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 icons in the start menu and desktop task bar have all been replaced by the generic white icons.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 No 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 No comments

123 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
  1. Anonymous
    2015-09-24T13:07:06+00:00

    Go to microsoft office-- microsoft office tools-- microsoft office picture manager-- help-- detect and repair-- check restore my shortcuts while repairing. 

    This should restore all the microsoft office shortcuts and icons

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-15T01:35:27+00:00

    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU JD!!!  I was one of the unfortunate people that Windows 10 didn't work for and in fact it wrecked havoc on my Microsoft Surface Pro.  Ultimately Microsoft told me to uninstall it but when I went back to Windows 8.1 it was not a clean transition back and I lost all my Microsoft Office icons.  I've reloaded four times but nothing showed.  I used your helpful hint and now everything is at least in my start folder if not in my All Programs folder....accessible, and as a graduate student that's all I need...access. So today, to me, you are a GOD!!!  And I am extremely thankful for your helpful advice!!!!

    U ROCK!!!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2015-09-03T22:05:59+00:00

    So you cannot find the "Office Tools" or "Tools" folder under MS Office in your Windows start menu?

    Try using a file name search tool to find Picture Manager.  Use one like the one built into Windows Explorer, or a third party one (personally I've used "Everything" from Void tools. I think it is much better than Win Explorer).

    Another possibility is that you did a custom install and selected to not install it.  You can try going back and doing a custom install to install just Picture Manager.

    In theory, the detect and repair triggered from Picture Manager help menu should be the same as doing an Office Repair from the control panel, but ... , since it is an "old" tool, it may be triggering something slightly different.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2015-09-03T17:11:40+00:00

    Thanks Rohn007.   I'm running Windows 7 Professional and Office Professional 2010 and I can't find either Office Tools nor Picture manager.  So if you or anyone else out there can help me find it I'd be most grateful.

    TIA

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments No comments