Windows 7: icons problem

truee2 · 10 Aug 2009

hi, im new here, this is my 1st post, so here goes...

im now using 7 ultimate x32..my startmenu seems to be like this, see the icons is showing only black spot..before this i have tried x64 on the same pc but this havs never happened..so anyone got any ideas? thanks

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8781/startmenuu.png

johngalt · 10 Aug 2009

Knowing your system specs would be nice - also, run Windows Update manually a couple of times - it may find some drivers that need updating....

Also, is this an official build that you legally acquired from TechNet or MSDN, or one that you acquired from elsewhere? If you did not acquire it from TechNet, I humbly suggest that you go back and get a real build and install it - you never can tell what builds from 3rd party sites may have done to the original files....

SquonkSC · 10 Aug 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by truee2

hi, im new here, this is my 1st post, so here goes...

im now using 7 ultimate x32..my startmenu seems to be like this, see the icons is showing only black spot..before this i have tried x64 on the same pc but this havs never happened..so anyone got any ideas? thanks

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8781/startmenuu.png

You need to rebuild your icon cache.

this is how:

1. Close all folder windows that are currently open.

2. Launch Task Manager using the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence, or by running taskmgr.exe.

3. In the Process tab, right-click on the Explorer.exe process and select End Process.

4. Click the End process button when asked for confirmation.

5. From the File menu of Task Manager, select New Task (Run…)

6. Type CMD.EXE, and click OK

7. In the Command Prompt window, type the commands one by one and press ENTER after each command:

CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

DEL IconCache.db /a

EXIT

8. In Task Manager, click File, select New Task (Run…)

9. Type EXPLORER.EXE, and click OK.

truee2 · 10 Aug 2009

im using the 1 that i got from msdn.. i didnt even activate it yet..im using asrock wolfdale + dual core e2180 + 2GB ram + 160 GB HD.. sound & vga are onboard..

thanks squonksc , im gonna try that.. but what is the cause? my mobo driver all all the latest..and im not having this prob in x64.. thanks

SquonkSC · 10 Aug 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by truee2

im using the 1 that i got from msdn.. i didnt even activate it yet..im using asrock wolfdale + dual core e2180 + 2GB ram + 160 GB HD.. sound & vga are onboard..

thanks squonksc , im gonna try that.. but what is the cause? my mobo driver all all the latest..and im not having this prob in x64.. thanks

Not 100% sure, but it looks like Iconcache is damaged.

Try my method, it can't hurt. worst case is that it won't help.

In that case Shell32.dll or Imageres.dll might be damaged or compromised.

In which case you could try extracting those from the DVD, rename the ones in system32 and copy the new ones in there.

Snufffed · 10 Aug 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by squonksc

You need to rebuild your icon cache.

this is how:

1. Close all folder windows that are currently open.

2. Launch Task Manager using the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence, or by running taskmgr.exe.

3. In the Process tab, right-click on the Explorer.exe process and select End Process.

4. Click the End process button when asked for confirmation.

5. From the File menu of Task Manager, select New Task (Run…)

6. Type CMD.EXE, and click OK

7. In the Command Prompt window, type the commands one by one and press ENTER after each command:

CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

DEL IconCache.db /a

EXIT

8. In Task Manager, click File, select New Task (Run…)

9. Type EXPLORER.EXE, and click OK.

Yep that will rebuild the cache. I also had to edit the registery to remove the block. on mine it had two a square with 3 or 4 dots in it.
this is to remove the arrow or what ever gets placed over the icon.
sor to like the old Vista remove arrow which added a clear square box.

Quote:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons]
"29"=hex(2):25,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,72,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,\
25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,\
00,65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,35,00,30,00,\
00,00

I ran this regedit. then ran rebuild the icon cache.
if you need both now you have.

truee2 · 10 Aug 2009

thanks to both of u..ill try it later on..coz now im at work..

spacedog · 28 Sep 2009

Quote: Originally Posted by squonksc

Quote: Originally Posted by truee2

hi, im new here, this is my 1st post, so here goes...

im now using 7 ultimate x32..my startmenu seems to be like this, see the icons is showing only black spot..before this i have tried x64 on the same pc but this havs never happened..so anyone got any ideas? thanks

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/8781/startmenuu.png

You need to rebuild your icon cache.

this is how:

1. Close all folder windows that are currently open.

2. Launch Task Manager using the CTRL+SHIFT+ESC key sequence, or by running taskmgr.exe.

3. In the Process tab, right-click on the Explorer.exe process and select End Process.

4. Click the End process button when asked for confirmation.

5. From the File menu of Task Manager, select New Task (Run…)

6. Type CMD.EXE, and click OK

7. In the Command Prompt window, type the commands one by one and press ENTER after each command:

CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

DEL IconCache.db /a

EXIT

8. In Task Manager, click File, select New Task (Run…)

9. Type EXPLORER.EXE, and click OK.

Well...I tried this and my system has NO icons anywhere...not in folders, on the desktop or elsewhere. Additionally, my Start Menu no longer loads.

Have rebooted and still nothing.

So I'm kind of in a bad way....any ideas on how to get myself running again?

I'm running RC build 7100

Brink · 28 Sep 2009

Hello Spacedog, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It sounds like you will need to do a repair install to try and fix this.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

spacedog · 29 Sep 2009

Thanks for the welcome brink...it seems the problem was tied to my installing StyleXP to tweak the Windows 7 UI as I found it hard on my eyes. I then removed StyleXP and that's when everything went sideways.

Turns out there seems to be an easy registry fix.

I found it on this forum:

Uninstalling StyleXP after upgrade corrupts icons - Microsoft Windows Vista Community Forums - Vistaheads

Basically, you have to remove the Shell Icons entry in the registry because StyleXP doesn't uninstall correctly and the paths get borked for Windows 7.

I applied the registry fix in that article and my icons are back and i have an iconcache.db.

Everything seems to be happy so far.

phew!!!

Windows 7: icons problem

icons problem problems?