How do I rebuild my desktop file?

Which desktop file? Be specific, providing details on what's amiss and what you want it to do.

27" i7 iMac (Mid 2011) refurb, OS X Yo (10.10.1), Mavs, ML & SL, G4 450 MP w/10.5 & 9.2.2

"Rebuilding" the desktop died with Classic OS circa 2000.

Please describe your problem instead of guessing at solutions.

Sorry to revive an old topic here, but there is a lot of confusion about what 'Rebuilding the Desktop' even means (or meant), and ignorance that an exact equivalent does exist in OS X.

In the 'Classic' MacOS (9.x and below), to 'Rebuild the Desktop' meant no more, and no less than to tell the system to rebuild its database of file/application associations and corresponding icon assignment.

This was usually invoked when incorrect icons (and usually therefore application assignments) were appearing on some files.

There is an equivalent in OS X (contrary to what is said here and here, for example), and it is not to rebuild permissions (though that may help).

The equivalent in OS X is to go into Terminal, and enter the following command:

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchSe rvices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

This will do in OS X exactly what 'Rebuilding the Desktop' used to do in MacOS 9, that is to say: rebuild the database of file/application associations and corresponding icon assignment

Hope this Helps