General Rebuild Icon Cache in Windows 11

Wisewiz · Oct 27, 2021

@Brink

Hi

I've looked at the bat file for W10 and this one for W11, and I see no difference at all. Am I missing sthg, or does the rebuilding process work exactly the same way in both 10 and 11?

Thanks,

Dan

Brink · Oct 27, 2021

Wisewiz said:
@Brink

Hi

I've looked at the bat file for W10 and this one for W11, and I see no difference at all. Am I missing sthg, or does the rebuilding process work exactly the same way in both 10 and 11?

Thanks,

Dan

Hello Dan,

Correct. It's the same process as in Windows 10.

ege914 · Nov 24, 2021

Can i recommend alternative way, First one is for Windows 11 and Windows 10 , second one is for lower windows versions:

ie4uinit.exe -show
ie4uinit.exe -ClearIconCache

TizianoMad · Jun 21, 2022

Here's the similar method I've been using for years which has been working great for clearing the cache manually, without restarting the system.

Code:
Manually Clear Icon & Thumbnail Cache :

Run the "Command Prompt" as administrator (in the [Search box], type "cmd").

Paste each command line -separately- and validate with [Enter] except the last one.

Code:

cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer attrib –h iconcache_*.db del iconcache_*.db

You will have to end the Windows Explorer process before validating this last command.

Make sure all File Explorer windows are closed, and open the "Task Manager" by pressing [Ctrl+Shift+Esc] simultaneously.

Scroll down the list until you reach all [Windows Explorer] process.

Select it/them, right-click and choose [End Task] : "It's going to be all dark!"

Close the "Task Manager".

Now validate the last del iconcache_*.db command, then close the "Command Prompt" window.

Access the "Task Manager" again with [Ctrl+Shift+Esc] keys, click on [File], [Run new task] then type "explorer.exe" and [Enter].

Light's back on ! Close the "Task Manager".

System icons are updated, but I'm not sure it includes the full windows app icons.
Most 3rd party apps seem to have their own icon cache file stored separately, and not necessarily next to their .exe file.

atinfo · Jul 27, 2022

I have some portable apps pinned to Start. They are on drive "D", which is encrypted (BitLocker). Auto unlock is disabled, and I do unlock the drive manually. This rebuild bat file works until I restart Windows and the icons appear as a blank icon after login (restart).

AIMP (portable) icon has never got this problem because its custom icon is on drive "C" (I have made an ICL file on drive "C" for some apps and folders). But I don't use a custom icon for these two apps (they use their original icons from their original path, drive "D").

I don't know why Windows doesn't cache these two apps' icon (NP++ and MS Paint Classic)!

I use a script (from WinHelpOnline), and it doesn't need a Windows restart. It sometimes works!

Brink · Jul 27, 2022

Hello @atinfo,

It appears the icons will not show for the apps since they are located on a locked BitLocker encrypted drive.

I'm not sure why it doesn't keep the icon in the cache either. As a test, you could see if increasing the icon cache size below may help if it's not a security feature causing them not to be cached.

Change Icon Cache Size in Windows 11 Tutorial

The icons that display for files in Windows are saved in an icon cache so they can be displayed quickly instead of having to manually scan and slowly load them each time. Sometimes you may notice File Explorer loads icons slowly when you open a folder with lots of files. Increasing the size of...

www.elevenforum.com

atinfo · Jul 27, 2022

Hello @Brink,

I have already done it with WinaeroTweaker. No difference.

Brink · Jul 27, 2022

atinfo said:
Hello @Brink,

I have already done it with WinaeroTweaker. No difference.

In that case, it's probably by design since it's on an encrypted drive. It appears you'll need to have the drive automatically unlock to keep the icons showing.

atinfo · Jul 27, 2022

Brink said:
In that case, it's probably by design since it's on an encrypted drive. It appears you'll need to have the drive automatically unlock to keep the icons showing.

