Where do all my desktop icons go after a random Windows update?

Because the files still appear in File Explorer, start by distinguishing hidden icons from deleted shortcuts or a different Desktop location. Right-click an empty part of the desktop, choose View, and confirm Show desktop icons is selected. If common system icons such as This PC are missing, check Settings, Personalization, Themes, Desktop icon settings; those are controlled separately from ordinary shortcuts. Next open your Desktop folder in File Explorer and compare its contents with the visible desktop. If OneDrive folder backup is enabled, also check which Desktop location is actually in use before moving anything. Do not recreate all shortcuts or delete apparent duplicates until that is clear. If only certain application shortcuts are absent, verify their targets still exist and restore only those entries. Record the update and whether the layout changes again after signing out and back in.