Do you find yourself all happy with your Desktop aesthetics and then suddenly you notice an icon that is blank and sticking out like a sore thumb? It is quite annoying, isn’t it? The issue with the Blank icon is nothing new and Windows 11 is not immune to this either. There could be many reasons behind this such as icon cache issues or outdated applications. Well, if you also get your OCD ticking seeing this blank icon ruining the whole vibe as I do, let me tell you that I understand your pain. Hence, we are going to fix blank icons in Windows 11.
Table of Contents
There are multiple ways to fix blank icons on Desktop in Windows 11 depending on the cause behind it. We have listed the most common ways of troubleshooting this issue below.
Method 1: Manually Add App Icons
Follow the steps mentioned below to manually add missing app icon in the blank icon file:
1. Right-click on the blank icon and select Properties from the context menu, as shown.
2. In the Shortcut tab of the Properties window, click on the Change Icon… button.
3. In the Change Icon window, select your desired icon from the list and click on OK.
4. Click on Apply > OK to save these changes.
Also Read: How to Restore Missing Recycle Bin Icon in Windows 11
Method 2: Run DISM and SFC Scans
Here’s how to fix blank icons in Windows 11 by running DISM and SFC scans:
1. Press the Windows key and type Command Prompt. Click on Run as administrator to launch Elevated Command Prompt.
2. Click on Yes in the User Account Control prompt.
3. Type given commands and press the Enter key to scan & rectify issues in OS files:
- DISM /Online /cleanup-image /scanhealth
- DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /restorehealth
Note: Your computer must be connected to the internet to execute this command properly.
4. Restart your PC & open Elevated Command Prompt once again.
5. Execute SFC /scannow command, as depicted below.
6. Restart your computer.
Also Read: How to Pin Apps to Taskbar on Windows 11
Method 3: Restart Windows Explorer
Here’s how to fix blank icons on Windows 11 by restarting Windows Explorer:
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys together to open Task Manager.
2. Scroll down the list of active processes in the Processes tab and click on Windows Explorer.
3. Then, click on Restart on the bottom right-hand corner, shown highlighted.
Also Read: How to Disable Startup Programs in Windows 11
Method 4: Clear Icon Cache
Another method to fix blank icons on Windows 11 is by clearing the icon cache. Follow these steps to do so:
1. Press Windows + E keys together to open File Explorer.
2. Click on View in the Menu bar.
3. From the list that appears, click on Show > Hidden items, as depicted below.
4. Type the following location path in the address bar and press the Enter key:
C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local
5. Scroll down and select the file named IconCache.db
6. Delete the file by pressing the Shift + Del keys together.
7. Click on Delete in the confirmation prompt and restart your PC.
Also Read: How to Change Desktop Icons on Windows 11
Method 5: Update Troublesome App
This cannot be stressed enough that you should keep all apps up to date, at all times, at all costs. Most of the issues that you face with any program can be resolved by a simple update. Updating the app depends on the application and the source of the app.
- If you installed the app from Microsoft Store, you can update it from the Library page of the Microsoft Store app.
- In case you installed the app using an installer downloaded from the internet, click the Update option in the app itself.
- Or, Download the update from the official app website and install the update manually like any other normal installation.
You can follow our article on How to Update Apps on Windows 11 for a more comprehensive explanation of the same.
Method 6: Reinstall Troublesome App
As quite obvious, all issues with an app can be rectified by reinstalling the said app. You can also do the same from Settings app, as follows:
1. Press Windows + X to open Windows 11 Quick Link menu.
2. Click Apps and features from the list.
3. Scroll through the list of installed apps and click on the three-dotted icon for the app that you want to uninstall. e.g. uTorrent.
4. Select the Uninstall option, as shown.
5. Click on Uninstall in the confirmation pop-up, as depicted.
Recommended:
- How to Disable Touchpad Gestures in Windows 11
- How to Block Windows 11 Update Using GPO
- How to Disable Notification Badges in Windows 11
- How to Debloat Windows 11
We hope this article helped you out with understanding how to fix blank icons in Windows 11. Send us your suggestions and questions in the comment section below.
If you see white blank icons on Windows 11/10 Desktop, then it’s because the OS cannot load the icons attached to those programs and files. Windows maintains a database of icons which is used often instead of loading everything from the source. If that Icon Cache gets corrupted, then you will see these types of blank icons in Windows. In this post, we will share some suggestions on how you can fix the problem.
It may seem like a minor issue, especially with many who don’t keep anything on the desktop; however, the user experience is annoying. If you don’t have a shortcut on the taskbar, and you thought of launching from the Desktop, this will make you feel uncomfortable.
