Windows 10: White folder overlays on desktop folder shortcut icons

It happened suddenly, today. I have 4 shortcuts on my desktop which I use to quickly save files to the various folders. I selected the Icons to make them look good and distinguish between them. After an upgrade they displayed white overlays which add nothing to their usefulness and look cruddy. I hope there's a way to get rid of them.

They do not show in File Explorer or Total Commander thumbnail view, only on the desktop. I think they work like the shortcut arrows. Maybe they replace the arrows.

I recently signed up as an Insider and currently using 161014. If there is a more appropriate forum please let me know.

Addendum: I just made a shortcut to a program rather than a subdirectory. It, too, has the white blob. So it is a replacement for the arrow.


:)

 

Is there any way to get the original icons to display again after the shortcuts are moved into a folder?

Original Title: Shortcut icons lost when moved into folder.

Often when I move shortcuts from the desktop into a newly created folder, the shortcuts lose their icons. The shortcuts are still fully functional when inside the folder, but they are just blank white rectangles.

Why does this happen? Is there any way to get the original icons to display again after the shortcuts are moved into a folder?

 

Blank file explorer icon.

Fix Blank or White Shortcut Icons on Desktop

Once in a while, the shortcut icons on the Windows desktop may suddenly been changed or became blank or ‘white paper’ icon, where supposedly the icons should be colorful and customized in style and color. It’s as if the icon for the shortcut has been removed
or unassigned, and been replaced with default blank icon in white.

The bug happens whenever there is corruption in icon cache database. For example, in Windows 7 pre-RC release, a network connection or broadband connection shortcut’s icon placed on desktop by user manually will go haywire and turn into blank default icon if
there is another third-party program places an icon on desktop later.

In order to fix the problem where shortcut icons turn to blank icon, try to refresh or rebuild the cache database for icons. There are many system management software utilities that may reset the icon cache db automatically, but here’s how to reset the icon
cache db manually.

To refresh and reset the icons cache, go to the following folder:

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\

To see the hidden AppData folder, go to Organize -> Folder and Search Options ->
View tab, and select Show hidden files, folders and drives, and uncheck
Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).

Once inside the folder, delete IconCache.db. Create a new file named IconCache.db, and set it to
Read Only attribute in Properties (if the file is not read only, the cache won’t be reset). Then restart the computer. Remove the Read Only attribute of IconCache.db file, and the icons cache will be refreshed. The step will restore the desktop
shortcut icons to their lawfully icons.

Reference: Fix Blank or White Shortcut Icons on Desktop « My Digital Life

 

Hello tcebob. *Smile

You might see if restoring the default shortcut arrow overlay icons may be able to have them show again.

Shortcut Arrow Icon - Change, Remove, or Restore in Windows 10

 

Many thanks. I simply removed the string value (which pointed to WinaeroTweaker), restarted explorer, and the blobs are gone.