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

 

[Brink]

Hello Nick, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It's going to be hard to help without knowing what you tweaked in the registry. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

 

[knick]

Hello Nick, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It's going to be hard to help without knowing what you tweaked in the registry. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

As I said I could not remember the exact tweaks I had made. Fortunately, I remembered that 50 days ago (before the registry tweaks) I had created an image backup of my entire main disk (with Acronis True Image). So, I restored my older image backup and the problem dissapeared.
The lessons I learned from this is
1) NEVER tweak registry entries unless you are absolutely sure what you are sure what you are doing
2) Always keep an image backup of your system, just in bad case..

Thank you anyway for your assistance
Nick

 

[RaviR]

Hello All,

Recently I've noticed my folder icons aren't showing up at all. The files would open normally when I click on them. Can anyone provide some assistance as to what is exactly happening here? I've tried the bat file it works for a while then goes back to not showing. I have to restart the computer for the files to show.


Regards

 

[Brink]

Hello Nick, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It's going to be hard to help without knowing what you tweaked in the registry. If you have any ideas, please let us know.

As I said I could not remember the exact tweaks I had made. Fortunately, I remembered that 50 days ago (before the registry tweaks) I had created an image backup of my entire main disk (with Acronis True Image). So, I restored my older image backup and the problem dissapeared.
The lessons I learned from this is
1) NEVER tweak registry entries unless you are absolutely sure what you are sure what you are doing
2) Always keep an image backup of your system, just in bad case..

Thank you anyway for your assistance
Nick

I'm glad to hear that you were able to do a system image recovery to fix it.

Don't forget to create restore points as well. They can be a real life saver when needed.

 

[Brink]

Hello All,

Recently I've noticed my folder icons aren't showing up at all. The files would open normally when I click on them. Can anyone provide some assistance as to what is exactly happening here? I've tried the bat file it works for a while then goes back to not showing. I have to restart the computer for the files to show.


Regards

Hello Ravi,

Since this is with folders, you might see if clearing and resetting the thumbnail cache may help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/10797-thumbnail-cache-clear-reset.html

 

[RaviR]

Hello Ravi,

Since this is with folders, you might see if clearing and resetting the thumbnail cache may help.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/10797-thumbnail-cache-clear-reset.html

Dude that worked! Thank you very much! Will monitor it and post back if anything goes weird again.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Ravi.

 

[knick]

I'm glad to hear that you were able to do a system image recovery to fix it.

Don't forget to create restore points as well. They can be a real life saver when needed.

By the way, my main HD is a SSD drive in which it is supposed NOT to create restore points in such drives (for preventing continious write cycles). Is it right ? alternatively, can I create a restore point for my SSD in another HD ? and if yes, how ?
Thx in advance

 

[Brink]

You don't have to worry about the number of writes on a SSD anymore, so it's fine to turn on system protection for Windows on the SSD if you have enough free space for it.

 

[Invader440]

Recently had the black icon problem also (I had previously got rid of the icon arrows several months ago). Running the rebuild icon cache program worked until I restarted the computer and then they went back to black squares. What I ended up having to do was to restore the icon arrows and now the icons are displaying correctly again. Hopefully this may help somebody if they keep having the problem after running the rebuild cache program and still have black icons after a restart.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3606-shortcut-arrow-change-remove-restore.html

 

[Jeck1986]

Recently had the black icon problem also (I had previously got rid of the icon arrows several months ago). Running the rebuild icon cache program worked until I restarted the computer and then they went back to black squares. What I ended up having to do was to restore the icon arrows and now the icons are displaying correctly again.

Yea well, very cool but not a solution.
I have exactly same situation.
And what you are proposing is basically "forget your dream" kind of option which is opposite of what the topic is about.

 

[Brink]

Hello Jeck, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you are wanting to remove the shortcut arrows, then you might see if using a different option below may work better.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3606-shortcut-arrow-change-remove-restore.html

 

[Jeck1986]

@Brink
Thanks, 1st (program) method worked, which I didn't try at first bcos I don't like installing side programs and only now read that it doesn't install xD
ty again

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Jeck.

 

[kry666]

i've tried all method in page 1 but its still not fix my problem..
see

 

[Brink]

Hello kry666, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You have an issue with your shortcut arrow overlay on the icon instead of with the icon cache. You can use an option in the tutorial below to restore the default shortcut arrow overlay to fix this for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3606-shortcut-arrow-change-remove-restore.html

 

[kry666]

Hello kry666, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You have an issue with your shortcut arrow overlay on the icon instead of with the icon cache. You can use an option in the tutorial below to restore the default shortcut arrow overlay to fix this for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3606-shortcut-arrow-change-remove-restore.html

Wow great!!! its working for me using option 4 , i thought its was icon cache problem.. thanks a lots for helping me, now i can sleep in peace

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[VIKING4650]

THANKYOU SO MUCH!!!!

Do you know how long i've been searching for this solution?

You have just reached godlike status in my opinion!





Thankyou so very much!

 

[Brink]

I'm glad it could help VIKING4650, and welcome to Seven Forums.