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 f23948,

That's ok. It just means that the file has already been deleted. You can continue on to restart the PC to apply.

 

[f23948]

but icon won't show
please see my uploaded video file
http://www.**************/file/ik23rhlxz3z800o/Recording_%231.mp4

 

[f23948]

also sfc /scannow found no corrupt files

 

[f23948]

here comes again

 

[f23948]

for few days, windows 7 haven't created iconcache automatically even i wasn't doing rebuilding icon cache

 

[Brink]

but icon won't show
please see my uploaded video file
http://www.**************/file/ik23rhlxz3z800o/Recording_%231.mp4

Please go ahead and post a screenshot instead showing the messed up icon to see what it could be.

Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[MajorFoley]

Quick question does this also fix when using explorer icons that appear next to things like organize in the main toolbar? Because when i click on an exe the open picture on it is that default missing icon picture.

 

[Brink]

Hello MajorFoley,

Rebuilding the icon cache will not fix the "Open" icon on the toolbar in Windows Explorer, but the tutorial below can help show you how to fix it instead.

Open Application Toolbar and Context Menu Icon - Fix - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[MajorFoley]

Hello MajorFoley,

Rebuilding the icon cache will not fix the "Open" icon on the toolbar in Windows Explorer, but the tutorial below can help show you how to fix it instead.

Open Application Toolbar and Context Menu Icon - Fix - Windows 7 Help Forums

Judging from some comments it looks like it resets it to the explorer icon and not the default icon of the apps sometimes?

 

[Brink]

That's correct. It'll usually be the default exe icon.

 

[f23948]

Does it work on Windows 10 build 15063?

 

[Brink]

It sure does.

 

[f23948]

thank you Brink

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[Swirren]

You're most welcome Barefoot.

Keep in mind this also works too

taskkill /IM explorer.exe /Ftimeout 3explorer.exe

 

[timothyjames]

rebuilt icon cache bat

Listen mate, I've been a professional coder since 1977, so I don't use macroshit shagware other than absolutely unavoidably indispensable. So, having had to, this irritation was far beyond singularly significant. Really thank you, I was on the verge of writing the little script and then this popped up, which saved me the trouble and frustration of any further ms bs. I cannot tell why and I'm not interested at all to know, but the icons righted immediately without having to restart and without there being a db file in the directory. Maybe your little image-thing of ET is more significant than you think.

AMENDMENT: The directory which I'm referring to, is the one to which another solution referred, which is user\appdata\local\iconcache.db - I haven't read through this whole tread, obviously, but I've read your .bat file and it's the same directory. Checked again, refreshed the directory again, no iconcache.db file. There you go.

 

[Brink]

Listen mate, I've been a professional coder since 1977, so I don't use macroshit shagware other than absolutely unavoidably indispensable. So, having had to, this irritation was far beyond singularly significant. Really thank you, I was on the verge of writing the little script and then this popped up, which saved me the trouble and frustration of any further ms bs. I cannot tell why and I'm not interested at all to know, but the icons righted immediately without having to restart and without there being a db file in the directory. Maybe your little image-thing of ET is more significant than you think.

AMENDMENT: The directory which I'm referring to, is the one to which another solution referred, which is user\appdata\local\iconcache.db - I haven't read through this whole tread, obviously, but I've read your .bat file and it's the same directory. Checked again, refreshed the directory again, no iconcache.db file. There you go.

Hello Timothy, and welcome to Seven Forums.

The iconcache.db files are hidden by default. Unless you have set to show hidden files (faded), you wouldn't normally see them.

Hidden Files and Folders - Show or Hide

 

[timothyjames]

Yes, I know about those, I can see all hidden files and folders on the system drive. The reason I'm actually back here, is to amend further that the specific problematic box that has win7 on it (the software application and related hardware control system which the box is used for, doesn't work on any other version and is now being re-coded for Linux), has been shut down or restarted several times since I've your magic little script on there; and every time the same problem with the black icons; and every time the magic righting of the icons; and every time null iconcache.db file for the icons. I'm actually looking into a hacking sort of problem here, with the restarting process going on constantly in due course. Why the icon issue was actually bothering me, to be honest, is that I'm autistic and I think in pictures and having to read the icon's labels all of the time (about thirty on the desktop by now, for some reason "moving around" after a shutdown or restart) and then "translate" them to their pictures, took up a lot of time and already thin patience. The first solution was to delete the file right before shutting down, which then rebuilt and all was well, until that stopped working, eventually; that's why I know where the file is, the directory has a link on the desktop since I've started working on the problem. That became far beyond irritating, already having to bother with the ms bs non-operating system hacking paradise. I became slightly suspicious about the "disappearance" of the file though, all things considered; and as a first step, I've used Search Everything to see where it might have been "misplaced" or temporarily saved or whatever, with ms, one never knows; null iconcache.db file on the disk. The file is there right after a start or restart, but apparently doesn't get recreated after applying your magic little script. The significance of your ET-image is still unaccounted for, unfortunately. There you go, again; mate; do you not. By the way, since I've now gain confidence in you (apart from liking your ET-image very much and the autistic mind being a singular thing when it comes to strangers), would your rules allow met to ask specifically you about something other than this issue? I might encounter a few other problems and it would be nice to know that I can get help from somebody specific.

 

[Brink]

By the way, since I've now gain confidence in you (apart from liking your ET-image very much and the autistic mind being a singular thing when it comes to strangers), would your rules allow met to ask specifically you about something other than this issue? I might encounter a few other problems and it would be nice to know that I can get help from somebody specific.

Of course you ask anything you like, but it would be best to create a new thread in the forum for any unrelated questions.

 

[AndresQG]

Great and thanks. This script works perfect in Windows 7.