How to Recover Desktop Files in Windows 10/11 after Updates

Lots of people are talking about a problem where desktop files go missing. Basically, it means that files and some apps on the desktop disappeared, and even files and folders stored on the desktop are gone – users can't find them.

This tends to happen a lot after Windows 10/11 updates. How to recover desktop files in Windows 10/11? We will focus on this topic today with sharing you stepwise guidance.

How to recover desktop files in Windows 10/11

Generally, desktop files gone after Windows 10/11 updates may not really mean they are permanently removed from your computer. It's a good idea to check if the missing desktop files are just hidden. If you can't locate them, it's time to recover the lost files from your desktop in Windows 10/11.

Part 1. Check missing desktop files in Windows 10/11

▌Option 1. Search the files from File Explorer

After Windows 10/11 updates, some files may get moved to other folders instead of being deleted. You can check for the missing files by the following instructions.

Path 1. Click This PC > Local Disk (C) > Users > User Name > Documents

Path 2. Click This PC > Local Disk (C) > Users > Public

▌ Option 2. Check whether the files are hidden or not

If you can't find the lost files using the previous method, you can try the following approach in File Explorer as well. By default, most Windows systems are set not to display hidden files, but certain crucial files, especially those related to the operating system, are marked as hidden to prevent accidental changes, deletions, or moves. So, if your Windows 10 desktop files are missing, check if they are hidden.

Step 1. Select “This PC” and click “View” (Marked 1 in the picture) on the top.

Step 2. Hit Options > View (Marked 3 in the picture) > Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

▌Option 3. Check the hard drive

Another possible reason for Windows 10 desktop files gone or missing could be damage or corruption to the hard drive. This can happen during Windows 10 updates or due to other unknown situations. If your desktop files lost after Windows 10/11 updates, it's advisable to check the hard drive.

Step 1. Select “This PC” and right-click the drive that saves your desktop files (usually in C: drive). Then choose “Properties”

Step 2. Hit “Tools” button and select “Check”. Click “Scan drive” and then follow the instructions to repair drive errors.

Part 2. Recover missing desktop files after Windows 10/11 updates

If you haven't found your missing desktop files on Windows 10/11 after the checking, you can now follow these instructions to recover them.

To successfully and effectively recover desktop files in Windows 10/11, it is recommended to use AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. This software comes with a robust data recovery wizard and is compatible with nearly all Windows versions. It will also receive the latest updates as new operating systems are released.

Its user-friendly interface makes it easy to tackle complex data loss situations. Whether your desktop files disappeared due to formatting, system crashes, updates, accidental loss, or other reasons, this tool can swiftly help you retrieve them. You can free download it to have a try.

Step 1. On the main interface, click the "Recover" menu and select "Recover Data".

Step 2. Here, choose the partition that you want to find the lost files and click "Start Scan".

Step 3. After the scanning task is complete, you will see a list of deleted files. Thoroughly go through the list, select the specific files you want to recover, and then click on "Recover".

Step 4. Click on "Select Folder" to choose where the newly recovered files will be saved.

Step 5. Finally, click the "OK" to complete the recovery process.

Other ways to restore missing desktop files and apps

If you are inclined to recover missing desktop files and apps using Windows built-in tools, you can also follow these steps.

Way 1. Show desktop icons

You can configure and show the desktop icons for trying to recover desktop files in Windows 10.

Step 1. Right-click on your desktop, navigate to View, and deselect "Show desktop icons". Then check the Show desktop icons option again to observe if the desktop icons and files reappear. If not, repeat the process several times by toggling the checkbox.

Step 2. Once the desktop files and icons are visible, proceed to the next step to organize your Desktop. Right-click on your desktop, choose "View" and either check or uncheck "Auto Arrange Icons".

Enabling this option will arrange all files and folders on the left side, allowing you to conveniently drag and drop them into your preferred locations.

Way 2. Run Control Panel to fix desktop file missing after update

In general, the Windows 10 operating system automatically creates periodic recovery points. You can attempt to deal with desktop file missing after update by backing to a previously saved state. If the saving process was successful, your desktop files will be preserved in that backup.

Step 1. Type "Control Panel" in the search box and open the Control Panel.

Step 2. In the Control Panel interface, select "Recovery". Choose "Open system restore" and click "Next" in the pop-up window.

Step 3. Verify the rollback to the saved point and confirm the operation.

Way 3. Manually display Windows icons

You can manually set which icons appear on your desktop, ensuring the visibility of the selected icons for convenient access, thus coping with desktop files missing after update issue.

Step 1. Open "Settings" and go to "Personalization" > "Themes" > "Desktop icons settings".

Step 2. In the "Desktop Icon Settings" window, select the desktop icons you want to display, such as Computer (This PC), User's Files, Network, Recycle Bin, and Control Panel. At last, click "Apply" and then "OK".

Ending words

With this comprehensive guidance, how to recover desktop files in Windows 10 can be an easy-to-answer question. If you have checked your PC and still cannot find the missing desktop files, it is advisable to use AOMEI Partition Assistant to recover them.

You can also use it to clone disk, migrate OS, rebuild MBR, or do partition management. If you are a Windows Server user, you can choose the Server edition for a compatible environment.