HomeGroup icon
Windows

How to remove the HomeGroup icon from Windows 8 Desktop (bug fix)

By Sean Doyle · · 2 min read

Windows 8 HomeGroup desktop icon bug

HomeGroup iconThere is a common bug concerning the Microsoft Windows 8 Operating System that will cause the HomeGroup icon to appear at random on the Windows desktop. The HomeGroup icon may appear at any random time and can not be removed by simply right clicking the icon or highlighting the icon and deleting it. This often confuses users and may cause them to suspect that the HomeGroup icon is relative to a computer virus or malware infection.

The random HomeGroup icon bug is not linked to a computer infection. This is a common bug that may happen at random to Microsoft Windows 8 users.

HomeGroup is used to sync existing computers on the same network in order to share files.

How to remove the HomeGroup desktop icon

The video instruction and text below detail how to easily fix this bug.

remove homegroup icon

1. Right click Windows Desktop and select Personalize.

homegroup desktop icon removal

2. On the left side of the Personalization interface click Change desktop icons.

Desktop icon homegroup

3. A new window will appear titled Desktop Icon Settings. From here, click and un-click an unused Desktop Icon such as “User Files” to get the Apply button to become highlighted (available). Click the Apply button, followed by the OK button. This should fix the Windows 8 HomeGroup desktop icon bug.

Note: As long as you are able to make the Apply button on the Desktop Icon Settings window clickable, you will be able to repair this bug.

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Tags: Windows

Sean Doyle

Sean is a tech author and security researcher with more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, privacy, malware analysis, analytics, and online marketing. He focuses on clear reporting, deep technical investigation, and practical guidance that helps readers stay safe in a fast-moving digital landscape. His work continues to appear in respected publications, including articles written for Private Internet Access. Through Botcrawl and his ongoing cybersecurity coverage, Sean provides trusted insights on data breaches, malware threats, and online safety for individuals and businesses worldwide.

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10 Comments

  1. Glenn Heaton

    Win 7 monthly update (Jan. 18) which did not install cleanly caused icon to appear. Still clearing!

  2. Brandon

    I’m a windows 10 user and it just randomly appeared. Why?

    1. Sean Doyle

      It happens on Windows 10 too. This post was initially published before Windows 10 was released.

  3. Anonymous

    Thank you so much for this helpful post! Your instructions were so clear and easy to execute to solve this problem!

  4. Anonymous

    I am a Windows 8.1 user, and it just happened to me. This did fix the bug for now, but who knows if it may happen again. Regardless, its not just a Windows 8 issue. In fact, I noticed Windows 7 users griping.

  6. Person

    i am writing this again because i am not sure if the first one processed correctly. Is this a real fix or a temporary one.

    1. Sean Doyle

      Not sure what happened to your comment, there is a strict filter set.

      This is a normal bug, this will fix it. If it happens again, try this step again.

      If you have not updated Windows, make sure to do so… Update to 8.1 if you want.

      Future Windows updates should stop this bug from occurring.

  7. lorax

    thank you for the simple instructions.

  8. Anonymous

    thanks I was really worried i had a virus!

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