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Why is the “Show Desktop icon” missing from my Desktop right-click menu?

When you right-click the Desktop and choose Arrange Icons By sub-menu, these three options may be missing:

1. Show Desktop icons
2. Lock web items on the Desktop
3. Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard

This happens if the policy NoActiveDesktopChanges or NoActiveDesktop is enabled via the Group Policy Editor or via the Registry.

To change the Registry:

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type REGEDIT
4. Click on HKEY_CURRENT_USER
5. Click on Software
6. Click on Microsoft
7. Click on Windows
8. Click on CurrentVersion
9. Click on Policies
10. Click on Explorer
11. Double-click NoActiveDesktopChanges
12. Set it to 0
13. Double-click NoActiveDesktop
14. Set it to 0 (if exists)
15. Close Registry Editor
16. Restart Windows.

To change the setting via Group Policy Editor for Windows XP Professional:

1. Click Start
2. Click Run
3. Type GPEDIT.MSC
4. Click OK
5. Click on User Configuration
6. Click on Administrative Templates
7. Click on Desktop
8. Clock on Active Desktop
9. Double-click Prohibit Changes
10. Set it to Not Configured
11. Double-click Disable Active Desktop
12. Set it to Not Configured

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