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Display My Computer Icon on the Desktop in Windows Vista

I don't know about you, but I really preferred having the My Computer icon right on the desktop. Seems like modern versions of windows don't have it by default anymore. There are two different ways you can add the icon back.

Easy Method

To put the Computer icon on the desktop, click the Start button, and then right-click on "Computer".

rightclickcomputer.png

Click the "Show on Desktop" item in the menu, and your Computer icon will show up on the desktop:

Nearly as Easy Method

Right-click on the desktop and choose Personalize, then click on "Change Desktop Icons" on the left-hand side of the screen.

personalization.png

In the Desktop Icons panel you can choose which of the built-in icons to show on the desktop:

desktopiconspanel.png

One of the most common requests is how to add the Recycle bin back… which you can also do from the above panel.

computericon.png

The Geek is the founder of How-To Geek and a geek enthusiast. When he's not coming up with great how-to articles, he's probably writing at his personal blog. This article was written on 01/2/07 and tagged with: Windows Vista, Desktop Customization

Comments (8)

  1. Gladys Swedak

    Where do I find "my computer" on Windows Vista? How do I enlarge the lettering on the tool bars and icons? Why am I unauthorized to open Network?
    Thank you for answering my questions and sending the answers to -removed-

  2. Clark

    Thank you…very helpful!

  3. Jennifer

    The desktop wallpaper will not show up on the desktop. What do I need to do to fix this problem?

  4. Russell

    Thank you. Just what I needed & wanted. Bless you.

  5. CC

    Thanks! It seems obvious now….

  6. M.Higham

    You can also add a toolbar called "Computer" on the Taskbar. Click on ">>" and you'll get subfolders and drives. Easier access.

  7. Mac

    The writing on the icons of my desktop is much smaller, how do I enlarge it?

  8. Pretty Mindy

    thank u… finally i know how to change


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