons are there, then the problem is over.
Right-click (where there are no icons) on the desktop, in the menu, hover over “view”, select the option to show desktop icons so that they appear again. The folks at Microsoft came up with this clever idea to clean up your desktop.
If there are no shortcuts in the Desktop directory and the display option is enabled, then the icons have been moved or deleted due to user actions or a virus attack. The first option is unlikely, although the second is more common. Do a system restore, scan your PC for viruses so that this situation does not happen in the future.
Troubleshooting Explorer.exe file issues
The file explorer.exe, which is located in Windows folder. If, after starting your PC, your Windows 7, 8 desktop has disappeared, it means that the graphical interface file did not start with the system. Most likely the effect of a virus is observed. To resolve problems, follow one or a set of steps below.
1. You can manually make the explorer.exe process work. , click "file" in top menu, then “new task (execute)”. In the input field, enter explorer.exe, click OK. This way you can restore your Windows 7, 8 desktop within this session to easily troubleshoot problems. After manual start GUI, scan the OS antivirus program With latest update bases
Note: not uncommon malware blocks the task manager. The result will be a notification " ".
2. Without starting explorer manually, you can. If the desktop loads completely, it means something is preventing it from functioning normally. Scan Windows with antivirus software.
3. The graphical interface file is launched automatically through the corresponding registry branch. When the system is infected with a virus of a certain type, then the path to the executable file of the virus software (often located in) is written in the registry in place of the explorer.exe value. If Windows 7, 8 shortcuts have disappeared on your desktop, follow the steps below.
You will need , 8 and go to the Winlogon section (see the image below for the full path). IN right side registry, pay attention to the Shell parameter, the value explorer.exe should be set there. If the path to the executable file of the virus is written there, double-click Shell, in the “value” field, delete the unnecessary ones and write explorer.exe. Next, click OK, but take your time to close the registry.
The virus can take root deep into the registry. Select the name of the malware executable file and copy it. Press Ctrl + F and paste the copied name into the “find” field. Check all the options (see screenshot), then click “find next”. If the name of the virus is found, correct it everywhere. Close the registry windows and restart your computer.
4. Sometimes explorer.exe is modified or damaged, to restore the desktop on Windows 7, 8 and the GUI command (cmd) check system files will help. You need to enter the command:
5. Perform a system restore. The most popular problem solving tool in Windows, but not always. In difficult situations it may be turned off and not help you in any way.
Now you know why icons disappeared from the Windows 7, 8 desktop and how to restore them. First of all, it is recommended to check the setting for hiding shortcuts. Otherwise, use the methods to solve the problem with loading the graphical interface; as a rule, the methods work in a comprehensive manner.
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