How to Restore an Internet Explorer Desktop Icon

By Leonardo R. Grabkowski

i Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images News/Getty Images

If you've inadvertently deleted the Internet Explorer desktop icon, there's no need to panic. Mistakes happen, and fortunately, this mistake is easy to rectify. A desktop icon is only a shortcut to a program; if it's been deleted, it doesn't necessarily mean the program is gone. You can create a new desktop icon for Internet Explorer that looks and performs just like the original.

Access your Start menu. If using Windows 7 or Vista, click on the Windows icon at the left-hand side of the screen. Otherwise, click \"Start.\"

Click on \"Programs\" or \"All Programs.\" Look for the Internet Explorer program icon.

Right-click the Internet Explorer icon. Select \"Send to Desktop (shortcut).\" The Internet Explorer program icon will appear on your desktop again.

Add the icon manually if you cannot locate the Internet Explorer program icon. Right-click an empty space on your desktop; select \"New\" and then select Shortcut.\" Copy and paste the following command into the \"Location\" text field, including the quotation marks:

\"%programfiles%\internet explorer\iexplore.exe\"

Click \"Next,\" and then type \"Internet Explorer\" into the \"Name\" field. Click the \"Finish\" button and the icon displays on your desktop.

Tips

If neither method works, you may have inadvertently deleted or removed Internet Explorer. Visit www.Microsoft.com to download the latest version of the web browser.

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