Icon Cache - Rebuild

How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Windows​

   Information

If one or more of your icons are not displaying correctly, or that your icon cache is corrupted, then you might consider rebuilding the icon cache to reset and reload the icon images into the icon cache in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

   Note

This will not help with any of the following icon issues:

• A shortcut's icon that is not displayed properly due to the source of the shortcut being moved or deleted. You may need to recreate a new shortcut directly from the source (ex: program's exe) file to replace it instead.
• All icons for a specific file extension display the wrong icon. This may be due to setting the wrong association for what program to open the file extension instead. You can restore the default file extension's associations to fix this icon instead.

OPTION ONE

Automatically Rebuild the Icon Cache

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

Download


2. Save the file to your desktop, and run it.

3. Click/tap on Run when prompted.

4. Follow the instructions in the command prompt to rebuild the Icon Cache. (see screenshot below)

5. Restart your computer to generate a new IconCache.db file.

6. If the icons are still not displaying properly, then download and merge the ICO option in this tutorial for Windows 7 or Windows 8 to restore the default associations of .ico (icon) files.

OPTION TWO

To Manually Rebuild the Icon Cache using the Command Prompt

1. Close and save anything that you are working on. This command will kill explorer and restart the computer when completed.

2. Open a command prompt in Windows 7 or Windows 8.

3. In the command prompt, Copy and paste each command line below exactly as is one at a time and press enter after each command.
:warn:WARNING: The last command will restart the computer, so be sure to close and save anything that you are working on first.

• ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache
• taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
• DEL "%localappdata%\IconCache.db" /A
• DEL "%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache*" /A
• shutdown /r /f /t 00

4. The IconCache.db file has now been rebuilt.

5. If the icons are still not displaying properly, then download and merge the ICO option in this tutorial for Windows 7 or Windows 8 to restore the default associations of .ico (icon) files.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Icon Cache Size in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Clear and Reset the Thumbnail Cache in Windows 7
• Restore Default Windows 7 File Extension Type Associations
• How to Change or Restore Default Windows 7 Desktop Icons
• How to Restore Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
• How to Change the Default Icon of a File Extension in Windows 7
• How to Reset the Favorites Favicons in Vista and Windows 7

 

[maxknox]

I rebuilt my Icons Cache(per instructions here) and increased the Icon Cache size to 8192(per your link) and that worked until there was an update to Visual Studio 2012. Windows Icons(Calculator, etc.) were blown out again and I received an error message when trying open it that the program could not be found.
Rebuilding the Icon Cache again and increasing the size 16384.
If you can think of another solution I'm all ears.

 

[Brink]

Max,

Since you are getting a "program could not be found" error message for the shortcuts, it may be an association issue instead. If the shortcuts are no longer associated with their target program, then that would also cause the program's icon to no longer be associated with the shortcut leaving you with a blank default icon.

Do the shortcuts work again after rebuilding the icon cache? I wouldn't think so.

As a test, download and merge the .reg file for the listed .lnk (LNK) option in the tutorial below to restore the default associations of shortcuts (.lnk files) to see if that may help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

 

[maxknox]

After a restart(no cache rebuild, just size increase) the programs are found but the Icons were still missing.
Will try the file Associations fix now.
Thanks again.

 

[zudrick]

To overcome the need to rebuild the icon cache i have two files in my group policy, first is in the shutdown and the second one is in the logoff. First unzip the zip file and copy to system32 folder (if you don't have access take ownership of the group policy folder) once done open the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) click on Computer Configuration then Windows Settings then Scripts, righthand pane double click Shutdown, click add then browse, the Shutdown1.bat should be there select it then OK and apply. Do the same for the logoff but select User Configuration then Windows Settings then Scripts, righthand pane double click logoff, click add then browse, the Restart.bat should be there select it then OK and apply. This work behind the scenes so once you have configured it thats it, works every time

 

[LizardKing]

I tried the automatic solution and it very noticeably slowed down my start-up

 

[Brink]

Hello LizardKing,

This is not able to affect your startup speed since it only deletes the icon cache. Restarting the computer only serves to have the icon cache file recreated.

You might see if using the tutorial below to troubleshoot with a clean startup may help ID the cause.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ation-conflicts-performing-clean-startup.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[anton]

Hello LizardKing,

This is not able to affect your startup speed since it only deletes the icon cache. Restarting the computer only serves to have the icon cache file recreated.

You might see if using the tutorial below to troubleshoot with a clean startup may help ID the cause.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...ation-conflicts-performing-clean-startup.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi, I have tried each step but I cannot see my PDF and Word Icons.




Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Anton, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Do you have the correct programs set as the default to open these file types with?

 

[anton]

Hi Brink,

I think yes, but you can advice me how to find out if I have the correct programs set as the defaultin order to to open these file types with.

 

[Brink]

When you click on the file, does it open with the correct program?

For example, does a .doc file open in Office Word, and does a .pdf file open in say Adobe Reader?

 

[anton]

YEP!!!! THAT'S OK! The problem is just the icons only for word and pdf files

 

[Brink]

That's good so far. Please go ahead and post a screenshot showing what icon is currently displaying for them to see if it may help ID what the issue could be.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[anton]

 

[Brink]

As a test, reinstall the programs that you have installed to open these files to see if it may be able to repair it and the icon.

 

[anton]

As a test, reinstall the programs that you have installed to open these files to see if it may be able to repair it and the icon.

Thanks! I will try

 

[anton]

As a test, reinstall the programs that you have installed to open these files to see if it may be able to repair it and the icon.

Hi, I reinstalled Acrobat Reader and the problem with PDF Icons has been fixed !

The problem persists with Word .doc files. Here is a couple of screenshots according to Microfot Office Enterprises:





The problem is that I cannot proceed with any change or repair because I got this message:

I wait for many hours till set up prepares the necessary files but nothing happens and set up does not start!

I have also tried Microsoft Office Diagnostics and the TEST was successfully completed except this error:

 

[Brink]

In that case for now, check in Default Programs to make sure that Word is set as the default program with all of it's associations to see if that may help.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2630-default-programs-set-programs-default-associations.html
If not, are you able to run the Office installer from it's installation DVD to do a repair install instead?

 

[anton]

In that case for now, check in Default Programs to make sure that Word is set as the default program with all of it's associations to see if that may help.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2630-default-programs-set-programs-default-associations.html
If not, are you able to run the Office installer from it's installation DVD to do a repair install instead?

Hi,

I do not see word under Default Programs:



but I see all associated files without icons under Microsoft Word extensions:

 

[Brink]

Are you able to run the Office installer from it's installation DVD to do a repair install of Office and Word instead?

 

[anton]

Are you able to run the Office installer from it's installation DVD to do a repair install of Office and Word instead?

Unfortunately No , because I do not have the DVD