windows 10 desktop shortcuts across multiple user accounts

Hey there, I apologize for giving you that path. That is actually a redirect anyway.  I actually changed it from public to that wrong location and I should have realized that mistake.  It is in fact correctly the public path as you noted.

Now you are totally correct about the Public folder not showing a desktop folder, but it is really there - merely hidden.  If you paste c:\users\public\desktop into the address bar, you should land at a folder.  Note that you may be prompted to either confirm your admin status or provide the password of someone that is (depending on who you are logged in as).  This is because only an admin can make changes here, as only an admin can make changes that affect others.

If you drag a shortcut into this public desktop, everyone will see it mixed in with their personal desktop files.  Again my apologies, but let me know if this doesn't work out.

PS. That "desktop" folder under "This PC" is just a special kind of shortcut that basically always calls up your "personal desktop" folder (it's mapped to your c:\users\username\desktop folder by default, although admins or you could actual "store" the desktop on a network drive or something.

Those "special icons" that only exist on the desktop like "My Computer" aka "This PC" or Recycle Bin, they aren't stored in your user account folder of course. They aren't even really "places" on the hard drive that can hold files. If you're using a folder and need to reach these special places quickly, click the far-left > icon in the folder's address bar and find direct links. Also incidentally the desktop icon you see here is mapped to the same "desktop view" as your actual desktop, so unlike just looking at your user folder, this desktop view would show those special shell folders.