Have lost the original IE6 desktop icon.
I have no option under Desktop/Properties/Desktop/Customise Desktop/Desktop Icons to select Internet Explorer.
I have created a normal shortcut to IE6 but would like to know how to restore this IE6 function and the original desktop icon.

Below are three tips concerning that taken from http://www.theeldergeek.com/hide_internet_explorer_desktop_icon.htm

Hide/Show Internet Explorer Desktop Icon

By default, Windows XP does not show the Internet Explorer icon on the Windows desktop. Using the registry edit below allows you to control whether or not the Internet Explorer icon is displayed.

[Start] [Run] [Regedit]
Registry Key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Modify/Create the Value Data Type(s) and Value Name(s) as detailed below.
Data Type: DWORD // Value Name: NoInternetIcon
Setting for Value Data: [0 = Disabled / 1 = Enabled]
Exit Registry and Reboot

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To avoid the inherent danger of editing the registry, the same results may be  obtained by using the procedure detailed below.

Right click on any open area of the Desktop
Click [Properties], select the [Desktop] tab, then click [Customize Desktop] button
Select the [General] tab
In the [Desktop Icons] section place or remove the checkmark next to Internet Explorer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I recently received a note from "Dr. Nick" about the edits listed above. I wanted to add his letter to the page and thank him personally for some excellent detective work. Thanks Nick --  Jim / TEG

TEG,

I was just looking for information about showing the IE icon on the desktop in XP and came across your page.

Unfortunately, the information you have is incorrect regarding the NoInternetIcon registry value.  You can force XP to *hide* the icon

using that key (it's part of Group Policy) but you cannot force it to *show* it. Some registry monitoring showed me that you can easily show/hide special desktop icons via the registry, updated immediately with a refresh of the Desktop.

In [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel] there are several GUIDs, one for each of the icons.  A value of 0x0 will show the icon, 0x1 will hide it.

Network Places:         {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}

My Computer:            {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}

My Documents:           {450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}

Internet Explorer:      {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}

Recycle Bin:            {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}

Those values will be the same on all XP machines.

Feel free to throw Dr. Nick some credit if you decide to update your page     [ Done --  Jim  ]

Nick

Ray - thanks very much for the tips.  Dr.Nick's tip worked and was easy to use.  IE Icon is restored to desktop.