Well this is interesting...

[someone2639]

On a Windows 8.1 Update computer, sometimes the desktop icons disappear. They're replaced by a small window without any content. Double-clicking the window fixes that. Any insights?

 

[TechFreak1]

That is interesting, is that running on a dedicated GPU or integrated graphics?
I had a similar behaviour on a very old pc (Amd athlon 2000) where it turned out the graphics card was crapping out as the PC as it increased in frequency and would crash into a state of blurry rainbow coloured images when running anything graphically intensive. Switching out the Graphics card solved the problem.

 

[someone2639]

That is interesting, is that running on a dedicated GPU or integrated graphics?
I had a similar behaviour on a very old pc (Amd athlon 2000) where it turned out the graphics card was crapping out as the PC as it increased in frequency and would crash into a state of blurry rainbow coloured images when running anything graphically intensive. Switching out the Graphics card solved the problem.

Integrated

 

[TechFreak1]

Integrated

I see, I'm presuming you have tried the latest drivers / different versions?

 

[someone2639]

I see, I'm presuming you have tried the latest drivers / different versions?

Same on a desktop upgraded from vista. Think it might be a side effect of the transparent trick

 

[TechFreak1]

Same on a desktop upgraded from vista. Think it might be a side effect of the transparent trick

That could probably be it and if it is not really sure how you could fix that as I prefer to do clean installs.

I guess you could use windows blinds and just hide away all the icons so it doesn't bother you :grin:.

 

[someone2639]

That could probably be it and if it is not really sure how you could fix that as I prefer to do clean installs.

I guess you could use windows blinds and just hide away all the icons so it doesn't bother you :grin:.

Well I can live with it, it's just annoying.

I have desktop icons hidden

 

[kaantantr]

That sounds very similar to whats happening to me on my W8.1 laptop. Sometimes when I boot up the computer, all the desktop icons start up as hidden, as if they were there but just out of my screen, as if I had a second monitor.

Creating a new icon or right click>rearrange icons fixes the problem as if the computer realised the screen was just 1366*728 and brings back the icons back on screen.

I definitely believe it has something to do with Windows updates. There has been a couple of them popping up on my pc recently and this issue did not exist about 2 months ago.