When you install Windows Vista, one of the first things you will notice is that there are no icons on the desktop. In a previous article, I showed you how to add some of the common icons, such as My Computer and the Recycle Bin, back to the Windows Vista desktop by personalizing the desktop. However, one of the icons that cannot be added this way is Internet Explorer.

If you want to add an icon for IE to the desktop in Windows Vista, you have to edit the registry using the steps that are described below.

  1. Open the Registry Editor.
  2. Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel.
  3. Create the following key (DWORD 32-bit): {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}.
  4. Close the Registry Editor. The icon should appear on your desktop within a few moments.

[tags]windows, vista, vista tips[/tags]