How to fix desktop blank icons on Windows 10/11 [Full Guide]
by Matthew Adams
Windows & Software Expert
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles on various topics related to technology. His main focus is the Windows OS and all the things surrounding it. He is passionate about... Read more
Updated: Feb 18, 2021
Posted: July 2020
Affiliate Disclosure
- Some users have been baffled by Windows 10 blank icons shortcuts on their desktops.
- The blank Windows 10 desktop icons still open their assigned software but it's still a disturbing problem.
- A straightforward solution is to manually replace the icons but this can be pretty time-consuming.
- You can also use some line-command tools as shown below to fix the blank icons in Windows 10.
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Some users have posted on Microsofts support forum about blank desktop icons. For those users, the Windows 10 desktop displays blank, white icons instead of software icons.
However, desktop shortcuts do still open their software. This is what one user said of the issue in a forum post:
I am facing a problem that the icons of some shortcuts like XBOX, Weather, Calendar, etc. have a white blank icon only. But the apps are working properly by clicking on the shortcuts.
In todays guide, we will explore this issue and discuss how to fix blank icons in Windows 10.
How can I fix the blank desktop icons in Windows 10?
1. Manually change icons
- First, try manually changing the blank icons on the desktop by right-clicking their software shortcuts and selecting Properties.
- Click the Change Icon button on the Shortcut tab.
- Then you can select an alternative icon on the Change Icon window.
- Alternatively, click Browse to choose a downloaded icon.
- Click the OK button.
- Select the Apply option.
- Press the OK button to exit the window.
2. Run DISM and System File Checker scans
- Click the Type here to search button on the left side of Windows 10s taskbar.
- Input cmd in the search utility that opens.
- Select Run as administrator under Command Prompt to start it with administrator privileges.
- Type the following command and press Enter: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth
- Then input sfc /scannow and press Return to initiate your system file scan.
- Wait for the system scan to finish. Restart Windows if it repairs system files.
3. Rebuild the icon cache
- Open File Explorer by pressing the Windows key + E keyboard shortcut for it.
- Click the View tab.
- Next, select the Hidden items checkbox.
- Open the following path: C:\Users\(your user folder)\AppData\Local folder
- Right-click the IconCache.db file to select the Delete option.
- Click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop.
- Click the Empty Recycle Bin option.
- Restart Windows 10 after deleting the IconCache.db file.
This process will automatically rebuild the icon cache and restore your icons so the problem should be solved.
4. Disable the tablet mode
- To disable tablet mode in Windows 10, click Settings on the Start menu.
- Click System to open further options.
- Click Tablet mode on the left of the Settings window.
- If tablet mode is selected, select Use desktop mode on the When I sign in menu.
- Restart Windows after selecting Use desktop mode.
5. Restart Windows Explorer
- Right-click on the taskbar and select Task Manager.
- Look for the Windows Explorer process and click on it.
- Click on the Restart button from the bottom right corner.
This procedure will reload the icon cache from File Explorer and also its components. As a consequence, your desktop icons should go back to their original colors.
6. Rollback Windows 10
- Press the Windows key and R at the same time to launch the Run accessory.
- Input rstrui in the Open box and click the OK option.
- Select the Choose a different restore point option if the System Restore window includes it.
- Click the Next button to proceed.
- Click Show more restore points to fully expand the list of restore points.
- Select a restore point.
- You can click Scan for affected programs to see what software a selected restore point removes.
- Click Next to continue.
- Select the Finish option to roll back Windows 10.
7. Reset Windows
- Open the search utility in Windows 10.
- Type the keyword reset into the search utility.
- Click Reset this PC to open Settings as in the shot directly below.
- Click the Get started button to open the Reset this PC window.
- Click the Keep my files option.
- Press the Next and Reset buttons to restore Windows 10 to its factory settings.
The above resolutions are among the most likely fixes for blank desktop icons. A lot of users have been able to fix desktop icons with the System File Checker or by rebuilding the icon cache.
If any of your icons are corrupted, check out our detailed guide on the topic.
If these fixes arent enough to resolve the problem, we recommend that you try restoring or resetting Windows 10.
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