How to Enable/Disable the desktop Icons on Windows 8 ?

Enable or Disable the desktop Icons on Windows 8 – will show you how can you hide or delete all the available icons on desktop and at the time of requirement you will restore it back to desktop of Windows 8. The icons will be shown on desktop. The desktop icons (Short Cut Icons) are the collection of system Icons (Recycle Bin, Computer, Control Panel, Network) and other shortcuts icon for file/ folder or program. You can delete or restore the Icons on desktop at any time. it will solve the problem of desktop icon not showing for Windows 8.

The system Icons available on the desktop are Recycle Bin, Computer, Control Panel, Network. You can also create shortcut for a File or Folder to the desktop. You can delete the Icons from the desktop at any time. Deleting a Shortcut icon will not delete the original file. But If you put a file/Folder on the desktop and delete that then it will be deleted.

Enable/Disable System icons on the desktop of Windows 8

1. Open Windows Personalization Setting.
Go to Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Personalization or Right Click on the empty space of desktop and Choose “Personalize“.
2. On the left side bar click on “Change Desktop Icon”

or Search “Desktop Icon” on the start screen of Windows 8 and filter the search as “Setting” and Choose “Show or Hide Common Icons on the Desktop“,
3. It will open the “Desktop Icon Setting” window.

4. Under “Desktop Icons” tab you will get the list of available system icons for the desktop. You will get Recycle Bin, Computer, Control Panel, Network and User profile icon for hide or show on the desktop.
5. Just tick on the check boxes whose icon you want to see on the desktop and leave blank whose icon you don’t want to see on the desktop.
6. Click on “Apply” to save the changes. Then Click on “OK” and Close all the open Windows
7. That is it.

Note: You can also customize the default System Icons by Choosing “Change Icon” option on the “Desktop Icon Setting” Window. To change the desktop Icons according to theme just tick on the Check box “Allow themes to Change desktop Icon” otherwise leave it blank.

Hide/Show the General Shortcut Icons on the desktop of Windows 8

To create a shortcut icon for file/folder or any application on the desktop of Windows 8; Just Right Click of mouse on that file or folder and Choose “Send to” -> Desktop (Create shortcut). A shortcut for the same will be created on the desktop of Windows 8. To hide those icons, just delete that icon from the desktop of Windows 8 and that icon will not be visible on the desktop.