There are two ways to hide or unhide all desktop icons on Windows:
Method 1: Using the desktop’s context menu
- Right-click anywhere on the desktop.
- In the context menu, select View.
- Uncheck the Show desktop icons option.
This will hide all the icons on the desktop. To unhide them, follow the same steps and check the Show desktop icons option.
Method 2: Using the Personalization settings
- Open the Settings app.
- Click on Personalization.
- In the left pane, select Themes.
- In the right pane, under Related settings, click on Desktop icon settings.
- In the Desktop icon settings dialog box, uncheck the icons that you want to hide.
- Click on OK.
The icons that you have unchecked will be hidden from the desktop. To unhide them, follow the same steps and check the icons that you want to show.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind:
- Hiding desktop icons does not delete them. The icons are still stored on your computer, but they are simply hidden from view.
- You can also hide individual desktop icons, rather than all of them at once. To do this, right-click on the icon that you want to hide and select Hide from the context menu.
- To unhide a hidden icon, right-click on any empty space on the desktop and select Show hidden icons from the context menu. This will display a list of all hidden icons on your computer. Select the icon that you want to unhide and click on OK.
Keep in mind that hiding or unhiding desktop icons won’t delete or move any of your files; it simply toggles their visibility on the desktop. If you’re trying to organize your desktop or troubleshoot an issue, hiding and unhiding icons can be a helpful tool.