Follow these methods to resolve the problem.
- Delete IconCache
- Manually assign a new icon
- Reinstall Application or Software
You may need admin permission for the command prompt solution.
1] Delete IconCache
Windows maintains a database for all icons in the IconCache.db file. It is located at C:\%userprofile%\AppData\Local. You can delete it using the command line if it doesn’t work directly from Windows Explorer.
To rebuild the icon cache in Windows 10, you will have to follow this procedure:
- Open Command Prompt by typing cmd in the Start menu, and then choose to run as admin.
- First, navigate to the Local folder.
cd C:\%userprofile%\AppData\Local
- Once here, check if you can find the iconcache database by typing its name
- Now that you know it is there type the following to delete
del IconCache.db
- Right-click on the taskbar and switch to the Processes tab
- Locate Windows Explorer, right-click and choose to restart
Next, you will have to navigate to the following folder:
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
Here you will see a lot of files like iconcache_32.db, iconcache_48.db, iconcache_96.db, iconcache_256.db, iconcache_1024.db, iconcache_1280.db, iconcache_1600.db, iconcache_1920.db, iconcache_2560.db, iconcache_exif.db, iconcache_idx.db, iconcache_sr.db, iconcache_wide.dd, iconcache_wide_alternate.db, etc.
Delete them all to purge and rebuild your icon cache in Windows 10.
This will force Windows to refresh iconcache, and remove the white blank icons. Refresh the Desktop, and the icons should be good.
Alternatively, you may want to use Thumbnail and Icon Cache Rebuilder, which lets you purge and rebuild Thumbnail & Icon Cache in a click.
Read: Desktop icons rearrange and move after reboot.
2] Manually assign a new icon
Windows Personalization allows you to change the icon of any shortcut or icon on the desktop.
- Right-click on the icon, and then select properties.
- Then click on the change icon.
- It will then open another window that will show the list of icons available for that program and other icons.
- Please select any of them, and then click on the ok button.
- Apply the changes, and white icons should be missing.
Read: Desktop Icons not working.
3] Reinstall the Program or Software
If a particular application whose icon is all white, it is possible that the program is not available on Windows. Double-clicking on the icon will reveal the problem. In this case, the straightforward way is to install the application icon and refresh it.
Read: Windows icon spacing messed up.
Missing icons on Windows is not something serious and happens from time to time. Make sure you get these solutions or replace them with an alternative icon so the user experience is not spoiled.
I hope the post was useful, and you were able to fix the white blank icons on Windows desktop issue.
Now read: Desktop icons slow to load.
How to fix white or blank Icons on the Windows 10 and 11 Desktop or Taskbar
Fix Icons quickly Windows 10 and 11
A single Command is enough to quickly repair the Icons on the Desktop
Press Windows Key + R and type:
Confirm with OK and the Icons flicker briefly and the defective Icon should now be displayed correctly again.
How-To create a new Bat File:
Right click on the Desktop -> New -> Text Document
Copy and save the Content from one of the List
Now right click on the new File and rename the File Extension form ".txt to .bat" or download one of my Releases
Clear the Icon Cache
@echo off
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
del /f /s /q Explorer\iconcache*.*
start explorer.exe
Clear the Thumbnail Cache
@echo off
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
del /f /s /q Explorer\thumbcache*.*
start explorer.exe
Clear Icon and Thumbnail Cache
The Icon and Thumb Cache contains all Icons in different Sizes starting from 16 px up to 2560 px.
Since these Caches are always in use, you can’t just right-click on iconcache.db or thumbcache.db to delete them.
@echo off
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
del /f /s /q Explorer\iconcache*.*
del /f /s /q Explorer\thumbcache*.*
start explorer.exe
Now simply copy this File into the user Folder C:\Users\Your Name and double-click there.
The Command will now be executed and the Cache cleared.
During execution it can happen that a File is not deleted with the Message «Access denied».
These Files then end up in the ThumbCacheToDelete Folder. After a Restart, these Files are also deleted.
Clear everything from the Explorer Folder
@echo off
taskkill /f /IM explorer.exe
cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
del /f /s /q Explorer\*.*
start explorer.exe
Now simply copy this File into the User Folder C:\Users\Your Name and double-click there.
The Command will now be executed and the Cache cleared.
During execution it can happen that a file is not deleted with the message «Access denied».
These files then end up in the ThumbCacheToDelete folder.
After a restart, these files are also deleted.
If there is no change yet, then:
Right click on the Taskbar and start the Task Manager
Select explorer.exe there and press "Restart" at the bottom right.
