Windows 10: Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons in Windows

How to: Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons in Windows

How to Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons in Windows


Windows includes the common This PC, User's Files, Network, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel shortcuts that you can add or remove as icons on your desktop.

By default, users can use the Desktop Icon Settings dialog to show, hide, or change the desktop icons.

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable changing desktop icons for specific or all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable changing desktop icons.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Two: Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons for All Users using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Changing desktop icons enabled and disabled











OPTION ONE [/i] Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons in Local Group Policy Editor

*note In Windows 7, the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 8, the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Pro and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 10, the Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two.
1. Open the all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor for how you want this policy applied.

2. In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click/tap on to expand User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Control Panel, and Personalization. (See screenshot below)



3. In the right pane of Personalization, double click/tap on the Prevent changing desktop icons policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (enable) or step 6 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Enable Changing Desktop Icons
A) Select (dot) either Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

*note Not Configured is the default setting.

6. To Disable Changing Desktop Icons
A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




7. When finished, you can close Local Group Policy Editor if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Icons for All Users using a REG file

*note The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry keys below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

NoDispBackgroundPage DWORD

(delete) = Enable
1 = Disable

1. Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Enable Changing Desktop Icons for All Users
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Enable_changing_desktop_icons.reg

Download

3. To Disable Changing Desktop Icons for All Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Disable_changing_desktop_icons.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You could now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Add or Remove Common Desktop Icons in Windows 10
• How to Create Desktop Icon Settings Shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Allow or Prevent Themes to Change Desktop Icons in Windows 10

:)

 

Windows vista x64 computer icon always changing

what icons are you referring to?
In the Windows Explorer list or desktop?

 

Remove Linux Desktop Icons

I am not sure whether this will work (Ubuntu does not have icons like that on the desktop by default), but I suggest opening the trash bin and sweeping the icons into the window showing the trash bin.

 

Desktop Icons

Hello Charles,

For us to better assist you, we'd like to know the following:

• Confirm which build is currently installed on your device. To check, follow the steps below:

• Press Windows key + R, then type in winver.
• Click OK.

• Were there any recent changes made prior to this issue?
• Are you using any 3rd-party antivirus software?
• Check if the Auto arrange icons is enabled, refer to the steps below:

• Right-click on your Desktop, hover your mouse cursor to View.
• Click on Auto arrange icons to disable the feature.

• Kindly send us a screenshot of your Desktop icons.

We look forward to your response.

Regards.

 

Cannot change desktop icon

Sometimes a desktop icon changes from what it was to a plain white folder. Might be something I did but not sure what.

To change it to the icon I want, I go:

1. Rt-click icon > Properties > Change icon
2. I select the icon I want from the thumbnails of icons.
3. Click OK
4. Click Apply

But the icon does not change. It just stays looking like a white folder.
HOWEVER, if I pin the icon to the taskbar, the icon on the taskbar does look like the icon I selected in step-2. So the change is registered with Win10 but the icon on the desktop just doesn't change.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

 

How to prevent desktop icons from changing positions

Hi Stephen,

There are various reasons why you're experiencing the issue. Let us isolate your concern by enabling the
Auto arrange icons option, and then disabling it to see if the issue will persist. To do this follow these steps:

• Go to the Desktop screen, and then right click anywhere.
• Hover your mouse on View.
• Select Auto arrange icons.
• Restart the computer.
• After restarting the computer, check if your Desktop icons are still in the right position after clicking the
  Auto arrange icons option.
• If your Desktop icons are in the right position, repeat steps 1-3 to disable the
  Auto arrange icons option.
  
• Customize the position of your Desktop icons.
• Restart the computer.
• After restarting the computer, check if the issue will occur.

We'll be waiting for your response.