Windows 10: Half of my apps have disappeared from my desktop

Yesterday, I decided to attempt creating a second user on my Windows 10 pc for a family member to use. I only installed google chrome onto the desktop, then signed out and returned to my account. I continued using it for the rest of the day, and then again this morning with no issues. I turned off the pc and left for the day.


When I returned to my pc tonight, I found that half of my desktop icons are missing. Not just shortcuts, but the actual exe. files for game launchers and such are no longer on my desktop. I can still find them through the search bar, and they launch properly, but this is still a strange issue and rather annoying. What did I do that could have caused this, and what is a quick way to get my icons back? even if it requires manually searching and replacing each icon


The issue could not be "hide icons" or "show icons", because only some are missing. It seems that shortcuts are the only icons which remain, because my Steam game shortcuts are still here while the icon for Steam itself is not. Same goes for the Blizzard launcher, a few games, and the programs which I use for my mouse and keyboard.

:)

 

App list flash then disappear

strange! When browse app list in the store, scroll down the list, some more app flash for half second then disappear. Pls help.

 

The 'Photos' app for photo viewing has disappeared.

I do not understand this, when I returned to the PC later today my original settings had returned to the start screen, including one other tile which I had also lost but had not yet re-instated. Also the original list of 'All apps' had returned to the start
screen, including 'Photos'. There is nothing that I am aware of having done that should have caused the original disappearance of some apps from the 'All apps' list and their associated tiles, or that could have caused them to return.

It has therefore been unnecessary to follow your suggested steps, though I have done so anyway and it works as suggested. Note that I had followed your steps 1 & 2 earlier which is why I knew 'Photos' had not disappeared from the PC but was simply not
visible on the 'All apps' list and hence my inability to re-pin the tile.

Thank you for your reply and understanding my frustration.

 

Desktop icons disappear in lower half of screen

What do you use to get this group of icons at the top of the screen?





Maybe it is interfering with displaying the desktop icons? Tried turning it off?