No Desktop Icons

Perils of refreshing PC with Windows 10

[IanCP]

I find this unbelievable. I refreshed my Desktop this morning amid promises "all your files have been kept". It didn't, I have to rebuild many programs. On to the main game:

During "Refresh/re-install" of Windows I get the welcome "Black Screen of Death". Been there before.... So from prior experience, I cunningly switch my TV to HDMI Input No. 2 [that's the DeskTop] - yep there it is in all it's glory. Updating, updating...

When finished, I can assess on screen the extent of lost programmes on my desktop.

Looking at the 19" LCD Monitor? My usual background, the task bar with minimal applications....

BUT NO DESKTOP PROGRAM ICONS! - They're on the TV.

Clearly everything is showing up on the TV, but not on the monitor. As I write this I'm viewing it on the TV a metre or so away. My monitor still only has the background and task bar. This browser doesn't show up on the monitor.

This is driving me nuts, any ideas? Can't be a monitor/driver problem. so what is it? Googling produces no screens, no icons.

Now on to rebuilding email applications, I just rebuilt Firefox and imported settings from backups.

[ADDED] I just remembered, I had this problem once before back in the XP days about 4-5 years ago, damned if I can remember the fix.

[tangor]

Try a restore point. See that resolves the problem. Otherwise, just asking, are all the programs still on your computer? There have been rumors (none I can place a finger on at the moment) that some programs are disabled by Win10 during some updates.

Until this odd behavior with Win10 is settled, I have locked down some of my more particular clients to Win7 (and a bat file to keep defeating the Win10 upgrade attempts).

[IanCP]

Thanks. Unfortunately all previous restore points have gone with the "Refresh/re-install" of Windows from the Recovery Disk. If it weren't then there is the risk of bringing back previous corrupted system files which couldn't otherwise be repaired.

[IanCP]

After all that, with a supposed fresh reinstall, I ran SFC /Scannow. once more to be greeted with:

"Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some
of them. Details are included..."

I didn't fix the original problem, yet created some others.... including an inoperable monitor.

[tangor]

The more I see and hear it appears Win10 is "my way or the highway".... Those of us who like to control our own hardware are SOL it seems. (Been there, done that... have only one machine still running Win10 and it is isolated off the network. I want to see just how insidious this "windows as a service" (ie, make my computer a dumb terminal on their cloud) actually might be.

Because Win 8x was halfway to the Win10, I have used up all my remaining Win7 seats to format and lock down those newer hardware systems.

Late September I sent an email to about 250 clients (single users and small business with up to 10 seats in their in house networks) to avoid Win10 until at least "next year". My Merry Christmas has been a half dozen clients who did not heed that advice, and I charged them appropriately. All are back on Win7 at the moment.

I am "That Close" to moving all clients to Linux for security and stability reasons.

I haven't run into the specific problem listed in the OP... so please, if you continue to fight through on this, keep us advised of any progress.

[IanCP]

[ADDED] I just remembered, I had this problem once before back in the XP days about 4-5 years ago, damned if I can remember the fix.

UPDATE: Shut Down/Disconnect HDMI cable/Reboot

I cannot think of one good reason why all that happened apart from Mr Microsoft wants you to use their settings, their way of doing things... Independent thought not tolerated. I quickly recovered many programs simply because they exist on another drive which M$ didn't delete, just migrated my daily backup of User/Roaming files back and voila.

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION:

Fine tune my backup system even further, and my way of installing programmes to even bullet proof myself further from Micro$oft..I have never previously had a problem as a consequence of my installed programs [touch wood], always Windows system corruption.

That's as far back as old DOS days and Windows 3.1 or whatever it was mumble, mumble decades back.

[tangor]

Oddly enough, that makes sense. I do not like Win10s tendency to overwrite mfg drivers on whim. Thanks for keeping after this, IanCP

(I'm probably one of the few who actually loved Windows for Workgroups 3.11 ... Those were the days, Dos, Win3.11, OS2... and the web just around the corner. Whew!)

[keyplyr]

That update affected my network adapter so I couldn't connect. Easily fixed by toggling the driver on/off then restart. It's been fine ever since.

[IanCP]

SOLVED - albeit accidentally stumbling across the solution, when looking for something completely unrelated.

This HAS to have been caused by an update or whatever. Nothing in the Intel Graphics Control Panel helped me at all. Ready for it?

1. Have HDMI connected to TV
2. Right click on Desktop
3. Select Properties
4. Select Graphics Options
5. Select Output To
6. Select Clone Displays [other recommended options didn't work for me]
7. Select Monitor+Digital Television

Boom! Boom!

I have never had to do that before, even in earlier versions of Windows 10. Grrrr!

[tangor]

As Roseannadanna would say: "Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something — if it ain't one thing, it's another."

[keyplyr]

nevermind

[IanCP]

As a follow up to that HDMI solution above, when I went to play a short video clip running on the PC to the Digital TV via HDMI there was no audio.

Google searches turn up loads, and loads of complaints to Intel and other forums - all relating to Windows Updates in recent months. To cut a long story short for anyone else with "Windows 10 HDMI, NO Audio" - here is my solution which worked for me.

1. I downloaded [again] from Intel the file: win64_153338.exe

[downloadcenter.intel.com ]

2. I closed all programs running and then run the above download.

3. This time I ignored the warning that my existing drivers were newer ones, and proceeded. It then asked if I wanted to run WinSat [Windows System Assessment Tool. I kept that option and had Intel reboot.

During restart I saw WinSAT running in command line mode for a brief period, then normal desktop. I ran an Eurythmics video clip, worked fine on the TV. I ran it again using headphones on the PC, OK there as well.

PROBLEM SOLVED

The stranger than fiction bit? A couple of unrelated niggling problems in FF disappeared also. Why? I dunno, maybe the WinSAT running or whatever.

I'll just accept the gift.