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how to show my computer on desktop in windows 11

Here’s how to show My Computer (called “This PC” in Windows 11) on your desktop, plus a bit of context in the style you asked for.

How to Show My Computer on Desktop in Windows 11

Quick Scoop

If your Windows 11 desktop looks a bit too clean and you miss the classic “My Computer” icon, you can bring it back in under a minute through Settings. Once you enable the This PC desktop icon, you get one-click access to your drives, folders, and devices right from the desktop—just like older versions of Windows.

Main Method: Desktop Icon Settings (Recommended)

This is the standard, built‑in way in current Windows 11 builds.

  1. Right‑click an empty area on your desktop.
  2. Click Personalize.
  3. In the left (or main) panel, select Themes.
  4. Scroll to Related settings and click Desktop icon settings.
  5. In the window that opens, check the box for Computer or This PC.
  6. Click Apply , then OK.

You should now see the This PC icon on your desktop.

Alternate Method 1: Create a Shortcut Manually

If the Desktop Icon Settings dialog doesn’t behave as expected, you can create your own shortcut.

  1. Right‑click on an empty area of the desktop.
  2. Choose New → Shortcut.
  3. In the location box, paste this line (exactly): %windir%\explorer.exe shell:MyComputerFolder
  4. Click Next.
  5. Name it This PC (or My Computer , if you prefer).
  6. Click Finish.

This creates a working shortcut to the same place that the classic icon opens.

Alternate Method 2: Drag from File Explorer

Another quick trick if you already have File Explorer open:

  1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
  2. In the left pane, find This PC.
  3. Click and drag This PC onto an empty part of the desktop.
  4. Release the mouse button.

Windows will create a shortcut to This PC on your desktop.

Mini Forum‑Style Take: Why People Still Want This

“The first thing I do on a fresh Windows install is put ‘This PC’ back on the desktop. I don’t want to dig through Start or Quick Access just to reach my drives.”

Different users have different habits:

  • Some rely on This PC for quick access to drives and USB devices.
  • Others prefer a minimal desktop and pin File Explorer or folders to the taskbar instead.
  • Power users sometimes combine this with custom icons, themes, and a very tidy desktop layout.

In 2024–2026, many Windows 11 “tweaks” you see in forum threads and YouTube videos still start with restoring this icon before moving on to deeper customization.

Extra Tip: Open File Explorer Directly to This PC

If you also want File Explorer to open to This PC instead of Home :

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Click the three dots (…) menu and choose Options (or Folder Options).
  3. Under General , find Open File Explorer to:.
  4. Change it from Home to This PC.
  5. Click Apply , then OK.

Now both your desktop icon and File Explorer default view revolve around This PC , which feels closer to classic Windows behavior.

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