[Yes this is a non-iPad question on iPad Saturday.]
Somehow my desktop files have disappeared. I can see them when I look in the Finder, but nothing is appearing on the actual desktop. I have reset the computer, and there are no other programs running that I’m aware of that mess with the Desktop (e.g. Pathfinder, BumpTop, etc.). Help!
— Todd Peperkorn
Do you have a second monitor or sometimes use one? Maybe the icons are over there? Are yo using Spaces? Maybe the icons are on a different space?
Otherwise, are they files missing, or drives and servers? Go to Finder, Finder Preferences, General and try those settings.
Sometimes that happens to me, and I change the display settings (1024 x 768) by clicking on the Detect Displays - then I reset the settings back (1280 x 800) and that fixes it. Not the best way to do it.. but it works.
-- Nash
I ended up deleting the Preferences for Finder in /Library. That seemed to have done it.