Guide: Fix ‘Blank Icons in Windows 10 Desktop’ Issue
Icons are there to help us recognize an app and differentiate between different shortcuts and folders so that we can click on the ones we need without wasting too much time reading the text. They make life easier and help companies create brands. But some Windows 10 users are seeing blank icons on their Windows 10 desktop. That’s a strange mistake. While it’s not something major that will affect the operation of your Windows 10 operating system or any other app you’re using, it can still be frustrating, especially when you want to launch an app or open a folder from your desktop. There are a few solutions I’ve found that should help. Let’s start.
1. Update apps and operating system and reboot
You know that is the first thing we propose. Open Settings and click Update & Security.
Under the Windows Update tab on the left, you will find updates pending to be downloaded or installed on your PC. You can also manually check for updates.
Since this error is related to app icons, I recommend updating apps to see if that fixes the missing or empty icons error. Open Windows Store, click the Download and updates icon at the top right. You will usually see a number there if updates are found.
If not then I suggest you do a manual check once. Click Update all to begin.
Once everything is updated, reboot your PC once and check if the icons reappear.
2. Remove Google Drive
Several users have reported that removing Google Drive from their computer fixed the problem. If so, download a fresh copy of the app and try installing it again. If the problem persists, then you should find an alternative or contact the Google Drive support staff.
3. Reinstall apps
Can you see icons for some apps and not others? Maybe the error is specific to some apps instead of being system wide? Updating apps didn’t work, right? Try uninstalling and then reinstalling the app from the Windows Store. You can also try installing it directly from the source site instead of using the Windows Store. It has helped some users.
4. Icon settings
Windows 10 comes with icon settings that you can adjust under Settings. These are for standard desktop icons such as Recycle Bin and so on. Press Windows Key + I to open it and click Personalization.
Under Themes, scroll down to select Desktop Icon Settings.
Select the item for which you do not see the icon and click Change Icon here to replace it.
If that doesn’t work, try Restore to Default button on the same screen.
5. Change the icon manually
In the case of apps, you can change the icon manually. To do this, right-click on the app and select Properties. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Alt + Enter when the app is selected. On the Shortcut tab, click Change Icon to get started.
If you’ve downloaded an icon pack from the web, you can browse to the folder and select it instead of using the default options which aren’t that great, to be honest.
6. Update the display adapter drivers
It’s a long shot, but it’s worth a shot. Open Device Manager and search for display adapters. Update your graphics card drivers by right-clicking on it.
Select Update driver here and follow the on-screen instructions.
7. DISM and SFC scan
The DISM command maintains the Windows image and fixes irregularities with the system files. The SFC scan scans for corrupt system files and tries to fix them. Open the command prompt with administrator privileges and type these two commands one by one. DISM.exe / Online / Cleanup Image / Restorehealthsfc / scannow
More info can be found on this link.
8. Rebuild the Icon Cache
It’s probably the last thing you can do. Windows saves icon images as cache files to display them quickly when needed without consuming too much resources. Over time, this cache memory can become corrupted or deleted. Sometimes a recently installed third party app can also interfere as some users have discovered with Google Drive. Close all apps and windows to rebuild the icon cache. Everything. Open the command prompt with administrator privileges from Windows Search. Type this command to navigate to the folder where the icon cache is stored. You can copy and paste the commands. Press Ctrl + C to copy and right click in command prompt to paste. Press Enter when you see the command. cd% homepath% AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindowsExplorer Now type this command to find out if the icon cache files are indeed in that location. dir iconcache * You should now see an output that should look like this.
Type this command to stop the file explorer. Your desktop becomes unresponsive and goes blank or black. That is cool. taskkill / f / im explorer.exe Now type this command to delete the icon cache files. del iconcache * Now type this command to make sure that the files have indeed been deleted. dir iconcache * If you’re still seeing some database entries, some apps are still running (interfering) or you didn’t follow the steps correctly. Start at the beginning. Finally, type this command to restart File Explorer. Explorer.exe Close the command prompt. At this point, Windows 10 will automatically reboot, the icon’s cache files will be created from scratch, and the File Explorer will restart. That may take a while, so be patient.
Iconic icons
Some icons are made differently, which is how most people recognize apps. That’s another reason why icons are important. They help create brand recognition. While the missing or empty icons error is nothing to worry about, you should still try to fix it to avoid future headaches. The next up Do you want to use your Windows 10 computer in tablet mode? Click the link below to learn how.
Fix ‘Blank Icons in Windows 10 Desktop’ Issue: benefits
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