Windows 10: Why do some icons keep changing to white files?

So here is some context: I hate the start menu is made & how you can't show all the applications on Windows 11. To access some, you would have to keep scrolling which is annoying. Plus, I have a lot of applications I use daily. If I used the taskbar, it would be completely full & felt cluttered or messy. So, I found out recently you can make folder which then store the applications which then once you click the folder it would open them up a window with them all inside.BUT...Now some of the applications icons have turned into a white piece of paper! It still opens the program but it's

:)

 

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?

 

Windows 10 White Icons

After the last update my icons turned white and I can't get them back. The only icons that appear new icons like Edge, Microsoft Store, Microsoft Mail and Snip & Sketch. Chrome, Adobe Reader DC, File Explorer and so on, show a white page symbol. Even if
I go to file properties and change the icon (even from another file) still same white page.

I tried a few things, including:

• going to %localappdata% and deleting IconCache.db, followed by a restart
• ran SFC Scan
• DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth

No change. All users have the same problem.

This is very annoying and should be very basic.

 

Changing the taskbar color to white in Windows 10

Hi Michael,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Community. Your interest in Windows 10 is much appreciated.

In Windows 10 there is no option for changing the color to white but you can change it to different colors. To change the color of the task bar I suggest you to follow the below steps and check if it helps.

• In the search box, type settings.
• Then select personalization.
• Click on color option on the left side.
• You will find an option called “show color on start, taskbar and start icon”.
• You need to on the option and then you can change the color accordingly.

Hope this information was helpful and do let us know if you need further assistance. We will be glad to assist.