A way to get rid of Desktop.ini from Desktop folder in win11.

delicacy · Thursday at 5:48 PM

Hi folks,

Apparently, a fix exists that makes the windows registry take the data of that file in charge
but infos on the net claim it doesn't work anymore on win10., so i've assumed it wouldn"t
in win11 either:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
"UseDesktopIniCache"=dword:00000000

& if i just delete the file, it returns at a random instant .. .

& this powershell with admin rights command made it return too:

$TargetDirectory = "C:\Users\Public\Desktop"
(Get-Item "$($TargetDirectory)\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'

the same happened with:
attrib -s -h -r / s / d

So what's the way to definitely make it not return while allowing all other system based files
to show up in all other folders besides my desktop ?.. .

LesFerch · Thursday at 6:02 PM

AFAIK, you can't get rid of them. The desktop.ini file is required for the desktop folders (user and public). It's related to the desktop having special properties that don't apply to regular folders. Those files are marked hidden and system, so unless you have checked "Show hidden files" and unchecked "Hide protected operating system files", you will never see them. And there's no need to have both hidden and system files showing all the time (you could make a right-click command to quickly toggle those settings if you like).

garlin · Thursday at 6:13 PM

"C:\Users\Public\Desktop" isn't your current desktop, it's a default folder which is copied whenever a new user is created.

After your first logon, "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\desktop.ini" is the one that matters.

delicacy · Thursday at 6:23 PM

Lesferch, "And there's no need to have both hidden and system files showing all the time"
"assumption" .. .

i do have a need to have all files appearing on other folders for technical purposes besides desktop,
while not having a file like desktop.ini that i never use which is technical & needless for me in the desktop
folder where i treat all my personal files, but microsoft never understood the point..

let's not argue choices, thanks.

Thanks Garlin,

i'll try this in powershell with admins rights then & see what happens after:

$TargetDirectory = "C:\Users\Admin\Desktop"
(Get-Item "$($TargetDirectory)\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'

garlin · Thursday at 6:33 PM

You don't "need" desktop.ini, it's created so Windows Explorer can manage it's own per-folder settings.

Could MS have saved the same info in the registry, instead of a hidden file? Sure. But it's been this way going back to XP.

delicacy · Thursday at 6:34 PM

PS C:\Users\Admin\Desktop> $TargetDirectory = "C:\Users\Admin\Desktop"
PS C:\Users\Admin\Desktop> (Get-Item "$($TargetDirectory)\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'
PS C:\Users\Admin\Desktop> (Get-Item "$($C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'
>>
>> (Get-Item "$(C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'
>> (Get-Item "(C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'
>> (Get-Item ("C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Force).Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'
>> (Get-Item "C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Force.Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'
>> (Get-Item C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini -Force.Attributes = 'Hidden, System, Archive'

didn't work, maybe the second line's not right either.

delicacy · Thursday at 6:36 PM

"Could MS have saved the same info in the registry, instead of a hidden file? Sure. But it's been this way going back to XP.

"

the only issue now is that they apparently managed to have the registry hack disabled in win10 & maybe win11 too,
i have to test it.

garlin · Thursday at 6:45 PM

Set-ItemProperty -Path "C:\Users\GARLIN\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Name Attributes -Value 'Hidden, System, Archive' -Force

delicacy · Thursday at 6:52 PM

This didn't work on powershell here:

Set-ItemProperty -Path "C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\desktop.ini" -Name Attributes -Value 'Hidden, System, Archive' -Force

delicacy · Thursday at 6:53 PM

maybe a tool exists that can obfuscate a file on the desktop without using the hidding argument..

LesFerch · Thursday at 6:59 PM

delicacy said:
let's not argue choices

Not arguing, just suggesting an alternative approach. I frequently need to see hidden/system files and folders, but I have a quick toggle set up for that. That eliminates the need to do all the clicks of going through the Folder properties dialog and I don't have the clutter of seeing those items all the time. But, hey, if you need to constantly see hidden/system files and folders then, sure, my approach is not going to be practical.

delicacy · Thursday at 7:03 PM

Maybe Shawn has a miracle solution ? ((

LesFerch · Thursday at 7:07 PM

delicacy said:
Maybe Shawn has a miracle solution ? ((

Files marked both hidden and system are as "hidden" as it gets.

dacrone · Thursday at 7:08 PM

run this in an elevated command prompt:

Code:

attrib desktop.ini +s +h

should show all hidden files (when shown) EXCEPT "desktop.ini"

LesFerch · Thursday at 7:11 PM

dacrone said:
run this in an elevated command prompt:

Code:

attrib desktop.ini +s +h

should show all hidden files (when shown) EXCEPT "desktop.ini"

But desktop.ini is already set both Hidden and System.

delicacy · Thursday at 7:15 PM

It doesn't work Dacrone. the hidden (icon appearance when you right click & cut) but showing icon remains on the desktop after applying that command even after a desktop refresh ((

delicacy · Thursday at 7:17 PM

Lesferch, do you think if i remove the system attribute of desktop.ini it will disappear being "hidden" ?

dacrone · Thursday at 7:22 PM

delicacy said:
It doesn't work Dacrone. the hidden (icon appearance when you right click & cut) but showing icon remains on the desktop after applying that command even after a desktop refresh ((

well if you want to delete it and prevent it from being auto recreated,

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer\

New > DWORD

Code:

UseDesktopIniCache

Value =

Code:

then delete it and restart explorer

LesFerch · Thursday at 7:24 PM

delicacy said:
Lesferch, do you think if i remove the system attribute of desktop.ini it will disappear being "hidden" ?

No. It's a progression. Files only marked Hidden don't show unless you have "Show hidden files" enabled. Files marked both Hidden and System don't show unless both "Show hidden files" is enabled and "Hide protected operating system files" is disabled.

Many technical users have "Show hidden files" enabled, but very few users also have "Hide protected operating system files" disabled (all the time) because it's just too darn ugly.

Edwin · Thursday at 7:28 PM

Create an invisible, nameless folder and put the .ini's in it!

A way to get rid of Desktop.ini from Desktop folder in win11.

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