Unable to remove special icons from Win10 desktop folder (note: not desktop view)

Question

I'm trying to remove some "special" icons from showing in Windows 10's Desktop Folder (note: not the Desktop View). There is a similar question (Unable to remove/hide icons from desktop folder), but the answer is incomplete - it only provides a way to remove 3 of the icons (Homegroup, Network, and Library), but omits a solution for Control Panel, This PC, and the User's folder.

Some notes:

• To reproduce, hit Win+E to open an Explorer window, then navigate back/up until you get to the desktop, like:

• If I attempt to delete i.e. Control Panel from this window, it prompts "Are you sure you want to delete these icons from your desktop? To restore it later, go to Personalization in Control Panel." Confirming the deletion does nothing.

• All of these items are already unchecked under Personalization->Themes->Desktop Icon Settings (and all of the items are not shown on the Desktop View - again, this question is about the Desktop Folder, not the Desktop View).

• If you're wondering why this matters: I navigate extensively via the keyboard, where hitting the letter that begins the name of a file/folder highlights it in the current window. These unused/unwanted clutter-icons often result in navigating to the wrong folder accidentally - i.e. I'm working in Win Explorer, I back up to the desktop, and want to enter a folder like "Cloud" - so I hit "C,Enter." Which causes it to go to Control Panel (which doesn't even come before Cloud alphabetically - Windows just sticks this & all the other 'special' icons at the top of the list, out of alphabetical order).

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

The quest for obtaining a clean desktop has been a long one, indeed, for most of us. It has started with a simple question that is pointing precisely to some simple settings that are just removing all of the desktop icons.

As if it were that simple. The removal of other desktop icons, for instance temporary folder desktop icons such as the one produced by the Backup and Sync from Google Static Software Application, has been described in this question. With no work-around at hand, basically the solution of that question has been the uninstallation of the Backup and Sync from Google Static Software Application that has produced the discontinuation of the maintenance of its temporary folder desktop icon.

The result has been a nice empty green desktop view, as it happens to be called. Please note that the Task Bar is set to automatically hide itself after a certain delay.

This is indeed a great victory in our quest.

Now, for some unknown reason, the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system has the tendency of crashing from time to time. This has some good side-effects. Each clean reinstallation procedure brings new and exciting features into the world of the personal computer super user.

In the latest version of the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, some things appear to be changed.

For some unknown reason, the desktop folder does not reside any longer inside the user home folder.

A reactionary change indeed. Paths such as C:\Users\DOBRE\Desktop\ are not available anymore.

Instead, the OneDrive folder contains the desktop folder now.

In an amazing turn of events, the Microsoft corporation has decided to turn toward paths such as C:\Users\DOBRE\OneDrive\Desktop\ that are really opening new visions for all of us.

And this is how we have got to have yet another clean and relaxing desktop folder, with nothing else inside of it.

So the answer to this question is the performing of yet another clean reinstallation procedure.

Edit: Just to keep it nice and clean, we have also performed the same kind of regular settings that were needed in order to clear the Home Screens of our Google Android Software Installations.

The Tablet Personal Computer is still running the Google Android Oreo Operating System.

The SmartPhone is running the Google Android Pie Operating System.

Even though they are different Operating Systems, the nice white button with its six blue solid disks on it of the Microsoft Google Android Launcher Mobile Software Application is nicely mimicking the Start button of the Microsoft Windows Operating System.