Win 10 – reset icon cache

Instead to read each icon file for files and apps, on Windows 10, those icons are stored in the icon cache database to speed up. Some times cache is damaged. Icons are not shown correctly and cache and must be rebuild.

  1. Open elevated command prompt
  2. go to cd %homepath%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorercd  (type cd %homepath%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer followed by Enter)
  3. type dir iconcache* followed by Enter to see cache files
  4. type taskkill /f /im explorer.exe followed by Enter to stop File Explorer
  5. type del iconcache* followed by Enter to delete cache files
  6. again type dir iconcache* followed by Enter to see if some cache files remain. If so, some process is still active on the computer. Try to find it and close, and then go back to the step 4
  7. type explorer.exe followed by Enter to restart File Explorer
  8. close command prompt