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I'm trying to remove some "special" icons from showing in Windows 10's Desktop Folder (note: not the Desktop View). There is a similar question (Unable to remove/hide icons from desktop folder), but the answer is incomplete - it only provides a way to remove 3 of the icons (Homegroup, Network, and Library), but omits a solution for Control Panel, This PC, and the User's folder.

Some notes:

  • To reproduce, hit Win+E to open an Explorer window, then navigate back/up until you get to the desktop, like: enter image description here

  • If I attempt to delete i.e. Control Panel from this window, it prompts "Are you sure you want to delete these icons from your desktop? To restore it later, go to Personalization in Control Panel." Confirming the deletion does nothing.

  • All of these items are already unchecked under Personalization->Themes->Desktop Icon Settings (and all of the items are not shown on the Desktop View - again, this question is about the Desktop Folder, not the Desktop View).

  • If you're wondering why this matters: I navigate extensively via the keyboard, where hitting the letter that begins the name of a file/folder highlights it in the current window. These unused/unwanted clutter-icons often result in navigating to the wrong folder accidentally - i.e. I'm working in Win Explorer, I back up to the desktop, and want to enter a folder like "Cloud" - so I hit "C,Enter." Which causes it to go to Control Panel (which doesn't even come before Cloud alphabetically - Windows just sticks this & all the other 'special' icons at the top of the list, out of alphabetical order).

Thanks for your help!

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  • The desktop folder is a special folder, and these icons are too. You cannot delete them, but you can hide them. I can't remember where in Settings you can select what icons to show on the desktop though, that's why this is a comment, not an answer.
    – LPChip
    Commented Oct 29, 2019 at 12:47
  • You're probably thinking of Personalization->Themes->Desktop Icon Settings. Per above, they're already disabled there - it only affects the Desktop View, not the Desktop Folder.
    – J23
    Commented Oct 29, 2019 at 12:50
  • You could be right. I don't think you can change what icons appear there. But I bet it is possible to get a workaround for what you're trying to do. Such as opening Explorer in a different folder. Though you can't get that to work if you use WIN+E. But you can mark folders as favorite and get them at the top. Keep in mind, that although this is called desktop, it is actually the root folder.
    – LPChip
    Commented Oct 29, 2019 at 12:53
  • It is possible, @Metal450 , to completely clean both the "Desktop View" and the "Desktop Folder". It is working in our current Software Installation, For Great Success. We do not know really how come that it is really working, but it is.
    – user1018743
    Commented Oct 29, 2019 at 13:32
  • @LPChip - actually it's not the root folder - it lives down under a folder like this: C:\Users\user\Desktop. It's a special case folder in Windows Explorer, as has been noted. As for a workaround solution - I would suggest creating a folder with a name like AAA and place all the working files & folders there. At the Desktop it is easy to get to it via keyboard ("aaa<enter>") and then it's easy to navigate to the desired object (e.g., file, folder, shortcut) with the keyboard. Unlike Desktop, the AAA folder won't get any special treatment from Windows so will behave as desired.
    – yosh m
    Commented Oct 29, 2019 at 14:16

1 Answer 1

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The quest for obtaining a clean desktop has been a long one, indeed, for most of us. It has started with a simple question that is pointing precisely to some simple settings that are just removing all of the desktop icons.

The settings for removing desktop icons

As if it were that simple. The removal of other desktop icons, for instance temporary folder desktop icons such as the one produced by the Backup and Sync from Google Static Software Application, has been described in this question. With no work-around at hand, basically the solution of that question has been the uninstallation of the Backup and Sync from Google Static Software Application that has produced the discontinuation of the maintenance of its temporary folder desktop icon.

The result has been a nice empty green desktop view, as it happens to be called. Please note that the Task Bar is set to automatically hide itself after a certain delay.

The empty desktop view

This is indeed a great victory in our quest.

Now, for some unknown reason, the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system has the tendency of crashing from time to time. This has some good side-effects. Each clean reinstallation procedure brings new and exciting features into the world of the personal computer super user.

In the latest version of the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, some things appear to be changed.

The latest version of the _Microsoft_ _Windows_ **10** operating system

For some unknown reason, the desktop folder does not reside any longer inside the user home folder.

Some items inside the user home folder

A reactionary change indeed. Paths such as C:\Users\DOBRE\Desktop\ are not available anymore.

Instead, the OneDrive folder contains the desktop folder now.

The _OneDrive_ folder containing the desktop folder

In an amazing turn of events, the Microsoft corporation has decided to turn toward paths such as C:\Users\DOBRE\OneDrive\Desktop\ that are really opening new visions for all of us.

And this is how we have got to have yet another clean and relaxing desktop folder, with nothing else inside of it.

The clean and empty desktop view

So the answer to this question is the performing of yet another clean reinstallation procedure.

Edit: Just to keep it nice and clean, we have also performed the same kind of regular settings that were needed in order to clear the Home Screens of our Google Android Software Installations.

The Tablet Personal Computer is still running the Google Android Oreo Operating System.

The Tablet Personal Computer Home Screen

The SmartPhone is running the Google Android Pie Operating System.

The SmartPhone Home Screen

Even though they are different Operating Systems, the nice white button with its six blue solid disks on it of the Microsoft Google Android Launcher Mobile Software Application is nicely mimicking the Start button of the Microsoft Windows Operating System.

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  • Interesting that it does that with OneDrive enabled. However, I do not use OneDrive (or any of Microsoft's cloud features) - thus this is not really a solution in my case. I seek only to hide/disable those folders from my local machine, but not at the cost of allowing Microsoft to sync all my data to themselves...
    – J23
    Commented Nov 2, 2019 at 7:42
  • Thanks, @Ramhound, for the correction. The MicroSoft Version of the Corporation Name came from the ancient use of the M.S.-D.O.S. Acronym that is the shorthand for the Microsoft-Disk Operating System. Good catch indeed!
    – user1018743
    Commented Nov 4, 2019 at 14:59

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