[Fix] Desktop Tile is missing on the Start screen in Windows 8.1

By default, Windows 8.1 and Windows 8 come with a special tile on the Start screen called 'Desktop'. It shows your current wallpaper and allows you to switch to the classic Desktop mode to work with desktop apps. But sometimes something goes wrong and Desktop tile disappears from the Start screen. Here's how you can restore it.

The first thing you need to do is to check if the Desktop tile isn't simply unpinned from the Start screen.

1. On the Start screen, press the Ctrl + Tab keys together on the keyboard. It will switch the Start screen to the Apps view.

2. Look for the Desktop item. If you see it, right click it and choose 'Pin to Start'.

If you cannot locate the Desktop item, it means that some user or some software on your PC has removed the necessary *.lnk file for Desktop. This can be fixed too.

1. Press Win + R hotkeys on your keyboard together and paste the following text in the Run box:

shell:Common Programs

Press Enter, it will open the File Explorer window at the 'Programs' folder.

Tip: See the full list of shell commands in Windows 8.1

2. Download the Desktop.lnk file from here:

Download Desktop.lnk

3. Extract and paste it into the opened Programs folder.

4. Sign out from your Windows session and sign back. The Desktop tile must be already on the Start screen. If not, pin it there using the Apps view or by searching for it and right clicking it -> Pin to Start.

That's it. The Desktop tile will return to its place on the Start screen. If you have lots of pinned tiles and there isn't place to pin at the beginning of the Start screen, the Desktop tile may get pinned at the very end. Scroll to the right and drag and Desktop tile to where you want.

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