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warch's avatar
warch
Copper Contributor
Oct 13, 2025

No icons on explorer, desktop, taskbar and everywhere

 

Hi everyone,
I really need your help. I've searched all over the internet and tried every possible tutorial and command I could find: deleted the iconcache.db, ran sfc / scannow, and followed several other fixes that claim to restore missing icons.

As you can see, it’s not just the desktop icons — all system icons are gone. They don’t show up in File Explorer, the sidebar, or even the taskbar. Only the text labels remain, but the icons themselves are completely missing.

If anyone knows a way to restore them without having to format or reinstall Windows, I’d really appreciate it. I’m currently very busy with work and can’t afford to reset my whole system right now.

My PC is fully updated — BIOS, Windows, and all software are up to date. I’ve scanned with Malwarebytes and Windows Defender, and neither found any issues or malware.

Since I’ve run out of options, I’m reaching out to see if anyone has encountered this problem and found a working solution.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

 

 

 

accessibility
configuration
security

3 Replies

  • Nayaoh's avatar
    Nayaoh
    Iron Contributor
    Oct 17, 2025

    It sounds like your system icons are missing across Windows, which can be caused by various issues such as icon cache corruption, display settings, or system file errors. Since you've already tried common solutions like deleting iconcache.db, running sfc /scannow, and updating everything,

  • Nobel_Baynes's avatar
    Nobel_Baynes
    Iron Contributor
    Oct 17, 2025

    Open task manager > file > new task > control > enter > time/date settings

    Change to a month ahead. And turn off internet time

    Reboot

  • AladinH's avatar
    AladinH
    Copper Contributor
    Oct 15, 2025

    Hi warch​,

    Since you’ve already deleted the icon cache and run sfc /scannow, the usual fixes won’t help. A few advanced steps that often resolve missing system icons without reinstalling Windows:

    - Check for profile corruption – create a new local admin account and see if icons appear there.

    - Inspect the registry – look under:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons

    for unusual or corrupted entries, back up the key, and remove suspicious ones.

    - Disable third-party shell/theme software – custom docks, theme engines, or context menu tools can hide icons.

    These steps usually restore icons without resetting Windows.

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