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Windows 11 still has built-in settings for showing classic desktop shortcuts such as This PC, Recycle Bin, Network, and User’s Files. Open Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings to choose which ones appear. If you mean older icon artwork rather than the shortcuts themselves, you can change an icon where the dialog offers that option, but Windows does not guarantee that every historic image is available on every build.
Show classic system icons on the Windows 11 desktop
Use Desktop icon settings to add or remove individual Windows shortcuts. Microsoft lists This PC, Recycle Bin, Network, and User’s Files among the icons you can customize. The Recycle Bin is shown on the desktop by default, but you can change which system icons appear.
- Open Settings.
- Select Personalization > Themes.
- Select Desktop icon settings.
- Check the icons you want on the desktop, such as This PC, Recycle Bin, Network, or User’s Files.
- Select OK.
See Microsoft’s Windows desktop icon customization instructions for the documented settings and available choices.
Fix a desktop where every icon is missing
If all desktop icons have disappeared, check the desktop-wide visibility setting before changing individual system shortcuts:
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- Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
- Open View.
- Select Show desktop icons if it is not already checked.
This control affects desktop icon visibility generally. If the desktop is visible but only This PC or another system shortcut is missing, select it in Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings instead. Microsoft outlines both checks in its missing desktop icons troubleshooting guide.
Keep a theme from replacing your chosen icons
In the Desktop icon settings dialog, the checkbox Allow themes to change desktop icons controls whether themes can replace common desktop shortcut artwork. Microsoft says this option is enabled by default. If you want your selected artwork to remain when you apply a different theme, clear the checkbox and select OK.
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Change the artwork or find an older Windows icon
Showing a shortcut and changing its artwork are separate tasks. The Desktop icon settings dialog supports changing artwork for system icons where the change-icon control is available. You can also supply an external icon file if you have a particular image you want to use.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteWindows Central’s Windows 11 guide to restoring legacy desktop icons describes changing icon artwork. A 2025 TechRadar report says some Windows 95-era icons can be found through the icon-change dialog and a Windows system DLL. Treat that as a possible lead, not a guarantee: Microsoft’s documentation does not promise that a particular historic icon is present in every Windows 11 build, and available assets can vary.
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When the setting is unavailable
On a work- or school-managed PC, organizational policies can affect desktop themes and Recycle Bin visibility. Microsoft’s ADMX Desktop Policy CSP documentation covers related policies for Windows 11, version 21H2 and later. It does not establish the outcome for every device configuration; if the control is missing or cannot be changed, ask your organization’s administrator.
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