For the last couple of days (and seemingly without reason), my desktop shortcuts / setup has only appeared when my external drive is plugged in. I've also (suddenly) lost all icons on the taskbar just yesterday.

On checking, theres a folder on the external drive with the desktop stuff. Figuring I'd just accidentally moved things over somehow... I tried copying them to a different folder on the C drive, then to the desktop after unplugging the ExtHD. No go - get the "E refers to a location that is not accessible" message - so obviously some setting has changed the desktop to the external drive exclusively.

Any ideas?!

All the searches I've found seem to refer only to hidden shortcuts, files, folderes etc.

This is in Win7 btw.

Edit: ARSES! Forgot to make this a question thread dammit!
Edit2:
Desktop seemingly sorted thanks to adaliabrooks... now can anybody help me with my taskbar shortcuts, or do I have to re-add 30+ programs manually?!? O_____o

This article might be the answer.

Sounds like you need to go into the desktop folder on your external HD and move it in the location tab so that Windows knows that's the folder to use as the Desktop.

God knows, windows does weird stuff sometimes... maybe do a check for viruses though.. just in case.

Might be a similar issue, but it would depend where the shortcuts are stored.