Learn how to restore the classic “My Computer” icon, now called “This PC,” to your desktop on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Follow these simple steps for easy customization.
Most of us can remember the “My Computer” icon as a part of the Windows desktop for nearly as long. It can be accessed conveniently to files and drives and was an interface to system settings. However, starting with Windows 10, this familiar icon was named “This PC” and no longer, by default, located on the desktop. While this change improves the ‘look’ of the desktop, others find the simplicity of having the icon available, a pro. Thankfully, it’s easy to fix and get back the “This PC” icon on your desktop.
Restoring the “My Computer” Icon on Windows 10
To obtain the ‘My Computer’ icon, which in Windows 10 has been replaced by ‘This PC,’ follow the steps below: Firstly, right-click on FREE SPACE on the desktop. Right-click it, and from the options, choose “Personalize.” This segment will lead to the personalization settings for further changes in the appearance of a desktop.
When the personalization settings window appears, go to the “Themes” section in the left pane. Navigate down to locate the Desktop Icon Settings link under the Related Settings section. The popup that appears upon clicking this link will show a choice of available desktops and icons on the particular desktop, “Computer” among them.
To get the “This PC” option back, tick the box next to “Computer” and click “OK.” This also puts the icon directly on the desktop, so you will spot it immediately. This dialog also enables you to check boxes for other necessary icons, including the “Recycle Bin,” “Network,” and “Control Panel” icons, which will be restored when you reboot your computer.
If there are no icons on your desktop, the system may not display desktop icons by default. Open the Windows desktop, right-click it, select ‘View,’ and ensure the section ‘Show desktop icons’ is ticked. This option always needs to be turned on for icons to appear.
Adding the “My Computer” Icon in Windows 11
Like Windows 10, the Windows 11 operating system also buries most of the conventional graphical interface symbols deep in the system. But restoring the “This PC” icon is just as simple as following the above procedures. First, right-click on the desktop, then move the pointer and click on “Personalize” down the list.
Within the personalization settings, you must find the “Themes” tab; in the opened tab, scroll down to the “Desktop Icon Settings.” This particular option may be found on the page below. At least, it looks like the same dialog that you would see in Windows 10, and clicking it will open that window.
Put an “X” in the ‘Computer’ rectangle and click ‘OK.’ The “This PC” icon will be for you to click on your computer’s desktop. You can also restore other essential icons like ‘Recycle Bin’ or ‘Network’ from this menu if you have lost them.
Restoring the “My Computer” Icon on Older Versions of Windows
If you are using older versions of Windows OS, such as Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows, Vista, or earlier versions, the procedure to restore the “My Computer” icon is slightly different. Right-click on the desktop, then click Personalize. Next, scroll down to the left pane of the current window and find another link called “Change Desktop Icons.”
This will take you to the desktop icon settings panel when you click this link. From here, you uncheck the square with “Computer” written in it, then hit the “Apply” button. It will also create an icon on your desktop right after that that has the program icon.
There are two ways to do this: you can do it through the newly added icons of the start menu or by using Windows Explorer with Windows 7 or Vista. All one has to do is go to the taskbar and click the start button, then go to the computer, resize it, go to properties, and check Show on Desktop. This method is a faster way to bring back the icon of “My Computer.”
Troubleshooting Missing Desktop Icons
If all the icons on your desktop are absent, this normally could be because the Desktop icons are hidden. To show them, right-click on an empty area of the desktop if you are a Windows XP or Vista user or use Control Real if you are a MAC user and go to the view tab, ensure that the show desktop icons are ticked. It functions on the latest version of Windows, including Windows 10 and the new Windows Version, Windows 11, and older operating system versions such as Windows 7 & Windows 8.
If you have deleted an icon for one reason or another, you should know that it can be recovered from the Recycle Bin. If it has been deleted permanently, you can easily introduce new shortcuts to replace the missing icons. For any needed links, right-click on the desktop and choose ‘New’ and ‘Shortcut.’
Customizing Your Desktop Icons
After that, if you are done with the procedure of restoring the icon of “This PC,” you might want to customize it. In Windows, one can also alter the look of the icons that appear on the desktop. To look at the options to change the look of This PC, right-click the icon and click on properties. It is also possible to put custom icons with pictures as far as you prefer concerning the look of the desktop.
Final Thoughts
To bring back the “This PC” icon, formerly known as “My Computer” to your Windows 10 and 11 desktop, follow the below No matter if you want a quicker way to access the most used programs, or just want to feel your Windows more like your own – just repeat these steps over and over again to get the best result. And oh yes, there is always more than you can do, that is, personalizing the icons on the desktop according to one’s preference.
Now that you know how to bring back this classic icon, you’re just a few clicks away from making your Windows desktop feel more like home again!
Also Read: What Does IK Mean, and How Do You Use It?
About the Author
