@wdburgdorf said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

Yes, it works indeed! Thank you @mathias87!

Awesome! Yes, good find @mathias87

@nvmjustagirl said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

if only they had copy and pasted the icons properties

Yes. I should have asked that as I still can't figure out how to reproduce this myself so that a bug can be filed to work around it.

Opera uses launcher.exe to load the opera.exe in the latest version folder. If you load opera.exe directly (and pin that to the taskbar), Opera will fix the pinned shortcut so that it has the path to launcher.exe instead of opera.exe. If not, when you launch via launcher.exe, you'll get another taskbar button. Anyway, I think something with that in some circumstance (that I'm not exactly sure of) triggers the desktop icon creation.

@mathias87 and @wdburgdorf , if the deleted desktop icon is still in the recycling bin, can you go in there, right-click it, choose "cut", paste it into another folder besides the desktop, right-click it and goto "properties"? Would be interested in seeing screenshots of the "shortcut" and "details" tabs. Or, at least, post the name of the shortcut and the target. Thanks.

No sorry, I don't have that deleted desktop icon in the recycling bin anymore as I solved this bug now and personally don't understand most of what you're saying in that technical manner.^^

Yes, it works indeed! Thank you @mathias87!

Awesome! Yes, good find @mathias87

@nvmjustagirl said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

if only they had copy and pasted the icons properties

Yes. I should have asked that as I still can't figure out how to reproduce this myself so that a bug can be filed to work around it.

Opera uses launcher.exe to load the opera.exe in the latest version folder. If you load opera.exe directly (and pin that to the taskbar), Opera will fix the pinned shortcut so that it has the path to launcher.exe instead of opera.exe. If not, when you launch via launcher.exe, you'll get another taskbar button. Anyway, I think something with that in some circumstance (that I'm not exactly sure of) triggers the desktop icon creation.

@mathias87 and @wdburgdorf , if the deleted desktop icon is still in the recycling bin, can you go in there, right-click it, choose "cut", paste it into another folder besides the desktop, right-click it and goto "properties"? Would be interested in seeing screenshots of the "shortcut" and "details" tabs. Or, at least, post the name of the shortcut and the target. Thanks.

@mathias87 said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

Hmm...I replaced the existing link sticked to my task bar with the link Opera creates every time I start it.
Seems like it stopped creating a link now.

So, you're saying you unpinned the Opera tasbkar icon you had, started Opera with the desktop shortcut that Opera keeps creating, and right-clicked on that taskbar button when Opera started and choose to pin that? Then, you deleted the desktop icon and it doesn't come back now?

thats what i was thinking if only they had copy and pasted the icons properties..

wow glad its Solved !..

Yes, it works indeed! Thank you @mathias87!

@mathias87 said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

Hmm...I replaced the existing link sticked to my task bar with the link Opera creates every time I start it.
Seems like it stopped creating a link now.

So, you're saying you unpinned the Opera tasbkar icon you had, started Opera with the desktop shortcut that Opera keeps creating, and right-clicked on that taskbar button when Opera started and choose to pin that? Then, you deleted the desktop icon and it doesn't come back now?

Yup, exactly.

Hmm...I replaced the existing link sticked to my task bar with the link Opera creates every time I start it.
Seems like it stopped creating a link now.

So, you're saying you unpinned the Opera tasbkar icon you had, started Opera with the desktop shortcut that Opera keeps creating, and right-clicked on that taskbar button when Opera started and choose to pin that? Then, you deleted the desktop icon and it doesn't come back now?

@mathias87 said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

Yes, Windows 10. One monitor. No other drive besides "C:".

Okay. Did you change your desktop to a different folder though?

Either way, can you check the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" key in the registry to see too if you have more than one entry that has a value with "desktop" in it? Can you also check "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders"? @wdburgdorf, can you check this key also?

Only one entry that has a value with "Desktop" in it. Same for "[...] Shell Folders".

Yes, Windows 10. One monitor. No other drive besides "C:".

Okay. Did you change your desktop to a different folder though?

