Cannot Remove Icons From Desktop - Vista Home Ver.

[stitchfancy]

I don't know how I managed it , but I have got icons on my desktop for Control Panel, IE, Network, Computer and a folder named Public.

In the start button I have done a right click on control panel, network & computer.  They have a check mark next to "show on desktop".  Nothing happens when I try to uncheck the item.

I have tried to delete these icons and they won't delete.

Can anyone help get these off my desktop?  I am running Vista Home Version.  Let me know if more information is needed.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Broni]

System Restore?

[stitchfancy]

System Restore?

Could you elaborate a bit and tell me why a System Restore would be in order?

[SuperDave]

System Restore would only work if you can go back to a date before you put those icons on your desktop. I can't figure out why you simply can't delete them by right-clicking them.

[stitchfancy]

System Restore would only work if you can go back to a date before you put those icons on your desktop. I can't figure out why you simply can't delete them by right-clicking them.

Well That makes two of us   That always worked before.

I did a system restore for just prior to the icons showing up - that didn't work so I reversed that and did another a few days further back - that didn't work either.  There was some kind of error message but I didn't make note of it. Maybe I should do it again to see what that was.

I deleted a trial copy of a software I plan on buying, because I read that some downloads can cause goofy things to happen - that didn't help either.  The last thing I did was a full scan and that only found a tracking cookie which I had removed but I've still got those icons on my desktop

Vista just will not let me remove those icons.  FYI the shortcuts are not a problem, I can delete them.

I gotta tell ya - this is really getting to me!

[Broni]

FYI the shortcuts are not a problem, I can delete them.

What shortcuts? Other, then those three?
What options do you have, when you right click on any of those three?
BTW, "Network", under Start menu, doesn't have "Show on desktop" option.

[patio]

The reason you cannot remove these is because they are "System Files" which Vista locks down a little tighter than in the past for security reasons.
There are paid programs that will do this.
If they bug you that much and that's an option post back and let us know...

[SuperDave]

I have Vista on my laptop and there's not one icon/shortcut that I can't delete. I've never seen any of those files. I just put Control Panel on my desktop and I can delete it with a right-click or remove it by removing the checkmark.

[Broni]

...and...

BTW, "Network", under Start menu, doesn't have "Show on desktop" option.

...so I don't know, how it got there.

[stitchfancy]

FYI the shortcuts are not a problem, I can delete them.

What shortcuts? Other, then those three?
What options do you have, when you right click on any of those three?
BTW, "Network", under Start menu, doesn't have "Show on desktop" option.

Actually there are 5 icons.

Options are: open, explore, browse with paint shop pro, create shortcut and delete (which doesn't work either!) some of them have additional options that wouldn't have anything to do with removing them from my desktop.

Yes, I am aware "Network"  under Start Menu doesn't have "Show on destop" option, but it is infact on my desktop and I cannot get it off.

The other shortcuts I referred to are actual shortcuts for software programs I have added.  They have that little arrow on them indicating a shortcut.

[stitchfancy]

The reason you cannot remove these is because they are "System Files" which Vista locks down a little tighter than in the past for security reasons.
There are paid programs that will do this.
If they bug you that much and that's an option post back and let us know...

Why would Vista "lock" these icons on my desktop?  They weren't there 2 days ago and I don't know what triggered them being placed there.  I have not had a problem removing items from my desktop in the past.

[stitchfancy]

I have Vista on my laptop and there's not one icon/shortcut that I can't delete. I've never seen any of those files. I just put Control Panel on my desktop and I can delete it with a right-click or remove it by removing the checkmark.

I have those same abilities, except for some reason Vista is not doing what it is supposed to do.

[Broni]

Try Unlocker: http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/
If it won't give you "Unlocker" option, when right clicking those desktop icons, open Windows Explorer, and navigate to "Desktop" folder, then right click on stubborn icons. Click "Unlocker". If simple "delete" through Unlocker won't work, it'll give you an option to delete on reboot.

[drmsucks]

Try this, from here: http://help.lockergnome.com/vista/Desktop-Icons-delete-ftopict65186.html.

The Desktop is actually a glorified interface for two folders:

C:\Users\(Your Name)\Desktop
and
C:\Users\Public\Desktop (which is hidden).

If you have the same file in each folder, they will both show up on your
Desktop. The Public Desktop should be owned by the Administrator and
C:\Users\(Your Name)\Desktop should be owned by the user.

If you are the Administrator, can you navigate to these folders using
Windows Explorer and delete them there? If your context menu is gone (which
is another issue), can you select one, and use Organize > Delete? If the
files aren't in those folders, but they are on your desktop, try going to
Control Panel > Personalization and then click on Display Settings. Change
the Colors to a lower setting (e.g., from Highest to Medium). Then do the
same again, and reset Colors back to the way it was originally.

If that doesn't work, try deleting the (hidden) IconCache.db file under
C:\Users\(Your Name)\AppData\Local\ and restart your computer. A new one
will be built automatically.

[Broni]

try deleting the (hidden) IconCache.db file under
C:\Users\(Your Name)\AppData\Local\ and restart your computer

IMPORTANT!
Close down all explorer.exe processes using the Task Manager (or else it will create a faulty file at logoff)