Windows 10: Some desktop icons changed to blanks

Several days ago, after a Windows update, some desktop icons Calculator Snipping Tool, WhatsApp changed to blanks. How can I restore them?

:)

 

Desktop chrome shortcut icons turned into blank papers!!!

Hi

Welcome to Microsoft community.

It's possible that the antivirus app you installed, RAV endpoint protection, caused the issue with your Chrome shortcut icons turning into blank papers. Antivirus apps can sometimes interfere with the functioning of other programs, including changing the appearance of icons.

To resolve this issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Restart your computer: Sometimes, a simple restart can fix minor issues with icons.
   
2. Rebuild the icon cache: The icon cache is a database that stores the icons for all the files and programs on your computer. If the cache becomes corrupted, it can cause issues with icons. To rebuild the icon cache, follow these steps:
   
   • Open File Explorer and navigate to the following folder: C:\Users[Your Username]\AppData\Local
     
   • Locate the "IconCache.db" file and delete it (you may need to enable the option to show hidden files and folders in File Explorer settings).
     
   • Restart your computer.
     
3. Reset Chrome shortcuts: If the issue persists only with Chrome shortcuts, you can try resetting them by following these steps:
   
   • Right-click on the blank paper icon and select "Properties."
     
   • In the Properties window, click on the "Shortcut" tab.
     
   • Click on the "Change Icon" button.
     
   • In the "Change Icon" window, click on the "Restore Defaults" button.
     
   • Click "OK" to save the changes.
     

Please note that these steps are general suggestions, and it's always a good idea to back up your important files before making any changes to your system.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any further updates, thanks.

Best regards

Derrick Qian | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

 

ALL icons missing/blank (desktop, taskbar, explorer)

Hi dalchina,

Thanks for your response.

I tried the steps suggested in your links but neither have worked :/

 

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?