3 Easy Ways to Fix Corrupted Desktop Icons in Windows 10

Rebuilding your icon cache with Command Prompt can fix this issue

4 min. read

Updated onNovember 10, 2023

updated onNovember 10, 2023

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Windows users often complain aboutcorrupted desktop icons. Windows’s icons for your documents and programs are saved in an icon cache.

So they can be displayed quickly instead of having to load them every time slowly. If, for any reason, one or more Windows icons are corrupted, you can repair them by rebuilding the icon cache.

Windows 10 Start menu corrupted icons are an issue among some users; others in previous OS editions have also encountered this issue.

Here are the easy fixes to repair corrupted desktop icons on Windows 10/11. All you need to do is follow the instructions in the letter, and you will be fine.

Why are my icons and shortcuts corrupted?

The main reason icons and shortcuts are corrupted is faulty icon cache. If they’re corrupt, you may havetrouble deleting shortcuts. You can fix this by rebuilding the icon cache.

Alternatively, you can manually delete the icon cache on your PC. We have explained these solutions in detail in the subsequent section of this guide.

How do I fix corrupted desktop icons in Windows 10?

1. Use Command Prompt

One of the easiest ways to fix the corrupted or blank white icons and shortcut on the desktop on Windows 10 and 11 is to run the above commands. This will clear the icon cache and return normalcy.

2. Manually delete the icon cache file

Another effective method to fix the corrupted icons and shortcuts on Windows 10 is manually deleting the icon cache. Note that username is your account user name on the PC, andCis the drive letter of the drive where Windows 10 is installed.

After restarting your PC, check if your icons are changed unexpectedly on Windows 10.

3. Use Disk Cleanup

Following the steps described above, you will manually delete the icon cache file and restart your computer to let Windows 10 automatically create the new icon cache file.

How do I fix the problem with desktop shortcuts on Windows 11?

In most cases, the problem with desktop shortcuts on Windows 11 is due to wrong settings. The solution above should fix the issue more often than not.

Also, you can use any of the solutions for how to fix corrupted icons and shortcuts in Windows 10 to solve this issue on Windows 11.

How do I reset my icons on Windows 10?

After refreshing the desktop apps, all icons and shortcuts should reset.

With the fixes above, we believe you have everything needed to fix the corrupted icons and shortcuts issue on Windows 10 and 11.

If you want to know how tofix Windows 10/11 icons that are too big, check our detailed guide to do it quickly and effectively.

Let us know if you could rebuild your icons and shortcuts with the solutions in this guide in the comments below.

3 Easy Ways to Fix Corrupted Desktop Icons in Windows 10#

How do I fix corrupted desktop icons in Windows 10?#

1. Use Command Prompt#

2. Manually delete the icon cache file#

3. Use Disk Cleanup#

How do I fix the problem with desktop shortcuts on Windows 11?#

How do I reset my icons on Windows 10?#