The “My Computer” icon — called “This PC” in Windows 10 and 11 — gives you one-click access to your local drives, network locations, and File Explorer without opening anything else first. Windows does not show it on the desktop by default, but it takes about 30 seconds to enable through Personalization settings. If File Explorer is running slowly after you enable the icon, see the guide on fixing a slow File Explorer on Windows 11.
This guide covers everything related to the This PC desktop icon: adding it to Windows 10, adding it to Windows 11, pinning it to the Start menu, renaming it, and making hidden desktop icons visible again if you cannot see icons at all.
Add the This PC Icon to the Windows 10 Desktop
Step 1: Right-click an empty area of the desktop and select Personalize.
Step 2: In the Personalization screen, select Themes from the left panel.
Step 3: Scroll down to Related Settings and click Desktop Icon Settings.
Step 4: In the Desktop Icon Settings dialog, check Computer, then click Apply and OK.
The This PC icon now appears on the Windows 10 desktop.
Add the This PC Icon to the Windows 11 Desktop
The steps on Windows 11 are the same but the Settings app looks different. You can open Personalization by pressing Windows + I and selecting Personalization from the left sidebar.
Step 1: Open Settings (Windows + I) and navigate to the Personalization section.
Alternatively, right-click the desktop and select Personalize to jump directly there.
Step 2: Click Themes in the Personalization settings.
Step 3: Scroll down to Related Settings and click Desktop Icon Settings.
Step 4: The Desktop Icon Settings dialog opens.
Step 5: Check Computer under Desktop Icons, then click Apply and OK.
The This PC icon now appears on the Windows 11 desktop.
Pin This PC to the Start Menu
Once the icon is on the desktop, you can pin it to the Start menu for even quicker access. While in the Personalization settings, you can also customize fonts and other visual options.
Step 1: Right-click the This PC icon on the desktop to see the context menu options.
Step 2: Click Pin to Start.
Step 3: Open the Start menu — This PC now appears in the pinned apps section on Windows 11.
On Windows 10, it appears in the pinned tiles section of the Start menu after clicking Pin to Start.
Rename the This PC Icon
You can rename the icon to anything you prefer. Right-click the This PC icon on the desktop and click the Rename option (the pencil icon at the top of the context menu).
Type the new name and press Enter to confirm. The icon label updates on the desktop immediately.
Show Hidden Desktop Icons
If you have gone through the steps above but no icons appear on the desktop at all, the Show desktop icons setting may have been toggled off. Right-click the desktop and hover over View in the context menu.
Click Show desktop icons in the submenu to toggle all icons back on. This setting applies to both Windows 10 and 11.
