For decades, Windows users relied on the “My Computer” (later renamed “This PC”) icon sitting directly on their desktop. Double-clicking this icon was the fastest way to access local hard drives, connected USB flash drives, network locations, and system properties.
However, to create a cleaner, more minimalist aesthetic, Windows 11 hides the “This PC” icon by default. Out of the box, the only icon on a fresh Windows 11 desktop is the Recycle Bin. If you want to access your drives, you have to click the File Explorer icon on the taskbar and then navigate to This PC from the sidebar.
If you prefer the old-school workflow, you can easily restore the classic icon to your desktop through the Personalization settings.
How to Restore the “This PC” Desktop Icon
You do not need to create a manual shortcut; Windows has a dedicated setting for system icons.
- Right-click on any empty space on your Windows 11 desktop.
- Select Personalize from the context menu. This will open the Settings app directly to the Personalization page.
- Scroll down on the right side and click on Themes.
- Scroll down to the “Related settings” section at the bottom of the Themes page.
- Click on Desktop icon settings. A small, traditional Windows dialog box will pop up.
- Under the “Desktop Icons” section at the top of the box, check the box next to Computer.
- Optional: While you are here, you can also check the boxes to add icons for your User Files, the Control Panel, or Network locations.
- Click Apply, and then click OK.
You can now close the Settings app. The “This PC” icon will immediately appear on your desktop. You can drag it to wherever you prefer on your screen, and it will function exactly as it did in older versions of Windows.
How to Remove the Icon
If you decide you want the minimalist look back, you cannot simply click the icon and press the Delete key (doing so may just delete a shortcut, not the system icon, or may throw an error depending on your system configuration).
To properly remove it, simply repeat the steps above to open the Desktop icon settings menu, uncheck the box next to Computer, and click OK.