Windows 10: Desktop view has become the view of a folder

Running windows 10 for several months but only recently the main desktop view when computer comes onhas acquired the look of a folder only with the normal desktop colors. That is, there is white band across the topwith such things as

`| name | Size | Item Type | Date modified |'
With columns under the headings shown. I must have inadvertently hit some kind of setting or other. I hope this forum allows attachments as I am attaching a small screen shot of just a chunk of my desktop that shows the stuff I described above.

I hope someone recognizes what has happened

:)

 

Text automatically adjusting

No matter what the settings are about mobile vs desktop the mobile site will always open, this site has a reasonable sized text, if you scroll to the bottom of the page and click desktop site this will open the desktop view when you click on an article
in this view, and double click the text it will become a reasonable size to read.

 

Not All Desktop Items Seen in File Explorer

This is likely because of using Quick Access or This PC view in Explorer.

On the View Tab choose All Folders so you see your User folder instead of This PC, which has the actual Desktop user folder (also known as the shell folder) instead of the quick view which doesn't always include System icons.

 

That view you are seeing can be invoked with Ctrl+Shift+6 while mouse focus is on the desktop.
Right click on the desktop and choose your default view.

Change Folder View Layout in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

 

Thanks for the help.
But something is still screwy here. Under the right click menu the item to show desktop icons appears to be
what is causing this.

If I right click as directed and un-check `show desktop icons'.. then there is not an icon to be seen, But up until a few days ago I had desktop icons but did not have the folder looking view I posted about. if I choose to check `show desktop icons' then I have icons but also the column nonsense ... Is there not something in between where you can see desktop icons but not the folder view, columns and such?
Until very recently I had such a view, icons but no folder columns. Is this the result of a recent change.

 

It appears to have lost the properties that mark it out as a special folder to be displayed differently from any other. Amongst other things, these properties give the Desktop folder a special folder icon in File Explorer, one with a blue desktop on it. If the folder looks like all the others in File Explorer then this would tend to confirm the diagnosis.

Have you moved your Desktop folder (or your personal folder) recently? If so, restoring the default location may reset its properties.
Desktop Folder - Move Location in Windows 10
Users Personal Folders - Restore Default Location in Windows 10

 

Right click on your Desktop and choose another view:

 

The destop folder viewed in file explorer still shows the blue rectangle]

No, haven't ever moved it.
Can you think of any other ways I may have mangled things enough to cause loss of those properties?

 

Being curious I tried Ctrl+Shift+6 and got the exact look @hput3 showed in his initial post.
I then selected View / Medium icons and got a normal desktop with all icons on the left. I then had DesktopOK restore my icon layout and I thought all was well.

Unfortunately, now every once in a while (have not tried to figure out the lenght of time yet) all the icons get smushed back to the left side again and I need to have DesktopOK put them back.

I'd like to figure out what is causing this. Anyone have any ideas?

Edit: Not sure but it may have been caused by selecting Medium icons instead of Small icons which is what I normally use.

 

Nope, that wasn't the cause. It's whenever the Desktop refreshes or if I right click on the Desktop and select Refresh, the icons all go to the left.

Any idea how to fix this?

Edit: now it just happened for no visible reason. No refresh or anything, icons just jumped to the left.

This has to have been caused by doing the Ctrl+Shift+6 but I can't figure out what happened. The Desktop still appears to be a Desktop folder, not just a normal folder and I have view set to Medium again. The problem did occur when I had it set as Small.

 

Maybe try to play with "Align icons to grid" option?

I would also try to logout and login and restart Windows Explorer.

 

Unfortunately I've tried all of those things. I think I'll try creating a new account and see if the problem show sup there or not.

BTW: This is not a new problem, been happening to people since Windows 8 from what I've seen doing Google searches. No definitive fix found yet other than reinstall, which I am not going to do. Maybe when the next major update (Win 10 Creator Edition) is release I'll reinstall if needed.

 

Strange, the problem has healed itself. Icons are staying put now and right click on Desktop and selecting Refresh does not cause them to move either.

No idea what happened but you can bet I wont press Ctrl+Shift+6 again *Smile

 

Here's the registry path to Desktop icons: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags\1\Desktop Maybe you'll find there anything useful.

Maybe create a second, virtual, desktop with the same set of icons to see it the problem persists.

PS
Sorry, I haven't noticed your previous post. By the way: thanks for the warning.

 

I'm sure I caused this because I do quite a lot of cntrl shift 6 commands working on Cisco Routers & Switches.

I fixed this by putting the mouse pointer directly on the desktop, right click, click on view and unchecked Show desktop icons. If you click Show desktop icons again it comes back. Click it again and it goes away.

Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 10 - Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials