How To Restore Default Icons On Windows 10

This video will show you how to restore corrupted icons to their default icons.

The icons that Windows uses for your documents and programs are saved in an icon cache, so they can be displayed quickly instead of having to slowly load them every time. If you ever have problems with the icons on your computer, rebuilding the icon cache might help.

Sometimes the icon cache gets out of date, causing icons to display incorrectly, or even go missing. For example, maybe you upgraded an application and the new version came with a new icon, but you still see the old icon on the desktop. Sometimes a blank or damaged icon may appear when a perfectly good icon was displayed before. When this happens, you have to reset the icon cache and let them automatically re-create it. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to rebuild the icon cache in Windows 10. This guide also applies to Windows 8 and 7, but the process works slightly different.

How the Icon Cache Works in Windows
Icons are everywhere in Windows: the Control Panel, Programs and Features, File Explorer, and so on. Having to retrieve all possible icon images from hard disk and to render them dynamically can consume lots of system resources. As a result, Windows save icons it’s already retrieved in its memory. When you shut down or restart, it will write this cache to a hidden file on your hard drive, so it doesn’t have to reload all those icons later.

The database file grows as more information is added to it. According to this document from MSDN knowledgebase , when Windows needs to display an icon, it’ll check the cache, and display the cached icon if a match is found. If it doesn’t find one, it’ll check the executable file and scan the application directory.

Caching mechanisms, such as the IconCache database, have been already discussed by multiple system specialists, and in depth by Mark E. Russinovich and David A. Solomon in their Windows Internals book, if you’re curious to learn more, but the basics are all you need to understand for this process.

Steps:
1. CTRL+SHIFT+ESC
2. Go to the processes tab
4. Click on File-New Task (Run...)
5. Enter the following: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local
6. Hit ALT and click on "Tools-Folder Options"
7. Go to the View tab
8. Click on show hidden files and folders
9. Apply, Ok
11. Go ahead and hide hidden files and folders if you like
12. Go back to the task manager and click on File-New Task (Run...)
14. There you go, back to default!

This tutorial will apply for computers, laptops, desktops, and tablets running the Windows 10, Windows 8/8.1,Windows 7 operating systems. Works for all major computer manufactures (Dell, HP, Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung).

[nickgames]

Me: spending 10 minutes looking for the slash

[nedrawessels]

This was the only online advise that helped me when all of my package file blank page icons changed to 7zip icons...Thanks so much! Gonna bookmark this video in case it ever happens again!

[ripper_]

Thank you so much bro. I was trying to figuire it out for the past two hours, i was about to give up until i watched your vid😊

[javedmazher]

Unfortunately, did not work for me. Had the same problem, followed all the steps as shown in the video, but the icons are still the same with MAIV file type. All kinds of files including PPTX, Doc, XLSX, PDF, JPEG, music files have the same issue. Wonder if anyone can still guide or help.

[xlvs]

The first step actually worked for me, thanks

[lukasschwerzmann]

Thanks so much Dude. I watched so many Videos and not a single one helped me until i saw yours. Best Channel ever ❤️❤️

[dinushkamahawedage]

Bro only you deserve a subscription because you are only one who told the correct solution

[sicariuschannel]

At some point i wasnt able to change my folder into the custom icon i made. but I can change it into any icon that already built-in in the windows

[sonidaso]

wow. FINALLY! a video that solved my problem. THANK YOU ALOT!!!.

[dankrijk]

who has the icon there but its white in Windows 10 10.11 2018

[TeamColorSquad]

I'm too lazy to change all my apps icons back to normal (because I already modified ALOT of them) so I came for this xD

[krishandesilva]

Can't delete icon cache file...restart computer after restore this cache file and can't change default icon windows 10?please help me

[shawnkhoo]

Great video brother! This video helped me. I thought I was gonna reset my whole PC back to factory but I came across ur vid and it saved me. Million thanks!

[peterjensen]

Unfortunately this is not a panacea for wrong icons. In Google Chrome's list of bookmarks, the icons look as they should (e.g. YouTube is a red field with a white play button), but as soon as for instance this link is copied to the desktop its icon changes to a Google or Firefox, or Edge etc. icon. The shortcut works, just the icon is wrong.

[PaulineAdair]

Thank you soooo much for easy to follow instructions and worked a treat!

[grantfreeman]

My desktop and file explorer icons are missing, I've tried this step before and my computer won't even create a new icon cache folder

[Billinois]

I followed the steps exactly, but my srt files still have Notepad icons.

[_-Sweets-_]

How do i bring up my start button, it has disappeared (a.k.a. my son)?

[freakfusion]

mine did not work I tried going to regedit and now this and I restarted many times and it still has not changed

[Mega]

is it just for windows programs or it is for any program