Thanks. I think I have to add their icons to my ICL icon file on drive "C" and assign their icons from this file.

Brink · Jul 27, 2022

atinfo said:
Thanks. I think I have to add their icons to my ICL icon file on drive "C" and assign their icon from this file.

That should do the trick.

StefanM · Dec 7, 2022

ie4uinit.exe -show worked fine for me in Windows 10, but in Windows 11 so far I was only successful with methods involving shutting down explorer.exe.

BUT I NEVER NEEDED TO RESTART MY PC

This is my batch file that works in Windows 10 and 11:

Taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local
DEL IconCache.db /a
start explorer.exe

But can you help me by providing a working solution for Windows 11 which does not require killing explorer.exe?

The reason is, that when I kill explorer.exe some tray icons will disappear and won't come back before the next restart. This includes COMODO Internet Security tray icon.

Brink · Dec 7, 2022

Hello @StefanM, and welcome.

You can check COMODO's and other's settings to see if they may have a setting to always show their notification icon and not just when run at startup.

Otherwise, you should be able to manually run the apps to have their notification icon show again without having to restart.

StefanM · Dec 7, 2022

Hello @Brink and thanks for the prompt reply.
All other apps I can manually restart, but not COMODO Internet Security.
That's why I need a solution for restoring those icons without the need for killing explorer.exe.
With COMODO it is not a notification icon. It is needed for any settings regarding firewall, antivirus, containment, ...

Any ideas how to get ie4uinit.exe running in Windows 11?
Any other switches I could try, maybe?
There is no help for ie4uinit.exe I could see in CMD.

Or an answer to why it isn't running properly in Windows 11?

Thanks and best regards,
Stefan

Brink · Dec 7, 2022

StefanM said:
Hello @Brink and thanks for the prompt reply.
All other apps I can manually restart, but not COMODO Internet Security.
That's why I need a solution for restoring those icons without the need for killing explorer.exe.
With COMODO it is not a notification icon. It is needed for any settings regarding firewall, antivirus, containment, ...

Any ideas how to get ie4uinit.exe running in Windows 11?
Any other switches I could try, maybe?
There is no help for ie4uinit.exe I could see in CMD.

Or an answer to why it isn't running properly in Windows 11?

Thanks and best regards,
Stefan

I'm not sure either then other than to use option 2 or 3 that would restart the computer.

StefanM · Dec 7, 2022

@Brink
Well, Windows 10 and 11, both, cure the problem automatically by re-assigning the corresponding icons to those shortcuts after some time. But...
...this can be one hour, and it also can be 24 hours.

Anyway, if I would know, how Windows does this job or how I could make Windows do that job...

One 'work around' would be to save all those icons to a folder located on the system volume and assign those icons to the corresponding desktop shortcuts permanently.

Another option would be a script or a batch file which kind of 'overwrites' those shortcuts with new ones, once the external drive with those apps has been mounted.

Simple re-assignment of those icons hasn't worked for me, yet. Unless I find a way, some day...

There are quite a few more options.

But what actually is needed, is resetting/rebuilding the icon cache without killing explorer.exe, without those side effects that is.

Thanks anyway for your input. Maybe you'll find a solution sooner than me!?!?
Then, just let me know.

Best regards,
Stefan

Buddy · Feb 6, 2023

Are these three options functionally the same? If not, is one more effective?

EDIT-Rereading these, do I understand correctly that each option is more comprehensive than the one preceding it? So, #1 is the mild salsa, #3 is picante?

glasskuter · Feb 6, 2023

@Buddy No, they are all picante. Just 3 ways of accomplishing the same thing. Using the .bat file method is what I use. I saved the file to keep for future use.

Buddy · Feb 6, 2023

Thanks, @glasskuter. I got the BAT file, in part because I could save it with some other fixes and tools and have it to rerun later if needed. I've run it, so now it's time to wait through a couple of days and some boots to see if things settle down.