Show or Hide This PC, User Files, Network, Recycle Bin, Control Panel icons on Windows desktop

You might have tried hiding all the desktop icons in your Windows 11 computer. Simply right-click in the empty space on your desktop and go to View > Show desktop icons. This will hide all the desktop icons. In this post, we will talk about how to show or hide common icons on the desktop in Windows 11. The common desktop icons include This PC, User’s Files, Network, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel. This method will be useful for you in case you want to hide any of these common icons from your desktop.

Show or Hide This PC, User Files, Network, Recycle Bin, Control Panel icons on Windows desktop

Show or hide common system icons on Windows 11 desktop

The following instructions will help you show or hide common icons on the desktop in Windows 11:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Go to “Personalization > Themes.”
3. On the Themes page, scroll down and click on the Desktop icon settings tab.
4. You will find this tab in the Related settings section.
5. Once the Desktop icon settings popup window appears, select or deselect the common desktop icons that you want to show or hide.
6. Click Apply and then OK.

How do I put icons on my Desktop in Windows 11?

By default, most programs create a shortcut icon on the desktop when you install them. But in some programs, you have to do this manually while installing them by enabling the checkbox that says create a shortcut on the desktop. If you forget to select the checkbox to create a desktop shortcut for a particular program, you have to create it manually.

The following steps will help you put icons on your desktop in Windows 11:

1. Click on the Start Menu.
2. Click All apps and locate your app or program in the list.
3. Once you find your program, right-click on it and go to “More > Open file location.” This will open the installation directory of the program, where you will find the executable file.
4. Now, right-click on the executable file and click Show more options. Now, go to “Send to > Desktop (Create shortcut). This will create an icon on your desktop for that program or app.

How do you arrange the icons by name?

When it comes to arranging the desktop icons, you can sort them by:

• Name
• Size
• Item type
• Date modified

If you want to arrange the desktop icons by name (in alphabetical order), right-click in the empty space on your desktop and go to “Sort by > Name.” Repeat this step one more time to reverse your action.

Related: How to Unhide or Hide Desktop icons in Windows 11.

How to remove Recycle Bin from Desktop in Windows 11?

To remove Recycle Bin from Desktop, open Settings > Personalization > Themes and scroll down, and click on the Desktop icon settings tab. You will find this tab in the Related settings section. Once the Desktop icon settings popup window appears unselect the Recycle Bin checkbox and click Apply/OK.

How do I put an app on my desktop?

To create a desktop shortcut for an app or software, you have to open its installation location. After that, you can send the executable file to the desktop. This creates a desktop icon for that software. Above, we have explained how to open the installation folder of a particular program. But when it comes to putting a UWP app on the desktop, the process to open its installation location is different.

After opening the default installation location of the Windows Store apps, you can easily create a desktop shortcut for that app.

I hope this helps.