Either way, can you check the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" key in the registry to see too if you have more than one entry that has a value with "desktop" in it? Can you also check "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders"? @wdburgdorf, can you check this key also?

I see the id points to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions{754AC886-DF64-4CBA-86B5-F7FBF4FBCEF5}" which has some properties. I guess you could also compare the settings there between PCs to make sure they're at least right.

I checked the registry and compared the entries on both PCs. They are almost identical. Just one notable difference:
The failing PC has two entries for Desktop, the other only one:

Value 20
Name: Desktop
Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
Data: D:\Desktop

Value 26
Name: {754AC886-DF64-4CBA-86B5-F7FBF4FBCEF5}
Type: REG_EXPAND_SZ
Data: D:\Desktop

The good PC has only the first.

There is nothing in C:\Users\Public\Desktop

The other stuff I cannot check now, in office.

Also check this...
C:\Users\Public\Desktop.. see if opera is there.. if so delete it

Maybe check "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs" to see if there are any odd Opera icons in there.

C:\Users\adminaccount\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

C:\Users\youruseraccount\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

Check the "User pinned\taskbar" folder too to see if there's any odd icons in there. Maybe delete them and have the recreated. Also, in the "User Pinned" folder is ImplicitAppShortcuts. See if any of those folders contain one for Opera and maybe delete it or at least compare with the other computer.

Yes, Win10. Desktop is on D. Simply selected in folder options. That (alone) cannot be the issue. I have the same setup on another PC, no problem there.

Can you compare ""HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" on both computers to see if any of the differences stand out?

@wdburgdorf said in Deleted desktop icon back on every start:

About user rights, I also don't think that's it. I removed Opera, then installed it on my admin account. Same issue there.

So, Opera was running as a normal user account initially.

Unfortunately, there was no option to install for all users, so now I don't have it anymore on my normal user account.

Uninstall Opera (you can keep your data if you want). Delete "C:\Program Files\Opera" for good measure. Then, launch Opera's installer and click the "options" link. Change the "install path" to "C:\Program Files\Opera". Then, you should be able to change the "install for" to "All Users". Then, make sure to adjust the other checkbox and options. Then install.

That'll get things back to normal. And, just for kicks, try Opera again on the admin account to see if the icon is still created. If not then, I'm wondering if it's an all users setup + running Opera as normal user + a different desktop. But, I assume that alone isn't the cause if that's what you do on the other computer.

Is your D drive formatted as NTFS fat/fat32 or extFAT?

(I also found out how Opera made itself default without asking: On one of the installation screens is a small link that says "Options" - and there I found the default opt out. That's a bit sneaky, don't you think. Not your fault, sure, but maybe you have contacts to talk to about that?)

How do I open this process monitor? And what can I do with it?

https://forums.opera.com/post/187831

@mathias87 Are you using Windows 10? Using multiple monitors? Do you have another drive besides C:? Can you check with Process Monitor too?

Yes, Windows 10. One monitor. No other drive besides "C:".
How do I open this process monitor? And what can I do with it?

theres sumthing about his desktop icon - weird

would it help if when the icon appears again to right click - properties and him paste the target feild and the start in feild to see if The Process Monitor thingy are matching up or not..

and post the launcher.exe propertis out of the File Explorer.. And if or if it pinned to taskbar

and does File Explorer show a D drv when it opens.. C drv will show but does D..

which when he deletes the icon then restarts opera and icon appears again

then how is restarting opera.. lol *i give up

he has never answered your question about which windows he has got

I assumed Win10 when looking at the user-agent string he posted.

umm maybe he may have a virtue D drv that starts with windows that he has forgotton about.. lol

i agree he says he did install Opera on C drv and that hes got two monitors and two desktops..

he has never answered your question about which windows he has got..

@wdburgdorf - when ya get the time could ya please answer all of the new questions burnout426 has asked..

plus this old one - which Windows are you running ? !..

Go to your - start - run - then type winver - in the box.. it will tell ya which windows and build ya got in the window that will open up..

If you look at "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders" in the registry, what's it say for the Desktop entry? By default, it should say %USERPROFILE%\Desktop.