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The “Desktop” folder in Windows is a very specific folder, just like your Documents and Pictures folders. They exist like any other folder but are given a special designation to let your computer know to treat them differently.

As an example, the Documents folder is often interacted with. Very often when opening a program to create a file, such as Word or PowerPoint, when you click on “Save”, you will be brought to your “My Documents" folder, now called “Documents” in Windows 11. This is because that folder, named “Documents” is designated by Windows as the default save location.

Another folder, named “Desktop”, has a similar designation. The Desktop folder holds all the icons, files, and folders that you see on your desktop. Even though these icons look like they’re just hanging out on your desktop, they do need an actual location to reside in; they need a file path (address) just like any other file on your computer. Windows displays the items in this folder on your desktop for easy access.

OneDrive is able to back up this desktop folder. Then, when you sign into another computer, OneDrive combines the two desktop folders. This way changes to the desktop on one computer are reflected on your second computer. OneDrive accomplishes this by creating a folder named “Desktop” within your OneDrive and places all the files on all of your desktops into that communal folder.

However, if you wish to hide the synchronized icons from the desktop on your current computer, you can do so without effecting the other computers. This can be helpful when signing into a computer that is connected to a large, public display, like a classroom computer connected to a projector.

To hide the synchronized icons on a computer, you simply need to tell Windows to stop looking at OneDrive’s Desktop folder and instead look to the local (on the computer) Desktop folder that Windows created when you first signed into this computer. The Desktop folder that was created by Windows will only have the essential icons in it.