Windows 10: old desktop icons reappered - can't delete

I have a load of old shorcuts reappered on my desktop, they are not clickable so can't delete them & they are also not appearing in my desktop folder, i have tried to delete the thumbnail cache but had no luck, how can i get rid of theses?

:)

 

USB External Drive shortcut icons showing on Desktop screen

Old title: USB External Drive icons on Desktop

Just upgraded Win7 Pro to Win 10 Pro and find that I now have a dozen shortcut icons for External USB Drives on my Desktop that were not there before and I can't delete them. How do I get rid of this clutter?

 

How to permanently remove Windows 10 Update Assistance?

Out of nowhere a "Windows 10 Update Assistant" icon showed up on my desktop. Then I went to Programs and Features and uninstalled it but all of a sudden it reappered and it reapperas any time I uninstall it again. Microsoft, how do I permanently remove
this program and make sure it never shows up again?

 

Hi, do you get an error message when you try to delete them?

Check both
C:\Users\<your user name>\Desktop
and
C:\Users\Public\Desktop
as the display is comprised of both of these.
You should be able to add/delete/create files and folders in both however.

If you right click on these shortcuts, Properties, General tab, what do you see as the Location?

Once you know where they are, if you have permissions problems deleting them, you can delete them by:
a. Downloading and installing FileAssassin - freeware.
If this works, this is perhaps simplest.

b.
- booting from a windows installation medium
- navigate to a command prompt
- at the command prompt navigate to where the shortcuts are
- delete them

To do this you should have some confidence using the command prompt in this scenario.
c.
Otherwise use a live boot CD which you can find and download (free).

 

i cannot right click them, it is almost as if they are not actually there but i can see them, they do not appear in either of the desktop folders.

 

Are they perhaps part of the background picture?
Somebody may played with you... Just change desktop background for test.

 

Wow, i feel like a complete idiot now , spent the best part of 2 hours trying to fix this. Well this is the last time my cousin get to "borrow my laptop" *Devil

 

*chuckle Tell him he owes tenforums a £10 consultation fee or equivalent. Make it sound good. Watch his expression.

 

Hey, great you solved your problem. At the end you have some fun! *Smile