Windows 10: System icons on desktop do not work

(Please note recent post DVD drive behaving oddly - Windows 10 Forums)

I usually have Recycle Bin icon on the desktop. Yesterday it stopped working. Clicking on it did nothing. But its context menu came up ok. I created a new Icon by finding the address and it works. As a check I enabled This PC and Control Panel icons and they appeared on the desktop. But they, too, will not work. All other icons work as they should.

It's not that I can't work around this issue. But it is symptomatic of Something Wrong. So my questions are: What's wrong? and How do I fix it?.

I tried Safe Mode and ran Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:wim:E:\Sources\Install.esd:1. No change.

Perhaps I should reinstall Windows, but anything else?

:)

 

Desktop Icons do not work.

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft community.

I understand your inconvenience and we will surely help you to resolve the issue.

Please answer the below question to resolve your issue.

1. What icons are you trying to open?

2. If issue is specific with all desktop icon?

3. Go to all Apps and check if you can open the applications?

Please follow the below methods to resolve the issue:

Method 1: Perform System File Check (SFC), and then check if this fixes the issue.

Follow the steps:

SFC scan:

1. Press Windows logo + X.

2. Select command prompt admin.

3. Type ‘sfc /scannow’ (without quotes) and press enter.

4. Restart your computer.

Refer link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929833

Method 2: Perform DISM and check it helps.

I suggest you to run the System update readiness command. It detects incorrect manifests, cabinets or registry data, it may replace the incorrect data with corrected version available. Follow the steps.

1. Press Windows key + X.

2. Click command prompt (Run as administrator).

3. In the Administrator: Command Prompt window, type the following commands. Press Enter key after each command:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

To close the Administrator: Command prompt window, type Exit, and then press
Enter.



Hope this helps to resolve the issue. Please revert for any clarification on this or any Windows issue. We will be glad to help you.

 

Desktop Icons do not work.

Thank you for your speedy reply. As I sat musing over the problem, I decided to check the updates. I updated what was suggested, restarted the computer and every icon on the desktop worked. It is hard for me to imaging that the problem was solved so
simply. I will , however, keep your directions incase the problem arises again. Thank you.

 

I would, but not the clean install you seem to be assuming is your only option. I would try an in-place repair upgrade. This keeps all your files, installed apps and most of your settings.

Repair Install Windows 10 with an In-place Upgrade

 

I bear good tidings: selected a restore point at the 5th of this month and after an hour the PC is working as expected, including desktop icons and myriad other small peculiarities. This time I'll be really careful about what I download.

PS I'm bookmarking the suggested repair url.

 

Not sure how to fix this problem windows explorer not working at all most of my short-cuts aren't working.
linked a page i got saying "manifest is damaged" no idea what going on will try restore to day see what is happening coz it happening alot lately. only had windows 10 in for 3 days now.

sfcdetails.txt (file://DESKTOP-E2JG1BA/Users/nozi2/Desktop/sfcdetails.txt)

see if i link it right.