Duplicate Desktop Icons (Regedit didn't work)

Hello everyone.

I'm having a problem. As you can guess, I'm getting duplicate desktop icons on my desktop.

I have already tried changing the following registry entries multiple times (multiple fix attempts):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\String "Desktop"
Modified Data to:
%USERPROFILE%\Desktop
C:\Users\<My User Name Here>\Desktop

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Folders
String "Common Desktop" Data:
%PUBLIC%\Desktop
C:\Users\Public\Desktop

None of these changes made any difference. I have checked, these registry entries do reference existing files. I'm guessing that Windows is not recognizing the "Current_User" entry because the actual shortcuts exist in the public desktop folder, and if I move them out of there and into my personal desktop folder they disappear leaving me with nothing (except my recycling bin).

After trying the registry changes, I always rebooted. And I have tried deleting the entries and recreating them, and likewise with the desktop folders themselves.

I have scoured the internet for help and all I see is "the regedit worked for me, thanks!" I glad for them, but I need help... Pretty Please, Please. I tried to be as detailed as I could, if you need any other info or screenshots, let me know.

Oh, this all started when I almost started to copy "my" desktop folder into the public folder, but I canceled it before it even started. I recently did a clean install of Vista Home Premium x64. I have been setting up filesharing with my laptop and wifes computer (as I had it before reformating). I remember trying to merge desktop folders in the past on XP, to try and simplify filesharing, but got the duplicate problem (which is why I stopped the merging on my compy). I was able to fix it before (I believe with the regedit fix), but that was on my wifes XP compy.

"Any help here would be hot" Let me know if you need any more info. Thanks. I really appreciate any help you can provide.

Try performing a system restore to a point before you got the dup icons on desktop (and messed with the registry)

Here is how:
Use System restore
Note- using restore utility, this can be performed with a disk or recovery partition to access The system recovery Options:

Recovery Walkthrough: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/194765-system-recovery-options.html

Start, in search bar type restore> Click the program at top> at prompt, click "continue"> after system restore loads, choose a date/time from before the issue occured.


You can remove desktop images by accessing the User folder "desktop folder" and simply right clicking and deleting the icons in question. keep in mind that deleting shared User icons may delete them from that Users desktop folder also.

About that... I cleared the restore points when I was defragging and I forgot to create one afterwards... Sorry, I should have mentioned that. I had already thought of doing that... but discovered I didn't have any before the issue.

Also, I don't want to delete any of the desktop shortcuts. I just don't want vista to show two of them. There is only one of each of them in my public desktop folder. However, for some reason windows is showing each of them twice on the desktop. If I delete the file (either in the folder or on the desktop) when the desktop is refreshed (by F5, or whatever) the other icon automatically disappears. Similarly, if I go and restore it from the recycling bin, 2 show up on my desktop.

Once again, I believe this is due to the fact that windows is referencing the public desktop folder twice when it generates the desktop instead of, my user desktop folder and the public desktop folder once each (even though, as far as I can tell, the registry is telling it to do it the later/proper way). This would also explain why nothing in my user desktop folder shows up on my desktop. Make sense?