Windows 10: How to Fix Appearance of Desktop Taskbar Icons/Apps

Some - but not all - icons apps on my HP Pavillion desktop taskbar show as greyed-out squares. I am using Windows 11 browser is Google Chrome. Some icons, like Google Chrome, Google Drive, Microsoft Word, and Files display normally, while Settings, HP Smart, and Microsoft Store display as gray squares. All of these work when selected.

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System Icons on taskbar

Hi,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Communities.

Are you referring to the clock system icon on the taskbar?

If so, I suggest you to follow the steps mentioned below:

• 
  Click on the search bar on the taskbar.
  
• 
  Type system icons.
  
• 
  Under Turn System Icons ON or OFF, turn On the Clock and check with the issue.
  

Hope it helps.

 

Cannot change desktop icon

Sometimes a desktop icon changes from what it was to a plain white folder. Might be something I did but not sure what.

To change it to the icon I want, I go:

1. Rt-click icon > Properties > Change icon
2. I select the icon I want from the thumbnails of icons.
3. Click OK
4. Click Apply

But the icon does not change. It just stays looking like a white folder.
HOWEVER, if I pin the icon to the taskbar, the icon on the taskbar does look like the icon I selected in step-2. So the change is registered with Win10 but the icon on the desktop just doesn't change.

Any ideas on how to fix this?

 

Why is the icon not appearing on taskbar?

Did the 2 steps but still the icon in taskbar appears 50% of the time.