Solved Unable to save to desktop - option disappeared

Hi everyone,

I'm a total newb to win 11 so I apologize in advance if this question is on the simple side, nevertheless I cannot figure out what happened.
Strange things are afoot, suddenly If when I try to download something I cannot save it to the desktop as I used to. The option has just disappeared?
Also, the Desktop icon has disappeared from windows explorer.

I don't remember changing anything significant so I'm a little puzzled. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

All updates are current and I have Win 11 pro 23H2 - (OS Build 22631.2861) installed.

Thank you

What Desktop icon disappeared? One labeled "Desktop"

BamaInArk said:

What Desktop icon disappeared? One labeled "Desktop"

Click to expand...

Hello BamainArk,

Thank you for your very quick reply and willingness to help.

Yes it WAS the one labeled "Desktop". I ended up finding it.

Here is what happened, yesterday I got tired of onedrive keeping on bugging me to upgrade etc. I don't even use it, so I closed it, don't recall how. But the OneDrive icon or (container/folder) in windows explorer was gone from quick access.

Last thing I decided to look at and try right after I posted on here out of desperation, was to check my user profile folder. You know C:\Users\12345.

Usually the "Desktop" folder is in the users profile if my memory serves me right, but I couldn't see it. But what I could see was the OneDrive icon. That's another thing I had NO idea that the OneDrive icon was actually a folder. Anyway I decided to double click on it and guess what. "Desktop" was in there along with "Documents" and "Pictures" folders.

Strange thing though, the "Documents" folder was still visible in Windows Explorer side bar, so why that didn't disappear along with "Desktop" I have no idea, very weird.

Anyway it's resolved, at least in my case. I did some more googling about it and it seems a lot of people are experiencing the same or similar thing. Some of the resolution suggestions meted out by "experts" were somewhat extreme at times from turning off all security features to re-imaging and clean reboots etc etc etc. LOL gotta laugh.

Anyway if anyone else experiences the same problem as me and come to this site for help they may see this, try searching in their user profile first before they go to some other extremes.

Thanks again for responding, I think I'm gonna like this Forum
Cheers
Bubba

By default Win11 and Win10 save to the Downloads folder r under C:\Users\USERNAMEHERE, which is where the Desktop folder is also located plus others. Any reference to those folders above This PC are shortcuts to those actual folders. Most programs have a setting as to where files created by them are saved. Saving downloads automatically to the Desktop was common back with Windows 95 but in the effort for a clean Desktop that changed.

I think you are talking about Edge.
Edge will download to the folder path defined in
edge://settings/downloads#All
without presenting you with any choice.
[Like you, I think it used to offer a choice at the time of downloading.]

Bubba said:

the Desktop icon has disappeared from windows explorer

Click to expand...

Please post a screenshot to show what you mean by this.
Upload and Attach Images and Files in Post - ElevenForumTutorials
Perhaps it's just a matter of re-adding Desktop to the "Home" section [previously, "Quick access"] of File explorer's Navigation pane by dragging & dropping your C:\Users\%UserName%\Desktop folder onto the Home icon.
Add or Remove Home in Navigation Pane of File Explorer - ElevenForumTutorials





All the best,
Denis

Try3 said:

I think you are talking about Edge.
Edge will download to the folder path defined in
edge://settings/downloads#All
without presenting you with any choice.
[Like you, I think it used to offer a choice at the time of downloading.]




Please post a screenshot to show what you mean by this.
Upload and Attach Images and Files in Post - ElevenForumTutorials
Perhaps it's just a matter of re-adding Desktop to the "Home" section [previously, "Quick access"] of File explorer's Navigation pane by dragging & dropping your C:\Users\%UserName%\Desktop folder onto the Home icon.
Add or Remove Home in Navigation Pane of File Explorer - ElevenForumTutorials





All the best,
Denis

Click to expand...

I believe you're trying to fix a problem that no longer exists

I save Web pages from Edge, this is what I get on the right-click menu:

Thanks again everyone for your input but on my second post I explained what happened and how it was resolved. Nothing to do with MS Edge it was a OneDrive related issue.

Try3 said:

I think you are talking about Edge.

Click to expand...

In my case it had nothing to do with Edge. I Never download anything using Edge I don't like the browser (just a personal thing). I've been using FF for years now as my preferred browser.

Cheers
Bubba