It should work by clicking view and checking or unchecking desktop icons. I would check permissions (click on your name, highlight desktop and click on properties above. Everything except special properties should be checked) to make sure a virus hasn't changed permissions. If that is ok I would run a system file check. If there are file integrity violations an upgrade from the latest version of Windows 10 should fix that. If you go to Personalize, themes, desktop Icon settings you can check or uncheck allow themes to change icons but I don't know if there is anything else you could change in there that would help. There seems to be little on the subject that I could find.