If that doesn’t help either, then:
Windows Key + R
Enter shutdown -g -t 0 and restart the Computer.
Now the Icon Cache should have rebuilt itself and display everything.
Clear Icons in the Taskbar
Important: First remove the «broken» Shortcut from the Taskbar.
Enter Command Prompt in the search and right-click to start as Administrator.
Now enter/copy these Commands one after the other.
(Don’t be alarmed if the wallpaper disappears for a short Time)
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
taskkill /f /im shellexperiencehost.exe
del %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\TempState\* /q
start explorer
The Wallpaper and the Icons are now visible again and the Icons in the Taskbar build up again. You should now be able to re-pin the new Shortcut and the Icon will be visible again.
Clear all Icons in the Taskbar — reset
If that doesn’t help either, it definitely helps if you delete the Icon Entries in the Taskbar and start over from Scratch.
A Batch File is sufficient for this.
DEL /F /S /Q /A "%AppData%\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar\*"
REG DELETE HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Taskband /F
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
start explorer.exe
Run the File with a double click.
The Desktop goes dark for a Moment and the Taskbar now rebuilds itself.
Now you can pin your Icons to the Taskbar again as you are used to.
(This does not affect the Start Menu Icon, Search, Widgets and the Icon for the virtual Desktops)
Clear Icons and Tiles in the Start Menu
@echo off
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
taskkill /f /im shellexperiencehost.exe
timeout /t 3 /NOBREAK > nul
del %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\TempState\* /q
timeout /t 1 /NOBREAK > nul
start explorer
@echo on
Clear Icons and Tiles in the Start Menu — From Windows 10 1903
@echo off
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
taskkill /f /im StartMenuExperienceHost.exe
timeout /t 3 /NOBREAK > nul
del %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\TempState\* /q
timeout /t 1 /NOBREAK > nul
start explorer
@echo on
Now double click on this File. When asked, confirm with Y for yes and have it done.
Among other things, explorer.exe is terminated and the three Files mentioned above are deleted.
After restarting explorer.exe, a new Cache is created.
For Explanation:
/f Also deletes read-only Files
/s Deletes all Files, including Subdirectories
/q There is no Query about the Wildcards
If you are using Windows 11 or Windows 10 and have recently noticed that some of your Taskbar or Desktop icons are blank or white. This article will show you how to quickly and easily restore any blank or white icons that have appears on your Taskbar and Desktop.
Related: How to unpin stuck icons from the Windows 10 Taskbar. (Can’t unpin/remove icons from Taskbar on Windows 11)
Program and app icons are something we all take for granted until they suddenly stop working. Not only do they keep your system looking clean, organised and tidy, they also let you quickly and easily find and use the software installed on your system. Which is why icons resetting to blank or white defaults is such a pain. Thankfully in most cases getting the program or apps original icon back is usually really easy.
On Windows 10 and 11, the main reason an app or software will lose its icon is if it is uninstalled or corrupted. Generally, an uninstallation is deliberate, whereas corruption is accidental however there are times when this can go either way. For example, I recently had problems with Adobe Premiere Pro failing to launch from its icon and discovered that somewhere along the line, without any interference on my part, that something became damaged, requiring a reinstallation.
Thankfully, this entire process hasn’t really changed much from Windows 10 so you won’t have any issues fixing this problem on Windows 11. Before you start any of the steps shown below, double-check that the program you are wanting to restore the icon for is actually working and installed on your PC. I know that sounds silly but you’d be surprised how many stupid things can happen on Windows.
- To restore an icon to a shortcut on the Desktop on Windows 11 you’ll need to do the following. First, find the icon then right-click on it and select Properties.
- Stay on the Shortcuts tab and click Change Icon at the bottom of the window. This will bring up a new window with a list of all the available icons for the app/program you are checking. (Some apps/programs have more than others, this is normal)
- Now simply select an icon from the list, click Ok, then click Apply. This will update the icon. On odd occasions, you may have to wait a few seconds or refresh your desktop to see the change.
How do you fix blank, white, and missing icons on the Taskbar on Windows 11?
- For Taskbar icons, the process is a little more complicated. First, remove any blank icons from the taskbar, then restore the icon using the process shown above.
- If it’s only the taskbar icon that is missing you can drag and drop the new icon onto the taskbar and it will update. Alternatively, you can right-click the icon and select Pin to Taskbar.
- Sometimes Taskbar icons take a little while to update so you may have to do a system restart to see the change take effect.
That wraps up everything for this Windows 11 guide, however, you may also wish to check out our guide on getting the classic Windows 10 start menu back on Windows 11. If so make sure you check out our guide here.