How to Remove Default Desktop Icons

ID: Q162170

The information in this article applies to:

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, view the "Restoring the Registry" Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry Key" Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SUMMARY

This article explains how to remove and restore the default Desktop icons such as Inbox, Windows Internet Explorer, and Recycle Bin. This process is identical on both Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95.


MORE INFORMATION

To Remove Icons from the Desktop

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.
  1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe).


  2. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.


  3. Navigate to the following location under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key:

    Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace

    You see several hexadecimal strings called CLSIDs. Select each one in turn, and the right pane will show you which icon is being selected.


  4. When you have the appropriate icon entry selected for the icon you want to remove from the desktop, export the key by using the Export Registry File command on the Registry menu. You need to choose a path and file name under which to save the file.


  5. After the key has been exported, you can delete the icon entry to remove it from the desktop. Click Yes in the confirmation box to complete the icon deletion process.


  6. Quit Registry Editor, log off, and then log back on to the computer.


When you log on again, the icon will have been removed from the desktop.

To Restore Icons to the Desktop

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it.
  1. Start Registry Editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe).


  2. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.


  3. Navigate to following location under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key:

    Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\


  4. Select NameSpace.


  5. On the Registry menu, click Import Registry File, and type the path to the location of the registry file that was exported in the preceding procedure.


  6. Select the file name to which the registry key was saved. Click Open, and then click OK.


  7. Quit Registry Editor, log off, and then log back on to the computer.


When you log on again, the icon will have been replaced back onto the desktop.

Additional query words: prodnt removal deletion rid filename 


Keywords          : kbnetwork nthowto NTSrvWkst 
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0 95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: February 3, 1999