Office Icons are all missing/replaced by generic white icons

Anonymous
2010-08-03T08:01:12+00:00

For some reason all my office products (word, excel, outlook, access etc.) icons in the start menu and desktop task bar have all been replaced by the generic white icons.

I am unable to uninstall or repair this. I believe (from what I've read on the internet) that it is connected to the "C:\windows\installer" folder and the Office installer files.

Can this problem be solved without having to re-install windows ( as that is the only way I think its possible to be albe to reset the office suite).

Cheers,

Jurgens

Microsoft 365 and Office | Install, redeem, activate | For home | Windows

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
2011-09-24T16:39:18+00:00

I had the same issue as everyone here and I think I've FINALLY figured out a solution!

Go to c:/Program Files/Microsoft Office/Office 14

Right click on each program icon individually and unpin from BOTH your Taskbar and/or Start Menu. (e.g. EXCEL.EXE, MSACCESS.EXE, MSPUB.EXE, OUTLOOK.EXE, POWERPNT.EXE, WINWORD.EXE, etc.)

Then right click and select  "Pin to Start Menu" (not to Taskbar).

Do this for each program you want to eventually make it onto your Taskbar.

Now go to Start and then for each program (that should now show in start menu with the actual Microsoft Office icon), right click and select "Pin to Taskbar".

You can then Remove each one from the Start Menu if you wish by right clicking again and selecting "Remove from this List".

Your icons should now be back to their original format.

I've rebooted my system several times so far and the icons have remained.

Hopefully this will work for everyone else as well!

Good Luck!!!

Was this answer helpful?

600+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

123 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2016-02-17T09:35:58+00:00

    I opened REGEDIT.  The "Default" is exactly same like what you wrote.  (see below pic).

    I just installed Window 10 today, by hoping it can fix the generic icons problem. Unfortunately, the problem still there... 

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2016-02-16T15:07:33+00:00

    Can you open the Registry Editor (REGEDIT) and try to find out the "Default" value in, for example:

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Addin\DefaultIcon

    The Default value should be something like :

    C:\Windows\Installer**{90120000-0011-0000-0000-0000000FF1CE}**\xlicons.exe,6

    There are too many entries in the registry to edit, but the 90120000-etc. might be different for your version of office. If you rename the folder I sent under c:\windows\installer to match the DefaultIcon value you can see in your registry it "should" hopefully start to display the Default icon like it is supposed to.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2016-02-16T12:42:04+00:00

    Hi Pix,

    I did as your guide. 

    Upon saving the unzip file into Installer, I noticed I do have the same file.

    Anyway, I moved away my orginal file to other location, save the fresh file into Installer.

    After Refresh and Restart, the missing icons are still there.

    All my Office and the respective saved files are in generic icons (only except Word .doc), all Office files can be opened normally but just the icon are in generic. (as picture below)

    Clueless.. 

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2016-02-16T12:11:29+00:00

    Thank you for your prompt reply

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments