Start Menu Icons Images Disappeared, Can't Get Them Back

[roma1625]

Something happened about a week and a half ago that I'm sure caused this problem (I guess something got corrupted, just don't know what else to do to try to fix it). I was getting a "Windows 7 7601 Build Not Genuine" message on my desktop. I fixed that problem by uninstalling Windows updates one by one, then trying to re-activate Windows. It finally worked, but this icon image issue persists.

Here is the problem: Some of my start menu programs icon images only show up as the generic images instead of program specific icons. Specifically, all MS Office programs, all Apple programs, and all Intuit programs. Others are fine. See attached screenshots. I have found solutions on here and other places on the web, none of which work. Specifically:

1. Numerous methods of deleting the Iconcache.db file, then rebooting and having it regenerate itself.

2. Created another user. Same problem on that account, also.

3. Scanned using sfc/scannow. Says everything is OK.

4. Scanned (full) for viruses and malware using free versions of Avast, Spybot S&D, Malwarebytes, and Superantispyware. Nothing found.

5. System Restore to a point before problem occurred. Doesn't fix it.

I'm willing to try anything other than re-installing Windows because that's just too much hassle. Honestly, I would rather live with the problem than do that as long as this isn't going to cause other, more harmful problems.

On the screenshots, pay no attention to icons on taskbar because I did those manually by creating shortcuts directly from the programs' exe files.

Thanks!

 

[roma1625]

Does anybody even have a theory as to why this is happening? Something to do with the registry, maybe?

 

[Layback Bear]

My suggestion would be to go here.

Windows Updates & Activation - Windows 7 Help Forums

Follow the instruction at the top of the page for Activation problems and Windows Update problems.

Those two things must be correct or you will have nothing but problems.

 

[roma1625]

I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand what to do. I read and used many of those tools and tutorials when I was having the activation problem, but the activation problem has been solved. Also, I never had any problems updating, but I'm pretty sure that one of the updates caused the activation problem, since the activation problem went away when I uninstalled the update. So now I don't understand which tools on that part of the site you're saying to use for this icon image problem.

 

[Layback Bear]

You post #1.

I was getting a "Windows 7 7601 Build Not Genuine" message on my desktop. I fixed that problem by uninstalling Windows updates one by one, then trying to re-activate Windows. It finally worked, but this icon image issue persists.

That indicates that you could still have a Activations problem and/or Update problem. Which can be from many things.

Just follow my post #3 and they will be able to verify whether you do or do not have any more problems in those areas.
To me doing anything else at this time could be a complete wast of time for you and whoever is trying to help.

Because you or I don't think their is a problem in those areas means nothing. They have experts that can and will verify yes or no on those kinds of things. If they do find a problem they can guide you on how to repair it.

Now if you don't want to do what I suggest that's fine it's your computer.
Have a nice day.

 

[VistaKing]

Hi Roma

See if this will help .

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html?ltr=I

 

[roma1625]

VistaKing,

Thanks. Tried that, didn't work.

Layback Bear,

They said everything looks fine over on the Windows Updates & Activation Forum.

 

[VistaKing]

Roma can you run the tool below


DDS


Download



Double click the dds icon to run the tool.
Place a check next to attact.txt and click Start . When done, DDS will open two logs
DDS.txt
Attach.txt
Save two logs onto your desktop and upload them with your reply

 

[roma1625]

Done and two files attached

 

[VistaKing]

Id remove Spybot using RevoUninstaller . Allow it to scan for left over registry keys click Select All click Delete then click Next let it scan for left over files and folders . Click on Select All than click on Delete than Next . Restart PC

Run a scan with this

AdwCleaner


Download



:ar: Save to the Desktop

:ar: Right-click on adwcleaner.exe and choose Run as administrator

:ar: Click the Search button

:ar: Upload the AdwCleaner[Sn].txt in your reply.

   Note

The log file is at C:\AdwCleaner[Sn].txt

 

[roma1625]

Attached

 

[VistaKing]

Roma ,

Run AdwCleaner once more this time click on Delete and upload the log .

 

[roma1625]

Done

 

[VistaKing]

How's the icons ?

 

[roma1625]

Unfortunately, that didn't help. They're exactly the same. I deleted the IconCache.db per instructions and they came up the same after reboot.

 

[VistaKing]

Is the icons missing only in the Start Menu and the Desktop ? Or just the Start Menu

 

[roma1625]

None of those icons are on my desktop. They were on my taskbar, but because of this problem, I unpinned the ones I had pinned from the Start Menu and created shortcuts directly from the programs' .exe files and put those on the taskbar.

The icon images are also missing in some other places, for example, when there is an MS Word or pdf attachment to an email (in Outlook), it shows the generic icon, not the W logo or the Adobe logo. Another place is in the Associate File screen in the Control Panel (see first screenshot of my original post).

 

[VistaKing]

Have you tried doing a system restore ?

:ar: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html

 

[roma1625]

I did try System Restore when I was having the activation problem. It didn't help either the activation issue or the icon issue. I don't seem to have any restore points further back than about two weeks, so I definitely don't want to use any of those as I would be worried about the activation problem again and not solving this problem either.

 

[VistaKing]

Have you tried logging on another profile and see if the start menu shows icons ?