Windows 10 failed install but left icons on desktop

[RaymondStevens]

My wife's pc still has 7. I disabled automatic updates a year ago when I built the machine. However, last week or thereabouts , a window appeared stating that the Windows 10 install failed, words to that effect. I didn't even try to figure why that happened so I just exited the window. Now I've discovered desktop icons that are on my 3 Win10 pc's are now on her Win7 pc. I never figured out how to network W10 pc's but I could see her Win7 pc from my W10 pc's and occasionally transferred files from my 10 pc to her 7 pc. So, I don't know how, but there seems to some connection that has caused these mysterious icons from my 10 desktop setup to appear on her 7 desktop setup.


My question is how do I get rid of these icons and whatever else Microsoft installed to her pc in their failed Win10 update. A system restore from an earlier point 5 days ago didn't fix the program. The restore point was labeled "Windows critical update". I figured that was about the time I got that error message about the failed 10 install but the restore didn't fix the problem. Is there anyway to fix this?


I tried just deleting the icons. Doesn't work. If I right click on the icon I get a context menu that would appear as if I right clicked on an empty spot on the desktop. I tried a utility called, "Unlocker". It doesn't see the icons. If I double click on the icon it does nothing. The Win 7 icon which is supposed to be on the desktop, e.g. "Recycle Bin" is still on the desktop and works but the Win10 version of the Recycle Bin is just mysteriously there and non functional and has no properties.

 

[iko22]

Hello, and welcome to the forum

So, do you want to upgrade the computer to Windows 10, or do you want to remove "windows 10" icons from your wifes computer?

If you want to upgrade the machine, then you'll probably have to update the windows 7 first.

If you want to remove these spurious "windows 10" icons, then I'd not seen that before. So, I need to ask, does these Win 10 icons appear on the desktop if the other Windows 10 machines were turned off, or disconnected from the network?

 

[RaymondStevens]

Hello, and welcome to the forum

So, do you want to upgrade the computer to Windows 10, or do you want to remove "windows 10" icons from your wifes computer?

If you want to upgrade the machine, then you'll probably have to update the windows 7 first.

If you want to remove these spurious "windows 10" icons, then I'd not seen that before. So, I need to ask, does these Win 10 icons appear on the desktop if the other Windows 10 machines were turned off, or disconnected from the network?

My wife doesn't want to update to 10. She just uses this pc to surf Facebook, Youtube and Amazon. Win7 works just fine for her needs.


Your third paragraph was the key. I disconnected the Win 7 pc from the network by disabling the WIFI and unplugging the ethernet cable. The icons are gone. I reconnected the network cable and the icons didn't return. Weird. But thanks for pointing me in the right direction.



My wife's pc has been on for almost a year and my 3 Win 10 pcs have been switched from 7 to 10 about the same time. Any suggestions on how to prevent this from happening again? I was thinking of just renaming her pc and thus disconnecting from Homegroup so those Win 10 computers don't mess with it. I don't need her machine networked anyway. And...THANK YOU.

 

[iko22]

You can turn off file sharing over a network in Network and Sharing Centre > Advanced sharing settings. Click on Turn off File and Printer Sharing. If the computer has more than one Network profile, then you may need to repeat the operation for each profile.

 

[RaymondStevens]

You can turn off file sharing over a network in Network and Sharing Centre > Advanced sharing settings. Click on Turn off File and Printer Sharing. If the computer has more than one Network profile, then you may need to repeat the operation for each profile.

Thank you. That sounds good. Much appreciated.