Desktop icons missing after MS update

[Dawnsdad]

Hi guys its been a few years since I needed your help with computer problems but this ones got me flummoxed
After the most recent MS update I found all but three desktop icons had disappeared, so gradually began to replace them, today I looked for an app on the right hand side of the start (left click) menu Life at a glance and found a muddled mess of words with no icons so any ideas, was it really the updates ?or is there something else going on? all suggestions gratefully appreciated


DD

 

[Starbuck]

Hi DD,

After the most recent MS update I found all but three desktop icons had disappeared,

Is it just that the icons were missing from the Desktop, or were the actual programs missing as well?

today I looked for an app on the right hand side of the start (left click) menu Life at a glance and found a muddled mess of words with no icons

have never had or used this 'Life at a Glance'.
The top of my Start Menu says 'Productivity'..... and there's no other option to rename or change it.

Searching around about 'Life at A Glance' throws up loads of people actually trying to get rid of it.
There doesn't seem to be any recent posts on the 'Net' about 'Life at a Glance', most seem to be a few years old.
Maybe it was renamed in a Win update.
Ok, it seems that Life at a Glance was just another name for the Win10 start menu.

 

[Dawnsdad]

OK thanks for that, I believe I may have confused the situation by using that phrase "Life at a glance".?
When I left clicked the start ,I have two individual columns one is a list of programmes in alphabetical order,
on the right of this is/was a list of icons mainly apps that came along with win 10 this list is headed "Life at a glance" presumably by MS with icons to apps placed on win 10 for easy access.
it is these app icons that have disappeared into an alphabetical mush, these have now morphed into very tiny thumbnail of blue squares. I have found one or two that I had saved to start menu can still be opened and take me to the programme, Many do not. It is mainly the desktop icons disappearing that gives me a headache though as I have a Habit of saving Documents, websites communications etc to the desktop for ease of access. Any thoughts on actions to rectify the problem

Thanks DD

 

[Starbuck]

Any thoughts on actions to rectify the problem

Let's start with the obvious things first.
Sometimes the problems with the icons missing can be due to 'Tablet Mode' being activated by mistake.
Let's make sure that isn't the case.
Right click on the Start button and select System from the menu.



Now, from the System menu.... select the Tablet tab and make sure that it's not activated. (settings should be like the screenshot)



Next step would be to Reset the Start Menu back to the default settings..... in case something has messed things up.
This link will explain how to reset the Start Menu.

Reset Win10 Start Menu

There are additional 'Start Menu' settings.
To access these.....

Right click on the Start Button and select Settings from the menu.
Now click on Personalisation.
Now click the Start tab.



Let me know how you get on.

 

[Dawnsdad]

Thanks, everything is set as shown in your screenshots

DD

 

[Starbuck]

Hi DD,

Did you run the Start Menu reset?
if so, are things back to normal?

 

[Dawnsdad]

Hi Starbuck, I missed that bit on your post I have now performed the reset to no avail other than I can see what the few remaining icons refer to, I have also found on the start menu underneath the alphabetical programme list a long list of "MS-resourse:app title" links
and loads of other different things after the "MS-resource:" I have tried to open some of these most often a coloured screen flashes up and immediately disappears or I get an error message stating the file is not there or to check my storage box,? one I did manage to open was an out of date printer connection app that is not suitable for win 10 so will not work, possibly left over from win 8.1, I see there is a way of uninstalling the update that seemingly caused the problem, any chance this would reverse the removal of icons and problems as a number of programmes were mashed up and unusable?

Thanks

DD

 

[Starbuck]

Hi there,

I have also found on the start menu underneath the alphabetical programme list a long list of "MS-resourse:app title" links
and loads of other different things after the "MS-resource:" I have tried to open some of these most often a coloured screen flashes up and immediately disappears or I get an error message stating the file is not there or to check my storage box,

It's not easy trying to visualise these problems.
If you are sure that these problems occured after a Windows Update and you know the day it installed, then you could try removing the update in question.



Failing that, next step would be a System Restore to before the update installed.

This option takes your PC back to an earlier point in time, called a system restore point.
Restore points are generated when you install a new app or driver, and when you create a restore point manually.
Restoring won’t affect your personal files, but it will remove apps, drivers, and updates installed after the restore point was made.

 

[Dawnsdad]

Hi Starbuck,
sorry for delay in response, I have uninstalled the update, and now have some of the icons returned on the start menu problem is very few are named and most will not open. There is no luck with the desk top icons, I have tried to restore PC but the list of restore points only goes to the previous day when I replaced missing apps. Had thought of a total restore and starting again but this update is going to come back and likely trash everything again. Thoughts???

Cheers

DD

 

[Starbuck]

Hi DD,

problem is very few are named and most will not open. There is no luck with the desk top icons,

What exactly are these icons?
Are they Microsoft icons or icons for software/programs that you have installed?
Have you tried to remove the icons from the 'Start Screen' and then re-add them afresh?
Same with the desktop icons.

Had thought of a total restore and starting again but this update is going to come back and likely trash everything again.

Might, might not.
It may have been caused by a conflict with a program that has been installed on the system.... if that was the case and the program is still installed, yes it may well happen again.
If this was caused by a problem that MS have become aware of, they may well have pulled the update ... or re-worked it so that the problem doesn't happen again.

 

[KenB]

Just butting in here ....

I have tried to restore PC but the list of restore points only goes to the previous day

Did you tick the box to view more restore points ?

 

[Starbuck]