Desktop Icons - Hide or Show

How to Hide or Show Desktop Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

This will show you how to easily hide or show all icons (ex: files, folders, shortcuts) on your desktop in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

OPTION ONE

Hide or Show Desktop Icons using the Desktop Context Menu

1. Right click or press and hold on a empty area of your desktop, then do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.

2. To Show All Desktop Icons
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on Show Desktop Icons to check it. (See screenshot below step 3)
3. To Hide All Desktop Icons
A) Click/tap on Show Desktop Icons to uncheck it. (See screenshot below)

B) Save your current theme in Windows 7 or Windows 8 to help prevent these settings from being reset after you log off and on, or restart the computer.

OPTION TWO

Hide or Show Desktop Icons using a BAT File Download

1. To Show All Desktop Icons
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
Show_Desktop_Icons.bat


Download


2. To Hide All Desktop Icons
A) Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below, and go to step 3 below.
Hide_Desktop_Icons.bat

Download


3. Save the .bat file to another location other than your desktop, and run it.
NOTE: It would be hard to see the .bat file on your desktop if already set to hide.

4. If prompted, click/tap on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

5. You will now notice a command prompt quickly open and close, and your screen flash while applying the changes to your registry and restarting explorer.

6. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file(s) if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Hide or Show Desktop Gadgets in Windows 7
• How to Hide a Folder or Shortcut Icon in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Turn Aero Peek On or Off in Windows 7
• How to Use Show Desktop in Windows 7
• How to Add or Remove a Default Desktop Icon in Windows 7
• How to Create a "Desktop Icon Settings" Shortcut in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Allow or Prevent the Windows 7 Recycle Bin Icon to Display
• How to Easily Change the Windows Desktop Icons Size
• How to Turn Drop Shadows On or Off for Desktop Icons
• How to "Hide file names" of Files in Picture and Video Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• Hide or Show File Names of Shortcuts and Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Create a "Internet Explorer" Desktop Icon in Windows 7

 

[docachmed]

when my computer restarts, the icons come back. why? i want them out of my screen in and out windows.

 

[Brink]

Hello Doc Achmed,

Did you make any changes to the theme?

Try setting the icons how you want them as hidden, then save your current theme to see if that may stop this.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[aem]

Hide Desktop Icons - via Regsitry

   Information

Ever wanted to wonder off and not needing to lockscreen? Or using multiple monitors, but want to show your beautiful wallpaper but can't when you lockscreen? You're want is now realised with this simple registry add-on.

   Note

Remember this tutorial, if you want to get things back to normal again

Steps:

1) Click Start > type regedit in the search box and hit Enter to bring up the registry editor.

2) Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies > Explorer

3) On the right hand pane, right-click and New > Binary Value. Name the key as "NoDesktop" and add in the value of "01 00 00 00". See attachements.

4) No need to restart pc, logoff and on again is fine, for it to take effect.

   Note

You may need to auto-hide your taskbar also to have that total stealth look. To do this just right-click taskbar > Properties > and tick "Auto-Hide the taskbar", like so.

   Information

If you want to revert this effect, just go back and delete this registry key.

Happy stealthing.

 

[Zardoc]

Hello Doc Achmed,

Did you make any changes to the theme?

Try setting the icons how you want them as hidden, then save your current theme to see if that may stop this.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hit it on the nose Brink.

I disabled the feature in registry and the icons came back. Saved the theme and it worked.


Laptops, full of useless toys
Nice going bro.

 

[Brink]

That's great news Zardoc. I'll add a note in the tutorial for this.

 

[bratboy1]

Is there a way to make an icon/shortcut to hide/show gadgets? Like way you can make one to call 3D Flip? C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe DwmApi #105

 

[Zardoc]

That's great news Zardoc. I'll add a note in the tutorial for this.

Hey Brink,

It isn't as great as I thought. After 2 or 3 reboots, the icons come back. This seems to be a common problem with laptops and I have also seen this happen with PGP shortcuts to desktop that vanish after a few reboots.

It's hard to repro since it doesn't happen every time.

I can't get my hand on what would cause a reg hack to re-activate itself.

I'll keep looking.

 

[Brink]

Do you have any included OEM software (ex: dock or toggle key pop-ups) common to laptops running that may be interfering with it?

 

[Zardoc]

No Brink, none of that (at least that I have seen)


OK I've tried a fix and it works.

Brink, if you want to modify your tutorial on desktop icons and add (force hide of desktop icons)

One thing that doesn't work (well not like one would want) is to use the Local Group Policy Editor. If you go to user configuration/Administrative Tasks/Desktop and enable ''Hide and disable all items on desktop'' it will keep icons hidden (won't affect Gadgets) but you will loose right click menu on desktop. So that's a no go.

Here is the fix based on 2 different registry commands. One exits (the one that will change the reg key when you right click on desktop and disable desktop icons) and the other you may need to create (it's the one that Aem talks about above to unlock double screen saver but gives the same result for hiding icons also). One won't work without the other.

Here is the simple way. First hide desktop icons (as shown in basic tutorial)

Open Notepad and paste this command and save as HideDesktopIcons.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideIcons"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"NoDesktop"=dword:00000001

Double click to activate. Log off and back on. Should be fine.

 

[Brink]

Zardoc,

The registry entry for only hiding the desktop icons is this instead to have the right click still work on the desktop. Have you tried it without the "NoDesktop" entry instead?

Hide:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideIcons"=dword:00000001

Unhide:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideIcons"=dword:00000000

(Log off and on to apply)

 

[Zardoc]

Hi Brink,

I tested this a better of late last night and this morning. Yes, I know the reg tweak for the right click desktop command to remove icons is the one you give and the one I posted in first of 2 tweaks. It's been like that since Win 95 I think?

Now the second command did not work like I expected. It took a few reboots to notice that it actually does the same thing as the Local Group Policy Editor to hide all desktop items. Basically it also disables right click context menu.

So what I thought might be the issue, is a conflict between user and machine. I applied a different reg tweak and I can say for sure after 10 reboots the issue has gone.

Here is the simple tweak. Paste in Note pad and save as HideDesktopIcons.reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideIcons"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"HideIcons"=dword:00000001

Double click file. Reboot to apply.

It seems that this hack bugs when you log off. If you restart, it always works. I think this is the repro for the problem.


Even if this hack works, this still shows without a doubt that there is an issue with desktop icon settings.

 

[Brink]

That's great news Zardock. I have updated the tutorial for this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=50801&stc=1&d=1264793555

 

[Zardoc]

Since there is a repro, I will post this issue in SP1 beta.

Thanks Brink.

 

[eeric]

Thank you!

Just letting you guys know. I installed Windows 7 a few days ago (love it so far) and thanks to this Forum I not only got the Desktop looking the way I wanted, but system runs faster and so much smoother.

THANK YOU ALL

Ohhh.... GO SAINTS!

Eric

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Eric from all of us, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[Flopo79]

ieii awesome
i hate desktop icons x)

 

[l0w33ji]

Saving the theme doesn't work for me. The icons still show up after reboot and when connecting/disconnecting to power. I don't want to mess with my registry like option 2, are there any alternative solution for this?

 

[Brink]

Hello l0w33ji, and welcome to Seven Forums.

As a test, create a new administrator account to see if they work properly in it.

 

[l0w33ji]

Made new admin account, saved the theme, reboot 2x, they still show up.