How to restore desktop folder in windows 11?

In Windows 11. there are several methods to restore the desktop folder, which can be achieved through File Explorer settings, System Restore, and backup restoration. 

Restore via File Explorer Settings

Open File Explorer: Click the File Explorer icon in the taskbar. It usually looks like a folder.

Access Folder Options: In File Explorer, click on the “View” tab. Then, in the “Options” group, click on “Options” to open the Folder Options window.

Restore Default View: In the Folder Options window, go to the “View” tab. Click the “Reset Folders” button. This will restore all folders to their default view settings. If the desktop folder was hidden or misconfigured, this may help restore it to its normal state.

Show Hidden Files and Folders: Still in the “View” tab of the Folder Options window, under “Advanced settings”, scroll down and find “Hidden files and folders”. Select the option “Show hidden files, folders, and drives”. Sometimes, the desktop folder might be set to hidden, and this step will make it visible again. Click “OK” to apply the changes.

Restore via System Restore

Open System Restore: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “rstrui.exe” and press Enter. This will open the System Restore window.

Choose a Restore Point: In the System Restore window, click “Next”. You will see a list of available restore points. These are snapshots of your system at different points in time. Select a restore point that was created before the desktop folder was lost or corrupted. You can click on a restore point to get more details about when it was created and what changes were made.

Confirm and Start the Restore: After selecting the appropriate restore point, click “Next” and then “Finish”. Windows will prompt you to confirm that you want to start the system restore process. Click “Yes”. The computer will restart and restore the system to the selected restore point. This may take some time, and your computer will restart several times during the process.

Restore from Backup

Using Windows Backup:

Open Backup Settings: If you have been using the built-in Windows backup feature, you can access it by going to “Settings” > “System” > “Storage” > “Advanced storage settings” > “Backup”.

Restore Files: In the Backup settings, look for the option to restore files. You can choose to restore specific files or the entire desktop folder. Select the appropriate backup date and time from which you want to restore the files. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restoration process.

Using Third-Party Backup Tools:

Open the Backup Software: If you used a third-party backup tool, such as Acronis True Image or EaseUS Todo Backup, open the software.

Locate the Backup: In the backup software, find the backup set that contains the desktop folder. This may involve browsing through different backup locations or catalogs.

Initiate the Restore: Select the desktop folder or the specific files you want to restore and click the restore button. The third-party software will guide you through the process, allowing you to choose the destination where you want to restore the files.

Restore from a Previous Version

Locate the Desktop Folder Location: By default, the desktop folder is located in “C:\Users[Your Username]\Desktop”. Navigate to this location in File Explorer.

Right-Click on the Desktop Folder: In the File Explorer, right-click on the “Desktop” folder.

Select Properties: From the context menu, select “Properties”.

Go to the Previous Versions Tab: In the Properties window, click on the “Previous Versions” tab. Here, you will see a list of previous versions of the desktop folder that Windows has saved. These previous versions are created automatically by Windows System Restore or when you have file history enabled.

Restore the Desktop Folder: Select the previous version of the desktop folder that you want to restore. You can click on a specific version to view its details. Then, click the “Restore” button. Windows will restore the desktop folder to the selected previous version.

Recreate the Desktop Folder

Open File Explorer: Navigate to the “C:\Users[Your Username]” directory.

Create a New Folder: Right-click in the empty space within the “C:\Users[Your Username]” folder. Select “New” > “Folder” from the context menu.

Name the Folder “Desktop”: Type “Desktop” as the name for the new folder and press Enter.