Black Boxes on Desktop Icons: Find Powerful Tips to Remove

Encountering black squares instead of desktop icons in Windows 11/10? This comprehensive guide offers several straightforward solutions to restore your icons to their original appearance.

Quick Navigation:

• Black Squares on Desktop Icons
• Solution 1: Adjust Windows Settings
• Solution 2: Customize Icon Appearance
• Solution 3: Run Disk Cleanup
• Solution 4: Delete Specific Files
• Solution 5: Modify Registry Settings
• Solution 6: Run System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM)
• Solution 7: Reinstall, Update, or Roll Back Your Graphics Driver
• Conclusion

Black Squares on Desktop Icons: A Common Issue

Windows displays files and folders using various icon sizes (small, medium, large). However, shortcut icons can sometimes unexpectedly appear as black squares. The root cause isn't always clear. Many users report this problem online, seeking effective solutions. This guide provides several simple and effective methods.

Solution 1: Adjust Windows Settings

Modifying a specific Windows setting often resolves this issue.

1. Open Windows Settings.
2. Go to Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings.
3. Uncheck Allow themes to change desktop icons.
4. Click Apply > OK.

Solution 2: Customize Icons Directly

Customizing the icons themselves can sometimes fix the problem.

1. Right-click a desktop folder and select Properties.
2. On the Customize tab, click Change icon.
3. Choose a folder icon and click OK.

Solution 3: Run Disk Cleanup

Clearing thumbnail cache using Disk Cleanup can resolve black square issues.

1. Open Disk Cleanup (search for it in the Windows search bar).
2. Select the C: drive.
3. Ensure Thumbnails is checked, then click OK > Delete Files.

Your desktop icons should now be restored.

Solution 4: Delete Specific Files

Deleting certain system files can also help. Caution: Always back up your system before making registry changes.

1. Press Win R, type %localappdata%, and press Enter.
2. Open Folder Options, go to View, check Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and save the changes.
3. In the Local folder, locate and delete IconCache.db.

4. Navigate to C:\\Users\\yourusername\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Explorer and delete all .db files.

Solution 5: Modify Registry Settings (Advanced Users)

Modifying registry settings can be effective, but proceed with caution. Incorrect changes can cause system instability. Create a system restore point or backup before proceeding.

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit) as administrator.
2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons.
3. Double-click a numbered value (e.g., 29) and change its value data from 0 to 1. For example, change %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-50 to %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-51.

Solution 6: Run SFC and DISM

Corrupted system files can cause this issue. Running System File Checker (SFC) and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) can repair them.

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

2. Run these commands:

   sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Solution 7: Reinstall, Update, or Roll Back Your Graphics Driver

Graphics driver issues can sometimes manifest as this problem.

1. Uninstall your current graphics driver and reinstall it.
2. Alternatively, download and install the latest driver from your graphics card manufacturer's website.
3. If neither works, try rolling back to a previous driver version.

Conclusion

By trying these solutions, you should be able to resolve the black square issue and restore your desktop icons to normal. Remember to exercise caution when modifying registry settings.

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