One is that all programs must be closed in order to successfully clear the cache. Marcy also reported 'access denied' when attempting to delete some of the icon cache files. In the case of an improper shutdown you will want to run chkdsk (check disk) on the C drive to ensure the file system is not corrupt, otherwise you may encounter the same issue again. This can be a result of an improper shutdown - for example, powering off the machine or losing power, instead of clicking Start -> Shutdown. How to Fix: Blank White Icons on Desktop (Windows 10)įirst and foremost, the reason why the blank icons appear on the desktop is because the icon cache is corrupted, as Marcy has pointed out. I asked Marcy if she would like me to connect with her using my remote desktop support service in order to have a closer look, and she agreed.īelow I will discuss my findings. So as far as I can tell, this isn't working and after several reboots I still have blank icons on my desktop. I did that, however, the output I'm receiving is ' access denied' when attempting to delete iconcache_16.db, iconcache_256.db, iconcache_32.db, iconcache_48.db, and iconcache.idx.

I searched Google on how to fix the problem, and a few posts suggested deleting the icon cache databases using the command prompt. I understand that there is an 'icon cache database' in Windows that can go corrupt, which may be the reason why I have these blank white icons on my desktop. Now, I have a bunch ofīlank white icons on my Windows 10 desktop. Everything was working fine for a few days until I installed MS Office. I just installed Windows 10 October 2018 update (clean install) on my machine.

Microsoft edge logo on pdf file icons