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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →To open a desktop shortcut, double-click its icon. On Windows, the icon is a shortcut; on Mac, the equivalent is called an alias. Either one points to an app, file, folder, or other item—the original remains in its own location. If you meant a keyboard shortcut, the available commands depend on your operating system and do not generally open an arbitrary desktop icon.
Open a desktop shortcut in Windows
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If the desktop is hidden, press Windows key + D to show it. Pressing the same combination again hides the desktop.
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Find the shortcut icon and double-click it to open its target. If a single click only selects the icon, use the double-click gesture; some Windows setups are configured to open items with one click.
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If you cannot find the icon, check the Desktop location in File Explorer. If the shortcut does not exist, Windows lets you create one from the desktop context menu, an app list, or a file or folder using Send to > Desktop (create shortcut). The exact menu can vary by Windows version.
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Microsoft documents Windows key + D for showing or hiding the desktop and ways to create desktop shortcuts.
Open an alias on a Mac
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Locate the alias on the desktop or in Finder. Apple uses the term alias for this kind of link to another item.
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Double-click the alias to open the item it points to.
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If you cannot find it, use Finder to browse for the item or search with Spotlight: press Command-Space, enter the name, select the intended result, then press Return.
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In Finder, select an item and press Command-O to open it. With an alias selected, Command-R reveals the original item; it does not open the alias. Apple explains Mac terminology, Mac keyboard shortcuts, and Spotlight keyboard shortcuts.
Desktop icons and keyboard shortcuts are different
A desktop shortcut or alias is an icon that links to a particular target. A keyboard shortcut is a key combination that triggers an operating-system command. For example, Windows key + D shows or hides the desktop; it does not open an icon. On Windows 10 and Windows 11, pressing Windows key plus a number launches or switches to the app pinned in that numbered taskbar position—not to an arbitrary desktop shortcut.
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- Dell Optiplex 3050 SFF Desktop computer PC, Intel Quad Core i5-6500 up to 3.6GHz, 16GB DDR4, 256GB SSD
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On a Mac, Spotlight offers a keyboard-driven way to find and open an item, while Finder’s Command-O opens a selected item. These are alternatives to locating and double-clicking a desktop icon, not universal commands for opening whichever icon happens to be on the desktop.
If the shortcut does not open the item you expect
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The click only selects it: double-click the icon, unless your system is configured for single-click opening.
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It opens the wrong item: check the icon’s name and confirm which target it represents. A shortcut or alias points to another item; it is not a copy of that item.
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The target has moved or is gone: find the original item in its current location and create a new shortcut or alias to it. The steps for creating a Windows shortcut are covered in Microsoft’s desktop-icon instructions.
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You cannot find the icon: on Windows, show the desktop with Windows key + D or check File Explorer’s Desktop location. On a Mac, search with Spotlight or browse in Finder.
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