Windows 10: Any way to rebuild/refresh Windows 10 start menu icons on tiles?

Hi all!

I would like to refresh start menu icons in Windows 10 and haven't been able to find any info about it. These is the rebuild icon cache thread but that method works only for the desktop and explorer icons - not for the start menu icons (tiles).

I have many portable programs that I run off my USB stick and I've placed tiles for them in my start menu. Most often there are not problems with them and even if I start Windows without the stick the icons are intact. However, from time to time (after some windows updates or unexpected system shut down) the icon cache gets wiped out and the icons are gone - I can see the tiles with some generic icon instead of the programs' icons. I would like to clear this cache so that Windows rebuilds the icons when my USB stick is inserted.

So far I have discovered that resizing the tiles refreshes the icon as well - so this is at least some partial workaround - not ideal because I have to do it one by one for each tile. Can I refresh all the tiles in one go?

:)

 

Icons not showing windows 10

How about the screenshot of the folder that icons are not showing? Is it the same with the icons on the Start menu? Try rebuilding the icon cache: How to Rebuild a Broken Icon Cache in Windows 10

 

Can't change desktop icons

"I tried a all kinds of different fixes... just the way I've always done it "

As Greg pointed out, not specifying what these fixes were is a sure fire way to read suggestions for the

same things you have already tried.

"I want to add My Computer and Control Panel to my desktop"

- Another option for the Control Panel shortcut...

You can, or should be able to, make a shortcut from System32 > Control.exe by R/clicking on

Contol.exe and selecting Send Too > Desktop.

- If you want the shortcut on the Task Bar you should be able to do so from Start Menu > Windows System,

or drag and drop the Desktop shortcut you made to the Task Bar.

- I have ThisPC ( AKA Computer ) pinned to the Start Menu, but trying the method

for putting a ThisPC, and the Control Panel shortcut icon on the desktop, as suggested by Greg, worked for me.

( Strange how this menu uses the old term 'Computer' for the tick box, but creates an icon with the new

This PC title, and uses This PC in the Start Menu. MS moves in mysterious ways ).

- Regarding other missing icons you may have...

Have you tried 'refreshing' the desktop from the R/click desktop context menu to regain your other icons ?

Failing that you can also 'rebuild' the icon cache.

How to Rebuild a Broken Icon Cache in Windows 10

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Hello Lemon Welcome to the Ten Forums!

The one absolute refresh option following any update seeing the tiles changed would be the use of the System Restore point created at the time to undo the update! As for a more permanent solution however tiles are intended for things that remain on the system at all times not things you take with you on a flash drive. Desktop shortcuts are the usual preferred option since those can be dragged into a folder from the Desktop sub folder found under the user account when not having the removable flash drive, flash card, or other device like smart phone plugged in.

For a long time resolve? Moving the apps into temp folders on the drive perhaps temp sub folders for each app under one main folder would allow for a permanent address on the C drive usually seen or other drive if more then one are present to see the tiles remain intact. You would simply run the portable apps from inside folders on one of internal drives for seeing that tended to.

 

Thanks, quite a nice forum, indeed!

I know that MS didn't really intend the tiles to be used with portable apps on removable drives so I'm aware I'm stretching their purpose a bit - it's just that the windows 10 tiles are perfect for this purpose because I can create program groups - so I have a separate program group for portable apps and have them all organized cleanly. Having a folder with shortcuts is less convenient than a one-click or one-keypress windows start menu.

If I understand your idea well I would need to have my portable apps on my local drive - but then they would no longer be portable, would they? The whole point is in having them on my removable drive.

However, you idea led me to another idea, which appears to be the solution for me! I installed IconExtract which I used to extract icons from all of my portable app exe files - it can be easily done in one go. I saved those icons to a folder on my C drive and then went to the folder where the start menu shortcuts are kept: C:\Users\Me\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs (this folder can be easily opened by right click options on the tiles). Then in the properties of each portable app shortcut I changed the icon to the one on my C drive - the icons beautifully reappeared one by one and I think they will remain there permanently because now they are located on the local drive.

 

That's an idea too! Another approach for temporary items like portable apps would be seeing a new toolbar added onto the main taskbar where you can store shortcuts that will be self contained in that type of jump list. Since Windows 7 did away with the Quick Launch bar or section for drag on items you could add to the old XP or Vista main taskbar 7 and later have had the option for not only pinning things to the taskbar but adding a new toolbar type jump list you can create with any folder on the drive! Quick Launch toolbar - Add or Remove in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

If you want the Recycle Bin's icon on the main taskbar that can be put there as well. Plus with the right click on each new toolbar you can change the view size to have those shortcuts appear twice as large or smaller then what is already pinned. You can also expand things to have toolbars for each category depending how many portable as well as regular installed programs you have. So you have a few more options as well. *Smile

 

Yeah, I've tried the toolbars on the taskbar some time ago but I've never been a fan of them because they are not elegant, I suppose MS never paid much attention to them and to me they don't look that nice. And I think keyboard access to them is not as easy as to the start menu, which can be opened with a single Win key.

Anyway, I'll mark this thread as resolved even though I haven't found a real way to refresh the tile icons. However, I've noticed that when the icons reside on the local drive then the OS keeps them fresh and when I change an icon in a shortcut's property it is changed in the start menu immediately. So my conclusion is it is best not to keep the icons on a removable drive.

 

Well that was the assessment made here rather quickly about tiles and portable apps. To keep them maintained they need to be maintained by being present at all times as you would see with anything else. The tiles are a workdown from the Metro screen which had been in 8, 8.1 while the Start full screen option is now limited to the tablet mode rather then the in your face approach MS took when stripping the Start menu and other things completely out of 8!

The additional Quick Launch type tool bar is simply a help when not wanting to unlock and widen out the main taskbar itself. The Stardock CircleDock and RocketDock freebie toolbars and popup circle for the other hold a number of shortcuts to take up some of the busy main taskbar's load when full of pinned items. With a Quick bar expanded however you suddenly see a library of items in view however. Now here's a look at a busy machine with the XP Mode and another Linux VM running at the same time the taskbars! were rather busy! *Eek*chuckle





These days with 10 things can still get a little busy and with the next look here you won't see the RocketDock app on the bottom right side being on the second of the two desktops.





The main taskbar as you will notice has a half dozen additional toolbars with the last two for gaming there while the Quick Bar serves as the launch for the second or third instance of a browser window when the pinned icon is busy and unavailable on the main taskbar there and you need a second window. The open new window option is a hidden from view option seen with the open source browsers however. After awhile they can become busy dots appearance wise that is.