To reset your icon cache in Windows 7/8, you can follow these steps:
1. First, open File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon located on your taskbar or by pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard.
2. In File Explorer, click on the “View” tab located at the top of the window.
3. Within the “View” tab, you will find an option called “Options” towards the right side. Click on it to open the Folder Options dialog box.
4. In the Folder Options dialog box, go to the “View” tab.
5. Under the “Advanced settings” section, you will see a list of options. Look for the option “Hidden files and folders” and select the radio button next to “Show hidden files, folders, and drives.”
6. Below the “Hidden files and folders” option, there is a checkbox labeled “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).” Uncheck this box to display protected operating system files.
7. Click on the “Apply” button at the bottom right corner of the Folder Options dialog box, followed by the “OK” button to save the changes.
8. Now, navigate to the following directory on your computer: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local
Note: Replace “%username%” with your actual username on the computer.
9. In the “Local” folder, look for a file named “IconCache.db.” This file is hidden and might not be visible by default.
10. Once you find the “IconCache.db” file, right-click on it and select “Delete” from the context menu. Confirm the action when prompted.
11. After deleting the “IconCache.db” file, close File Explorer.
12. restart your computer to allow Windows to rebuild the icon cache from scratch.
Upon rebooting, Windows will recreate the icon cache file, which may take a few moments. Once the process is complete, your icon cache should be reset, and you may notice that some icons might take a little longer to load initially.
It’s worth mentioning that resetting the icon cache can help resolve issues where icons appear incorrect or missing. This process essentially forces Windows to rebuild its cache of icons, ensuring that the correct icons are displayed for various file types and applications.
Remember to follow the steps carefully and ensure that you have a backup of any important files or data before making any changes to system files.
I hope this guide helps you reset your icon cache successfully!