How to Fix Exe Icons Are Missing on Windows 10/11? [6 Methods]

Why Exe Icons Are Missing on Windows 10/11

An exe file is a type of executable file used by an operating system to install and launch software programs. Users can execute or run the program by clicking its exe icon. However, some of them find exe icons are missing on Windows after making some changes to the system.

What causes the Windows exe icons missing issue? According to a survey, the problem can be caused by different possible reasons, corrupt icon cache files, improper shutdown, broken system files, a failing hard disk, etc.

How to Delete Exe Files on Windows 10/11? [Step-by-Step Guide]

Have you come across the “can’t delete exe files” issue? Don’t worry. This post provides full guides to show you how to delete exe files on Windows 10/11.

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How to Fix Windows Exe Icons Missing

This part shows you how to fix exe icons not showing on Windows 10/11. Here are 6 effective methods to solve the issue. Let’s start trying.

Method 1. Clear the Icon Cache

The corrupt icon cache is the main cause of the Windows exe file icon missing or broken. So, you can try clearing the icon cache. Here’s how:

Step 1. Press the Win + E keys to open the File Explorer, go to the View tab, and select Hidden items.

Step 2. Open the Run dialog box, type %localappdata% in it, and press Enter.

Step 3. Locate the Iconcache.db file and press Shift + Delete to clear the file permanently.

Step 4. Execute the following command in the Run box again and delete all files beginning with iconcache.

C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer

Step 5. Restart your PC and check if the Windows missing exe icons issue gets solved.

Method 2. Repair Your System Files

If all exe icons are missing on Windows 10/11, it may indicate that there is something wrong with your system files. In this case, you need to run an SFC or DISM scan to repair them.

Step 1. Open the Run box again, type cmd in the box, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter altogether. Then click on Yes in the UAC window to run CMD as administrator.

Step 2. In the pop-up window, type the sfc /scannow command and hit Enter to repair system files. Wait patiently for the process to complete.

Step 3. If the SFC command can’t repair system files, run the DISM utility. To do that, execute the following DISM commands one by one as we just showed above.

• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
• Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Method 3. Check Your Hard Disk or SSD

Sometimes a failing hard drive or SSD can also lead to the Windows exe icons broken or missing issue. To check that, I strongly recommend you use a free disk checker – MiniTool Partition Wizard. It can check bad sectors, repair logical disk errors, measure disk performance, analyze disk space, and so on.

MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 1. In the main interface, select the disk you want to check from the disk map and click on Surface Test from the left panel.

Step 2. Click on Start Now and wait for the scan to complete. If any blocks are marked with red color, it indicates there are physical bad sectors on your disk. Under the situation, you may need to replace it with a new one.

Step 3. To repair logical disk errors, select the partition that you want to check and click on Check File System from the left action panel. Then select the Check & fix detected errors option and click on Start to begin the repair.

Now, refresh your desktop and see if the exe icons not showing on Windows 10/11 get fixed.

Method 4. Add the Icon to Its Executable File

If the Windows missing exe icons issue only occurs with a specific program, you can manually add the exe icon to its executable file. For that:

Step 1. Right-click the executable file of the affected program and select Properties.

Step 2. In the Shortcut tab, click on Change Icon.

Step 3. Click on Browse and locate the executable file path, then select the exe icon from the list, and click on OK. Then click Apply > OK in the Properties window.

Once done, refresh your desktop and see if exe file icon missing issue is gone.

Method 5. Perform a System Restore

Some users from the Microsoft forum find the exe icons are missing on Windows after moving programs or making some changes. If this situation also applies to you, performing a system restore can help you get rid of the problem. By doing so, your system will revert to its earlier state where all exe icons show properly.

Method 6. Uninstall the Problematic Apps

Sometimes the program may get corrupted after a force reboot or power outage, causing the exe icons disappearing issue on Windows 10/11. In this case, you can uninstall the problematic one and reinstall it.

To do that, right-click the Start icon from the bottom screen, select Apps and Features, scroll down the affected program, and click Uninstall.

Bottom Line

In a word, this post discusses how to fix exe icons disappearing or missing on Windows 10/11. I firmly believe that one of the above 6 methods can help you solve the problem. If you like this blog post, don’t forget to share it with other affected users.