If you search for the “My Computer” (or This PC) icon on the Windows 11 or existing Windows 10 desktop, you will probably not find it unless someone manually added it. It is one of the favorite and helpful icons for all Windows users.
Follow the steps below to show This PC icon on the Windows 11/10 desktop. The same steps apply to Windows 8.1/7 if you still use these old Operating Systems.
If you want quick and easy access to your computer’s files and folders, you can show My Computer on desktop in Windows 11. Here’s how:
Windows 11 My Computer Icon
In Windows 11, the “My Computer” icon has been replaced with a new name, “This PC.” This change was made to provide a more user-friendly experience and align with the modern design of the operating system. Users can still access their files and drives by clicking on the “This PC” icon on the desktop or in the File Explorer.
How to Show This PC on Desktop – Windows 11/10
I’m demonstrating these steps from Windows 11, but these steps are identical on Windows 10 as well (except for slight changes in icons and appearance)
1) Right-click on the empty space on the desktop. Click on ‘Personalize’.
2) In Windows 11/10, it will take you to the settings app.
Click ‘Themes’ in the Personalization settings and ‘Go to desktop icon settings’ shown below.
In Windows 8.1, you will get the classic control panel to customize the icon set.
Tick the ‘Computer’ to show it on the desktop. Luckily, the ‘Recycle Bin’ is already ticked; if you can’t see the Recycle Bin or it is missing from the Windows 10/11 desktop, this is the first place you have to check and enable it.
3) The ‘This PC’ or ‘My Computer’ icon would appear on the desktop.
If you no longer want the “My Computer/This PC” icon to appear on your desktop, you can repeat these steps and uncheck the box next to “My Computer” to remove it.
Here is a short video of this method:
Add to Task Bar – This PC Windows 11
As you know, the start menu returned to Windows 10. The My Computer icon is not included in the start menu. You can follow the method below to pin the (This PC) icon to the start menu and list.
Also, the start menu was revamped in Windows 11, which looks great compared to earlier Microsoft Operating Systems.
4) Right-Click on the ‘This PC’ icon after you have enabled it to display on the desktop. Select Pin to Start in Windows 11.
You have an additional option to add ‘Pin to Start list’ in Windows 10.
So, this is what happens when you select ‘Start’ and ‘Start List’ in Windows 10.
If you want to hide all icons from the desktop in Windows 10/11, here is the way.
Right Click on the empty space on the desktop, select View, and remove ‘Show desktop icons’ to hide all icons from the desktop. You can enable it to show all icons on the desktop again.
Can I Rename ‘This PC’ to ‘My Computer?
Yes, you can rename This PC to My Computer in Windows 11 or 10.
Simply click on the icon and press F2 (the standard rename keyboard shortcut), or select the rename option from right-click menu.
Change the name to ‘My Computer’, so you will not miss the familiar name.
Where can I find the This PC icon settings in Windows 11/10?
You can find the This PC icon settings by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting “Personalize,” then “Themes,” and finally, “Desktop icon settings.”
Set File Explorer to open My Computer Windows 11 by Default
To set File Explorer to open to This PC by default, open File Explorer, go to the View tab, select Options, and under the General tab, choose “This PC” from the drop-down menu next to “Open File Explorer.
We hope this guide helps on how to add This PC to desktop and customize the Recycle Bin icons/Taskbar.
80 Comments
This no longer works with Build 10074.
yes exactly they have removed all these options and cannot customize desktop icons too ..
Just go to Control Panel
And type “Desktop icon” on the top right searchbox
Then you can find the settings in Build 10074
Hope this helps.
I did what you said but the recycle icon doesn’t show in my desktop
Build 10130:
1. Right click on desktop click Personalize
2. Go to Themes and click on Desktop Icon Settings
3. Same as above… click on Computer, etc.
Many thanks! But why on earth have they done this!!!! Not liking 10 at all
Yeah, i am absolutly hating windows 10 compared to windows 7.
Issue’s i have had since upgrading – Slow boot-up (loads up user lo-in) have done the step to bypass having to type in password but this page still loads up, waits 5 seconds then loads up desktop. All in all 3x slower than windows 7.
