You may have already tried deleting the Icon Cache file by following our instructions on How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Windows. If you haven't tried it yet, give it a shot and see if it fixes your problems. Since this article is more complex, the easier fix should be tried first. These steps only apply to Windows 8.1 and 10.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:
Using File Explorer
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Press the Start button at the bottom-right corner of your screen.
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Type folder options and select the result that matches your search. This will allow you to change file viewing settings so that you can see hidden files like IconCache.Advertisement
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Go to the View tab.
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Scroll down under Advanced settings: and click the circle next to Show hidden files, folders, and drives .
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Uncheck the boxnext to Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) .
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Click or tap the OK box to save your changes and close folder options.
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Open File Explorer . File Explorer lets you see all the files on your computer, including system files like the icon cache.
- Note: In Windows 7 and earlier, it is called Windows Explorer.
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In the address bar of File Explorer, type %userprofile% /AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer .
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Select all of the files (by pressing Ctrl + A simultaneously).
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Delete the files (either by right-clicking and selecting Delete ) or clicking ✘ Delete in the ribbon.
- If prompted by a window, click or tap Yes .
- A folder named IconCacheToDelete may appear after deleting all the other files. Leave it alone.
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Restart your PC.Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:
Using Command Prompt
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Close all open apps.
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Open the Command Prompt . The quickest way to open the Command Prompt in any version of Windows is to:
- Press the ⊞ Win + R at the same time.
- Type cmd .
- Click/tap OK or hit ↵ Enter .
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Type the commands in. Type the commands below into the Command Prompt, hitting enter after each line of code is entered. You can also highlight and copy them (either by right-clicking and pressing Copy or by pressing Ctrl + C . Right-click in the Command Prompt and select Paste . Ctrl + V won't work.
- cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
- attrib –h iconcache_*.db
- del iconcache_*.db
- start explorer
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Restart your PC.Advertisement
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