Troubleshoot Icons in windows have no image

Overkill

Level 31
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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
Hey guys win 10 is being a pita, I did a reboot to finish updates and after restarting my icons were all screwed up as you can see below...
FileDownloadHandler.ashx

FileDownloadHandler.ashx

FileDownloadHandler.ashx
 

BoraMurdar

Community Manager
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Aug 30, 2012
6,598
Did you try this?

1.
Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below.

Rebuild_Icon_Cache.bat



2. Save the .bat file to your desktop.

3. Close and save anything that you are working on before proceeding. The next steps will involve killing explorer and restarting the PC.

4. Run the .bat file.

5. If prompted, click/tap on Run to approve. If you like, you can unblock the .bat file to no longer get the Run (Open File - Security Warning) prompt. (see screenshot below)

Press any key to continue, let it finish and restart your system.
 
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Overkill

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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
Hey guys, I am so pi$$ed right now....so I had to reformat and everything was fine until MS updates installed and now the same dang thing has happened AGAIN!!! I am going to permanently disable windows updates via services, cause this is ridiculous! Every fix I have tried has failed, so what other options are there? I have to believe it's KB3199986, cause it has created lots of problems for people but I haven't seen my particular issue in any articles, the only other updates installed are security related...

2016-12-15_144032.png


I have no icon images at all in windows, here's my control panel...
2016-12-15_144103.png
 
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Iapepe

Level 10
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Mar 17, 2013
461
Close all programs, and open the command line by running cmd in the Run box, then run into this in turn commands below:

ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache
taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
DEL "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" /A
shutdown /r /f /t 00
 
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DardiM

Level 26
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May 14, 2016
1,597
Close all programs, and open the command line by running cmd in the Run box, then run into this in turn commands below:

ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache
taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
DEL "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" /A
shutdown /r /f /t 00
That are the good steps, in most cases.
This is almost what does the .bat file linked by BoraMurdar (with tests and prompt)
I suppose overkill has run it as admin.

One test to do : create a shortcut, for example from This PC, and look at the properties => change icon if the good dll is used : C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll
 
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Overkill

Level 31
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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
Close all programs, and open the command line by running cmd in the Run box, then run into this in turn commands below:

ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache
taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
DEL "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" /A
shutdown /r /f /t 00
Could Not Find C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\IconCache.db
 
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Overkill

Level 31
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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
That are the good steps, in most cases.
This is almost what does the .bat file linked by BoraMurdar (with tests and prompt)
I suppose overkill has run it as admin.

One test to do : create a shortcut, for example from This PC, and look at the properties => change icon if the good dll is used : C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll
When I try to open properties nothing happens
 
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DardiM

Level 26
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May 14, 2016
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Open Properties of the shortcut (create for example a shortcut of this PC) and click on "change icon" => you must see the dll used, or can browse to the good dll if it not appears.
Could Not Find C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\IconCache.db
Local : hidden folder
IconCache.db : hidden file
=> If you want remove it manually, you have to make the folder visible, enter inside, and make the file visible

When I try to open properties nothing happens
01.jpg
 
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Overkill

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Feb 15, 2012
2,128
IconCache.db is gone and properties will not open. I have have put my win 10 laptop away for a few days to see if I can find any other ways to fix this, but if I don't I will reformat and disable updates. The sad thing is, I can't even downgrade to win 7 cause when I try to install drivers they won't even install correctly. :mad:
 
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DardiM

Level 26
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Malware Hunter
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May 14, 2016
1,597
IconCache.db is gone and properties will not open. I have have put my win 10 laptop away for a few days to see if I can find any other ways to fix this, but if I don't I will reformat and disable updates. The sad thing is, I can't even downgrade to win 7 cause when I try to install drivers they won't even install correctly. :mad:
When IconCache.db is gone, a normal reboot must create it again, that is very strange.
I think you must disable updates for few weeks, and see if other persons had same problem with their windows update.
the dll I show on my screenshot is the one where icons are, if you can open create a shortcut, then open properties and browse to to the good dll and validate, very strange behavior.
 
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Overkill

Level 31
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Feb 15, 2012
2,128
When IconCache.db is gone, a normal reboot must create it again, that is very strange.
I think you must disable updates for few weeks, and see if other persons had same problem with their windows update.
the dll I show on my screenshot is the one where icons are, if you can open create a shortcut, then open properties and browse to to the good dll and validate, very strange behavior.
It never re-created itself...this is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to me with computers. This is a bad bug from MS :rolleyes:
 
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