Since updating my internet has taken a dive. Used to be able to watch several streams with no problems, now i have to refresh a stream every 5-15 minutes because it just froze with a loading bar. Webpages can load but the next page may come up unavailable – windows 10 will do a DNS probe and then come back with tellign you no internet access, check connection. Just doing a refresh/reload works but this is getting annoying. Online gaming can crash or cause lag hits lasting quite a few seconds. This also goes for web browser based games (freeze and need to reload/refresh pages), did not have this prior to updating to windows 10.
Had to look up how to see my computer, why they removed it i dont know, its one of the most used bits but now its hidden and you MUST create a desktop icon to use it.
Installing programs takes the whole desktop, asking if your sure, anything happens and a big news announcement pops up and thus far i have not found out how to turn that off, what happened to installing and a pop up, why the whole desktop, are some people blind or are microsoft just taking the piss here.
In my opinion Windows 10 is more trouble than it’s worth!!! I spend more time fixing problems than I do using the computer in a positive manner or just surfing. If I got a dollar for every problem I had to fix, not only would it have paid off the PC and monitor but I would eat dinner for free every night.
I found these settings – it’s hidden under “Personalization”->”Themes”->”Go To Desktop Icon Settings”. Looks like this will move around a bit more though.
I have windows 7 atm. once the free upgrade to windows 10 happens, what will happen to my desktop icons I have now? will they disappear? will I need to reload all my icons back the way I have them now? will I even have the option to customize my desktop? or am I doomed to be lost and have hours of work to find the programs and reload icons to my desktop?
My computer is a HP desktop, it has BIOS boot environment and NOT a UEFI boot environment, will the upgrade from windows 7 pro to windows 10 overwrite the firmware from bios to uefi?
On the final version of Windows 10 here one way to do this.
On the Start page click on the Notifications icon located on right hand side of the Task bar, then select Tablet mode in the pop-up window. Hope this helps.
Yup. It works exactly the same way. I just installed windows 10 and looking for this straight way
Thank you so much! I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out how to fix this and it was right infront on my eyes.
Yes, this! Thanks!
Perfect solution, I have been trying to resolve this for 3 weeks and it was right there. THANK YOU!
That was the solution…It is such a mystery why Microsoft would make it such a mystery to restore your desktop!!!
How will I know which build I receive? I want to make ALL desktop icons disappear – it is unbelievable that Microsoft would make a program where you cannot right click on the desktop and choose to hide the icons!
Thank you for your expertise and taking the time to give us these great tips! It was easy, thanks to you, and I have one more victory in setting up my computers! People like you help people like me feel good!
thanks………..
Where did the icons on desktop windows 10 go? i tried the Themes=>desktop icons settings but they won’t show, all i can see is all the apps and cannot be shrink or moved….
Anyone knows the trick??
I too have the same problem; desktop icons, incl. the recycle bin won’t show up, no matter what I try. But have a look at this link: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/13105/add-the-recycle-bin-to-start-menu-in-windows-7/. It’s not the answer to the problem, but it offers a solution, which works for me. After all, all I want is to be able to access the recycle bin and I now can via the Start Menu. Yes, it works on Windows 10.
this post really helped me…….
thanks for your guide, it was so helpful for me and other user that the don’t know how to solve this problem.
I was really suffering to get my computer icon on my win10 desktop. Thanks for sharing!!!
Thanks!
Thanks! Looks better than a shortcut 🙂
thanks very
pin to start list option is not available in windows 10
it pins to file explorer
I was very happy with the ease of 8.1 but now I have frozen movies, other issues include unable to adjust or add desktop icons since the 10 download. Also a pain to swipe the bottom to get the pause feature in a movie and it pops up the start menu etc………….
tnx , it’s helpful
I have Windows 10 and did have Windows 7, now I can’t even click on my desktop to do what you have instructed. How can I click on my right click on the desktop and get it to work for me. Thanks
GOOD 🙂
Good job ! Thanks a lot…….!
I have tried this several times….nothing works.
when I right on the desktop, nothing comes up.
when I go into the settings, themes, and hit apply, ok, nothing happens.
can anyone help me?
thanks for help nice job
thank you very much
God Mode:
1- From the desktop – right click and create a new folder
2- Name the folder: God Mode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}
3- The new folder will transform into a control panel type
4- Open it and search within the list for the part called “Personalisation”
This part contains the link: “Show and Hide common icons on the desktop”
5- You know the rest