How can I get My Documents back onto the desktop?

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Your documents were never on your desktop (unless you somehow managed to move them there.  That icon was only a shortcut or link that located your "My Documents" folder for you, like a link to a webpage.

I don't know how to fix whatever you have already done, but if you can get back to where you were originally, this is how to move "My Documents" (or "My Pictures) or any of the "special" folders for which XP has special pointers,  icons, shortcuts, & context menu choices): 

In XP, the My Documents folder and its links is kind of a knotted up mess and you have to move it in a particular way.  

Right click My Computer and choose "Explore"

You must put a button on your toolbar.  Right click the toolbar and select "Customize".
In the left pane of the new window, find and select the "Move To" button and click the "Add -->" button.
Click the "Close" button.  The "Move To" button is added to your toolbar.

Set your window to display folders in the left pane and folders and files in the right pane (it is probably already set that way).

Click the + box beside the "Documents and Settings" folder to view the folders that it contains.
You will see folders named things like "All Users"  "Default User"  "Owner" or perhaps your name.
Your "My Documents" folder is in one of these folders - probably the one with your name.

Click the + box beside the folder that is "yours" to view the folders that it contains.
Find the "My Documents" folder and be sure it is yours - the place that contains your documents 
(clicking the + box beside it will let you view what it contains).

Now go back up one level to the "parent" folder - or the folder that CONTAINS YOUR "My Documents" folder (probably the one with your name) and double-click it.  

Now you will see the "My Documents" folder in the right pane (along with all of the other folder contained inside  "your" folder - "Application Data, Desktop, Favorites," etc.).

Select (highlight) your "My Documents" folder IN THE RIGHT PANE and click the "Move To" button that you added to your IE Toolbar.  

In the new window, navigate to the drive/partition/folder where you want your "My Documents" folder to reside, click it to highlight/select it, and click the "Move" button at the bottom of the window.

(I think this is the last step, but I can't try it any further because I don't want to actually move anything of mine - if there is more to do, such as "Apply" or "OK" then of course you have to do that to finish).

If you move the folder in this way, all of XP's pointers, icons, shortcuts, context menus, etc. will be properly updated and XP will handle everything properly for you and treat your "My Documents" in its new location exactly as it would treat it in its original location.

Good Luck,   AnnaSummers

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