To put This PC on your Windows desktop, open Settings → Personalization → Themes → Desktop icon settings, select Computer, then choose Apply and OK. “Computer” is the checkbox that restores the icon named “This PC”; you do not need to install an app or edit the registry.
If every desktop icon has vanished, first right-click an empty area of the desktop and enable View → Show desktop icons. That display setting and the individual This PC checkbox solve different problems.
In this guide
Add the This PC icon in Windows 11
- Press Windows + I to open Settings.
- Choose Personalization → Themes.
- Open Desktop icon settings under the related settings area.
- Select Computer, then Apply → OK.
- Return to the desktop and open This PC to confirm it appears.
This follows Microsoft’s desktop-icon instructions. The option may sit lower on the Themes page depending on your window size. You can also search Settings for “desktop icon settings.” These are documentation-verified instructions; they have not been independently tested on a physical PC.
Restore This PC in Windows 10
Open Settings → Personalization → Themes → Desktop icon settings. Enable Computer and save with Apply → OK. The interface differs visually from Windows 11, but the checkbox serves the same purpose.
Windows 10’s general support ended on October 14, 2025. Restoring an icon does not change the operating system’s security-update status. See Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates information for current eligibility and coverage if you are still using Windows 10.
If This PC still does not appear
| What you see | Likely distinction | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| No icons anywhere on the desktop | The desktop may be hiding all icons | Right-click empty space and check View → Show desktop icons. |
| Other icons appear, but This PC does not | The individual system icon may be disabled | Reopen Desktop icon settings and confirm Computer remains selected. |
| Documents or app shortcuts disappeared after OneDrive changes | Personal desktop files differ from system icons | Inspect the Desktop folder and OneDrive backup status before moving or deleting files. |
| The option is unavailable or changes revert on a work PC | Organization policy may control personalization | Ask your IT administrator to check the policy; do not bypass it with registry edits. |
| The icon appears but File Explorer will not open | This is no longer an icon-visibility issue | Follow Microsoft’s File Explorer troubleshooting instead. |
Microsoft’s missing desktop icons guide separates hidden icons, system icons and OneDrive-backed desktop files. Treat missing personal files carefully: turning an icon on cannot recover a deleted document, and changing backup settings without checking the files can make the situation more confusing.
For an icon that opens nothing or an Explorer window that repeatedly crashes, use the official File Explorer repair guidance. Save other work before restarting or applying system repairs.
The system icon is different from a shortcut
The checkbox restores Windows’ built-in system icon. A shortcut you create manually is a separate file pointing to a destination. Both can provide access, but their properties and context menus need not match. Use the built-in setting when the goal is specifically to restore the familiar This PC icon.
You do not need seven competing methods for this task. Drag-and-drop behavior depends on where you drag from and which modifier keys are held; registry and PowerShell changes add unnecessary complexity for a setting Windows already exposes. If policy blocks the setting, a registry workaround is not an appropriate fix for an organization-managed computer.
Open File Explorer directly to This PC
If your goal is to see drives when File Explorer opens, you can change its starting location without adding another desktop icon. Open File Explorer with Windows + E, open Options from the menu or ribbon, and select This PC in Open File Explorer to. Choose Apply.
In Windows 11, Options is normally under the three-dot menu; Windows 10 uses its ribbon. Microsoft’s File Explorer guide explains the distinction between This PC and Home/Quick access. This preference changes the initial Explorer view, not where your files are stored.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the setting called Computer instead of This PC?
The Desktop Icon Settings dialog uses the checkbox label Computer for the built-in icon displayed as This PC. You do not need a separate This PC checkbox.
Does this require Windows Pro?
The normal Desktop icon settings route is available on Home editions as well. A work or school device can still have organization restrictions regardless of edition.
Will adding the icon move or delete my files?
No. Showing the system icon changes how you access the computer’s locations; it does not move your personal files or format a drive.
Do I need a registry cleaner or icon-repair app?
No. Start with the built-in settings and the specific troubleshooting steps above. Installing a cleaner is unnecessary for a hidden system icon.
Is My Computer a different application?
My Computer and This PC are names used for the computer view in different Windows generations. Searching for either phrase often leads to this same desktop-icon task.
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Desktop Icon Settings
Thank you!…. it worked