My icons don't show but application names do.

Question

My icons don't show but application names do.

Juan Szymanski 5

Screenshot 2026-01-16 192718

My desktop is showing my application names, but not my icons. I've looked at other threads, but none of them have proved useful. Strangely, Task Manager stopped working as well. Please help!

0 comments

4 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

hi ! i had this same problem and found (through this https://www.reddit.com/r/computerhelp/comments/1gmbr1p/solution_for_icon_invisible_properties_and_task/? reddit post) that these steps helped solve it

Win + R

type in "regedit"

typically, it will take u to "Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons" automatically but if not then manually navigate to it

double click on the file that is named "29" and delete it

restart ur device

this should fix the invisible icons and the task manager not opening ദ്ദി( ´ ▽ ` )

u probably encountered the problem a while after removing the arrow beside app icons (just like a lot of us lolol)

Answer 2

GsN5034 - IA 76,730 Independent Advisor

Hello,

Did you try the System Restore Method?

If you're still experiencing issues,

Go to Start > Settings > System > Recovery > Fix Problems using Windows Update - Select Reinstall now.

User's image

This will download and repair the existing OS, download and install it.

See if this works.

0 comments

Answer 3

GsN5034 - IA 76,730 Independent Advisor

Hello, thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Method 1. Run the System File Checker Utility Scan.

Open the Command Prompt (Administrator) window.

Run these commands one by one and click Enter for each command.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

sfc /scannow

Once completed, restart your computer and see if the icons appear again.

Method 2. Run System Restore.

Click Windows + R key, type rstrui.exe and click ok.
Click Next > Select the recent date/time you would like to restore your computer.
See if the icons appear again after the system restore method.

Let me know if you still need more help.

Juan Szymanski 5 Reputation points

2026-01-17T04:51:53.6833333+00:00

Thanks for the response. However, when I tried the first suggestion, the progress bar for the Cleanup command (DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth) was (and is still) stuck on 62.3% with no sign of budging. I decided to try the second suggestion, and was told I needed to turn on system protection. When I attempted to configure the settings, I was met with a "Catastrophic Failure" message. Am I potentially doing something wrong? Again, thank you for your help.
Juan Szymanski 5 Reputation points

2026-01-17T16:42:50.4766667+00:00

update: after leaving the console running overnight, the progress bar completed, yet nothing happened after I restarted my computer.

Answer 4

If your desktop is showing application names but not the icons, it may be due to issues with the icon cache or the Shell Experience Host. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue:

Clear the Icon Cache:
- Open Task Manager (you may need to use Ctrl + Shift + Esc).
- Find Windows Explorer in the Processes tab, right-click it, and select End task.
- Go to File > Run new task, type cmd.exe, and create a task with administrative privileges.
- In the command prompt, type the following commands:
```
     CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local
     DEL IconCache.db /a
```
- Restart Windows Explorer by going back to Task Manager, selecting File > Run new task, typing explorer.exe, and pressing Enter.

Register Shell Experience Host:

Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.

Run the following command:

     Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*ShellExperienceHost*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}

Restart your system.

Check IconHandler in the Registry:
- Open the Registry Editor by typing regedit in the Start menu.
- Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile\shellex\IconHandler and check the (Default) value. It should be {00021401-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}.
- Ensure that the corresponding CLSID values are correct in the registry.

If Task Manager is also not functioning, it may indicate a broader issue with your Windows installation. You might consider running a system file check or restoring your system to a previous state if the problem persists.

References: