SINCE INSTALLING WINDOWS 11 THE DESKTOP FOLDERS & ICONS ARE NOT CENTRED

Set the display to its Recommended resolution and scale first, because icons and controls appearing beyond the left edge indicate that the visible desktop is not fitting the screen correctly.

1. Restore the visible screen area

1. Press the Windows key on the keyboard to open Start, then select Settings. The keyboard can open Start even when its taskbar button cannot be clicked.^1^
2. Open System → Display.
3. If more than one display appears, select the screen currently in use.
4. Under Scale & layout:
   • Set Display resolution to the option marked Recommended.
   • Set Scale to the option marked Recommended.
   • Set Display orientation to Landscape, unless the monitor is physically vertical.^2^
5. Accept Keep changes and check whether the left edge and taskbar are fully visible.

If Windows incorrectly thinks another screen is connected, press Windows key + P and select PC screen only. If a second monitor is intentionally connected, select Duplicate or Extend as appropriate.^3^

If the Windows desktop still extends beyond the physical screen after selecting the recommended settings, check the monitor or television’s own picture menu for its screen-fit/overscan setting.

2. Arrange the desktop folders and icons

Windows does not automatically place all desktop icons in the center. They can instead be aligned to a grid and manually positioned:

1. Right-click an empty part of the desktop.
2. Select View.
3. Enable Align icons to grid.
4. Optionally enable Auto arrange icons to place them into orderly columns.
5. Under View, choose Medium icons or Small icons if the current icons do not fit.
6. Drag the icons to the preferred area of the desktop.

Desktop icon size can also be changed by holding Ctrl while rotating the mouse wheel.^4^

3. Center the Windows Start button

The four-blue-block Windows symbol is the Start button, which is part of the taskbar rather than the desktop-icon arrangement.

1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar.
2. Select Taskbar settings.
3. Expand Taskbar behaviors.
4. Set Taskbar alignment to Center.^5^

4. Shut down without the Start button

To shut down safely while Start is inaccessible:

1. Press Windows key + D to display the desktop.
2. Press Alt + F4.
3. Select Shut down, then press Enter.

Microsoft documents that Alt + F4 displays the shutdown prompt when no application window is active.^1^

Alternatively, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to reach the Windows security screen.^1^

If Start and Settings still will not open

If correcting the display does not restore Start or Settings, use Windows Recovery:

1. Turn on the computer.
2. As Windows begins loading, hold the physical power button for 5–10 seconds to turn it off.
3. Repeat once. On the third start, Windows should enter the Recovery Environment.
4. Try these options individually:
   • Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Repair
   • Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Uninstall Updates, if the problem began with the Windows 11 installation or a recent update
   • Troubleshoot → Advanced options → System Restore, if a restore point is available^6^

Forced shutdowns can risk unsaved data, so use this recovery method only when the normal Windows controls remain unavailable.

References

1. Windows 11
2. Windows 11
3. Windows 11
4. Customize the Desktop Icons in Windows | Microsoft Support
5. Windows 11
6. Windows 11 start menu, search and icons not working AND can't connect to the network either - Microsoft Q&A