[SOLVED] Steam didn't create a desktop launch for my game?

emitfudd

Honorable
Apr 9, 2017
468
45
10,740
I just built a new rig and downloaded the Steam client onto my C drive. I installed Kingdoms of Amalur Re Reckoning on my D drive. It installed successfully and I can play the game and pick up where I left off on my old rig. Steam always creates a desktop launch icon for the games I install. This time it created a .URL. I went into the Steam library and right clicked on the game and under the "manage" tab there was an option to create a desktop icon. I clicked on that but it didn't add one. I ended up going into the game files and sending a copy of the .exe to my desktop. Any ideas why it didn't create a launch icon like usual?

Windows 10 Pro
Samsung 980 Pro 1TB x 2
 
Solution
After much research I found the solution. My Kaspersky antivirus asked me if I wanted to let Windows display file types. I let it. There is a post on Steam that says this will cause the launch icon on your desktop to show as a .URL file. When you click on that it asks how you want to open the program. You click "internet" and it somehow now recognizes the file type and turns it into a normal launch icon. Crap like this makes me want to scream.

I just got a notice not to mark my own answer as the solution. Seems odd if I found the solution and nobody else even answered. I marked it as the solution to help anybody else with this issue.

emitfudd

Honorable
Apr 9, 2017
468
45
10,740
After much research I found the solution. My Kaspersky antivirus asked me if I wanted to let Windows display file types. I let it. There is a post on Steam that says this will cause the launch icon on your desktop to show as a .URL file. When you click on that it asks how you want to open the program. You click "internet" and it somehow now recognizes the file type and turns it into a normal launch icon. Crap like this makes me want to scream.

I just got a notice not to mark my own answer as the solution. Seems odd if I found the solution and nobody else even answered. I marked it as the solution to help anybody else with this issue.
 
Last edited:
Solution

iTRiP

Honorable
Feb 4, 2019
913
72
11,090
Great that you found out what was causing it, because by your description it is very similar to when a steam game fails to install properly.

Failed steam game installation: no desktop icon and no entry in the installed and uninstall menu of windows control panel, hence probably also no registry entry, other than that the game does appear to be installed in steam itself and usually still playable too.