Add Internet Explorer 7 Icon to the Desktop in Windows Vista

If you’ve used Windows in the past, but are now using Windows Vista, you may have noticed the Internet Explorer shortcut icon is missing from the desktop. The IE (Internet Explorer) shortcut allowed you to launched the IE web browser, and allowed easy access to the Internet Options page by right-clicking and choosing Properties.

When you right click the IE shortcut you see the option "Start Without Add-ons." This feature can be used for troubleshooting problems with IE, like unexplained crashes which might be related to an Add-on.

To put the IE icon on the desktop you’ll need to hack the registry. We’ve supplied a fully written registry file below to make it easier.

Manual Registry Hack

Open regedit.exe using the Start menu search or run box, and then navigate down to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER’Software’Microsoft’Windows’CurrentVersion
’Explorer’HideDesktopIcons’NewStartPanel

In the right-hand pane, add a new 32-bit DWORD value with the following name and value:

Key Name: {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}

Value: 0

Now right-click on the desktop and choose Refresh, and your new IE desktop icon should appear.

Downloadable Registry Hack

Use the link below to download the registry hack file, then double-click the file. The registry information will automatically be entered into the Windows registry. Now either right-click the desktop and choose refresh for the IE desktop icon to appear, log off and log back on, or restart Windows.

If for some reason you chose to remove the IE desktop icon simply right-click, then choose Delete.

Download AddIEIconToDesktop Registry Hack