# Problem: Windows 11, Doesn't Show Desktop Icons nor Programs Running **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002 "2023-05-13T21:23:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/1 "2023-05-13T21:23:15Z")
My Dell 7040 Windows 11 desktop computer was running fine when I turned it off yesterday, but I have problems today. The monitor shows the wallpaper and taskbar but no desktop icons. Hovering over a button for a program on the taskbar which has been opened will show a thumbnail of the program as it should be, but it won’t fill the monitor screen. If I access this desktop via Windows remote desktop everything is working fine. Restarting didn’t do any good [a couple times I got totally blank screens]. Any thoughts? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/2 "2023-05-13T22:07:47Z")
Try: right click on desktop \> click on view \> click on show desktop icons. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/3 "2023-05-13T22:27:28Z")
It already had the checkmark. I unchecked on it: no change. I checked on it again: no change. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/4 "2023-05-13T22:53:25Z")
Sorry, can’t help. I tried to upgrade my Win10 desktop to Win11 last month, and it was so wonky and messed up that I backed out of it and downgraded back to Win10. Nope. Not ready for prime time. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/5 "2023-05-13T22:55:15Z")
I just found [this from Make Use of](https://www.makeuseof.com/windows-11-missing-desktop-icons/): > 8 Ways to Restore Missing Desktop Icons on Windows 11 Let me know if any of them work. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/6 "2023-05-14T02:32:30Z")
Working now. Random glitch? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/7 "2023-05-14T02:41:04Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > Working now. Random glitch? A similar thing happened on my laptop yesterday. I had had it in sleep mode and when I started it again, there was only the wallpaper there. No task bar, no icons. Rebooting fixed it for me, though. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2023, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/problem-windows-11-doesnt-show-desktop-icons-nor-programs-running/984002/8 "2023-05-14T07:26:41Z")
I had that happen several times in Windows 10 (or earlier). Killing the explorer.exe process in task manager always fixed this problem without needing to reboot.