How to Fix Icons in Windows 11

If your taskbar icons or desktop shortcuts have vanished, this article will show you how to restore them. Fix Icons in Windows 11.

Causes of Missing Windows 11 Icons

If Windows cannot locate the icon file related to an app, the icon appears blank. A few problems may cause icons to become blank:

The programme is an old version.
Your video driver is no longer up to date.
The icon store file has become corrupt.

Here are some possible causes of missing Windows icons:

Your desktop icons have been hidden.
The taskbar has been hidden.
Windows Explorer should be restarted.

How to Repair Windows 11 Icons

How to Fix Icons in Windows 11

Attempt the following steps in order up until your icons return to normal:

Step 1: Make your desktop icons visible again. Right-click anywhere on your desktop and choose View > Show desktop icons if your computer's desktop icons are missing.

Step 2: Update your applications. If you're having issues with a particular application, try updating it to see if the icon is fixed.

Step 3: Examine your Desktop Icon Options. Go to Settings > Personalization > Themes > desktop computers icon settings if icons for Windows system apps such as the Recycle Bin or This PC are missing. Check all of the boxes, then save and apply your changes.

Step 4: Start Windows Explorer again. Navigate to the Processes tab in Windows Task Manager, then right-click in the Windows Explorer and opt for Restart.

Step 5: You should update your graphic driver. If your computer's graphics driver is unable to render icons, then try installing the necessary drivers.

Step 6: Examine the Group Policy settings. If your account is a member of a Group Policy, the person in charge may have hidden desktop graphics for all group members. The Community Policy Editor in Chief is the sole mechanism to change it.

Step 7: Run a System Restore. If you encounter problems after making modifications on your system, use System Restore to restore it to a previous state.

Step 8: Add desktop a keyboard shortcut icons by hand. If you created particular desktop shortcuts, they may have been deleted. Try again to add shortcuts to your desktop.

Step 9: Conduct an SFC scan. To repair any damaged documents, launch System File Checker.

Step 10: Bring back the Taskbar. If you don't see any icons in the taskbar, then make sure it isn't hidden. Uncheck the box under Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviours. Hide the taskbar on its own.