If you have come across white icons on your desktop while using your computer , don’t panic. The first thing to check is if the white icons are visible only on the desktop, or the problem also affects the start menu and the taskbar.
Viewing the above is of fundamental importance as it will allow us to solve the problem of white icons on the desktop faster.
Below you will find a number of solutions that will help you solve the problem of blank icons in Windows 10.
The topics of the post [ hide ]
- 1Restart File Explorer
- 2Reset the icon cache
- 3Update the video drivers
- 4Update Windows 10
- 5Update Apps To solve the problem of empty icons
- 6Reinstall or repair the app
- 7Check for malware
- 8Run the SFC and DISM tool
- 9Conclusions
Restart File Explorer
If the problem with blank icons in Windows 10 appeared recently, the first thing to try to fix this problem is to restart File Explorer. This could end up solving the problem forever.
- Press Ctrl + Alt + Esc to open the Task Manager.
- Select More Details to expand the Task Manager default view.
- Find and select Windows Explorer on the Process tab.
- Select Restart. The desktop and taskbar will disappear and reappear within seconds when the operating system restarts File Explorer.
Close the explorer
- Exit the Task Manager.
If that doesn’t fix the problem, restart your computer before moving on to the next solution.
Reset the icon cache
If restarting File Explorer or your PC didn’t help, and you still keep seeing blank white icons on your desktop, the most likely cause of the problem could be a damaged icon cache.
Deleting the icon cache in this case can help a lot. The fastest way to do this is to run several commands via an elevated command prompt .
- Press Windows + R to open the Run box.
- Type cmd and start the command prompt with administrator privileges.
- Type the following command and press Enter to close File Explorer:
taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
- Run the following two commands, one after the other, to clear the icon cache:
cd %homepath%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer
from iconcache*
Clear cache icon
- Run the following command to restart File Explorer:
explorer.exe
Restart your computer and Windows 10 will start rebuilding the icon cache over time.
Update your video drivers
An outdated video driver can cause graphics glitches and prevent Windows 10 from rendering icons correctly.
In these cases the best thing to do is to check and install any newer versions by visiting the hardware manufacturer’s website. Or use a free driver update tool (found on all Windows operating systems) to update the video card drivers on your computer.
In addition, checking the graphics card properties via Device Manager in Windows 10 also gives you the opportunity to identify the driver version. You can also install all downloaded updates (if you have trouble installing normally) or revert to an earlier version of the driver (if the problem occurred after updating the latest driver).
- Press Windows + X or right-click the Start button. In the Power User menu that appears, select Device Manager.
- Expand Display adapters and double-click the display adapter to access the Properties pane.
- Go to the Driver tab to view driver details and options to update or roll back the video driver.
Update Windows 10
Defective or outdated system files are another reason that can prevent the desktop, taskbar, or Start menu from working properly. Installing the latest updates can help fix things like blank icons in Windows 10.
- Open the Start menu and go to Settings> Update & Security> Windows Update.
- Select Check for Updates.
- Select Download or Install to apply available updates.
Update Apps To solve the problem of empty icons
If you are only seeing a single blank icon on your desktop, belonging to a specific shortcut, or related to an application, try updating the app.
Open the More menu within the Microsoft Store (select the three-dot icon) and select Downloads & Updates to install the latest updates for Microsoft Store apps.
For apps you downloaded from outside the Microsoft Store, look for update options within the app.
Reinstall or repair the app
If updating an app doesn’t help, try repairing or reinstalling it. Depending on the schedule, you may have the option of doing both.
- Press Windows + X and select Apps and Features.
- Find and select the app in question.
- Select Advanced Options or Edit.
- Select Repair to repair the installation.
If reinstalling the app doesn’t work (or if the option isn’t available), select Uninstall to remove the app. You must then download the program again from the Microsoft Store or the developer’s website.
Check for malware
If after following all the solutions listed up to this moment, you continue to display continuous blank icons, what I recommend you do is to check, through an antivirus, the presence or absence of any malware.
Use the built-in Windows security applet or a dedicated free anti-malware utility to scan for and remove malicious software from your computer.
Run the SFC and DISM tool
If none of the previous solutions worked, what remains for you to try is to run a System File Checker and use the DISM tool.
Both tools developed by Windows, must be started via the command line, and help to correct system errors and stability problems in Windows 10. In this specific case they can help to repair the problems that cause blank icons in Windows 10 .
- Open an elevated Command Prompt console.
- Type the following command and press Enter to run the System File Checker:
Type sfcscannow
sfc /scannow
- When System File Checker has finished scanning your system, type the following command to run the DISM tool:
dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
Type the following line restorehealth
The DISM tool can take a long time to complete. Restart your computer afterwards and check if Windows 10 starts rendering icons correctly again.
Read also: Missing Icons from the Start Menu on Windows 11
Conclusions
At least one of the solutions mentioned throughout this guide will help you to fix the blank icons problem in Windows 10.
However, if the problem persists, all you have to do is reset the operating system.