/ Windows Desktop is Missing Icons

Windows Desktop is Missing Icons

The desktop icons have disappeared from my Compaq Presario. I don’t have a disc or restore file. Help! Celeste Stewart

So System Restore and the System File Checker utility are not options in this case. That’s okay though. We can work through this. First, let’s look at the two most common reasons for a corrupt desktop: Windows Explorer and the Icon Cache File.

Missing Desktop Icons and Windows Explorer

Windows Explorer, or explorer.exe, is the program that gives your computer its pretty interface. This program is responsible for the desktop, the desktop icons, the Start button and menu, the taskbar, and other graphical elements. Occasionally, Windows Explorer stops running and needs to be told to start back up again. When this happens, your Windows desktop stops looking as it should. The taskbar may disappear, the icons may go away, or your entire display may be blank. Other symptoms also manifest such as the taskbar may suddenly stop responding.

To work around a stalled explorer.exe program, you’ll need to relaunch it. It’s kind of tricky because due to its absence, you may not have any buttons to click! The easiest way to get explorer back in action is to use the Control + Alt + Delete key combination which will then prompt you with a menu of choices including “Launch Task Manager.” Open Task Manager and go to the File menu. Choose New Task (Run) and enter: explorer.exe in the text box. Click OK and Windows Explorer should start up and your desktop icons should magically appear.

Missing Desktop Icons and the Icon Cache File

While restarting Windows Explorer works in many cases, if the icons are missing because the icon cache file is corrupt, then you’ll need to tackle the problem from a different angle. The icon cache is usually located in:

Windows XP - C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Local Settings\Application Data\iconcache.db

Windows Vista - %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\iconcache.db

Once you find the iconcache.db file, delete it. Now, open the Task Manager and close down all instances of explorer.exe. Press Control + Alt + Delete and choose the option for rebooting your computer. When your computer reboots, it will automatically create a new icon cache file.