Icons missing their specialized image

Anonymous
2010-02-09T23:59:53+00:00

Some of the shortcuts on my desktop and start menu are missing their images. For example I have the Windows Live icon that is pinned to the taskbar but it is showing the default MS OS image (the one when the OS does not reconize the file the shortcut targets). Six out of 8 icons on my desktop are missing their images. The shortcuts work fine. No problems. The OS is up to date as far as downloads are concerned.

I turned off my computer Friday (2/5) and turned it on Sunday 2/7 and the icons were messed up. Like I said not all the icons are messed up. It is like the images the shortcuts pointed to were deleted somehow.

I would appreciate your help.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2010-02-10T21:58:26+00:00

Hi tagger1961,

Have you recently installed or uninstalled any software or hardware?

I would suggest you to rebuild the icon cache and check if the issue is resolved.

Rebuilding the Icon Cache Database:

1.  Close all folder windows that are currently open.

2.  Launch Task Manager using the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence, or by running taskmgr.exe.

3.  In the Process tab, right-click on the Explorer.exe process and select End Process.

4.  Click the End process button when asked for confirmation.

5.  From the File menu of Task Manager, select New Task (Run…)

6.  Type CMD.EXE, and click OK

7.   In the Command Prompt window, type the commands one by one and press ENTER after each command:

CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

DEL IconCache.db /a

EXIT

8.  In Task Manager, click File, select New Task (Run…)

9.  Type EXPLORER.EXE, and click OK.

If the issue still persist, I would suggest you to create a new user account and check.

To create a user account:

1.      To open User Accounts, click the Start button, click Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety, and then click User Accounts.

2.      Click Manage another account. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3.      Click Create a new account.

4.      Type the name you want to give the user account, click an account type, and then click Create Account.

For further information, visit the below mentioned link:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/Windows7/Create-a-user-account

If the issue is solved in new user account, you may have corrupted profile.

Below is the link  to troulbleshoot a corrupted profile, you can follow the steps mentioned in the link.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows7/Fix-a-corrupted-user-profile

 Hope this information helped!

 Thanks and regards,

 Fouzan – Microsoft support.

 Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum 

 http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-%20US/answersfeedback/threads and let 

 us know what you think.

Was this answer helpful?

600+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

90 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2015-02-11T19:18:57+00:00

    hmmm... You must have another problem, your msi library may not be working properly. Special attention to uninstall Mic. 2003 is to use the own cd, is more reliable. There was a Microsoft tool (Windows Install Clean Up) that allowed completely clean installation of Microsoft. http://support2.microsoft.com/kb/290301

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-02-11T18:19:16+00:00

    I did that, put in a new Graphics Card, and of course all the Microsoft Updates have always been done, even up to the one's yesterday 2/10/15, and still the Icons are not there for Microsoft Office, 2003.

    Sad, I can't get this lady to move to a later version (2007, or 2010 Office). Even tried reinstalling Microsoft Office 2003, but for Windows 7, that didn't work at all, (plus then since Microsoft dropped their support for the numerous bug fixes (service packs) for Microsoft Office 2003.

    So, hmmm, what to try next?? Thanks Edmund Santana for what to try.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2015-02-10T20:55:19+00:00

    After nx AlwaysOff, reinstal the latest graphics card, and get all the updates of the windows, and at the end nx optin.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2015-02-10T04:25:05+00:00

    All these suggestions didn't work (even creating a new User Profile) didn't work, deleted the iconcache.db file several times, (that did nothing also), and oddly it is only the Microsoft Office Icons that turned blank, even tried reloading and doing a repair for Office, that didn't work either. So, what's left to try?

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments