Desktop icons missing

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I’m using Windows 7 Pro 64 bit and all of my Desktop Icons have disappeared. The text associated with the Icons is still present – just the small graphic images are missing. Clicking on the text, still activates the applications and shortcuts. Also, all the Quick Launch Icons are missing, but placing the mouse cursor at various positions on the task bar,
reveals smal pop-up text and a vague outline of the where the Icons should normally be visible. Clicking on the outline activates the applications as normal.
Having searched on-line for a solution, I found several comments and I’ve tried several suggested solutions, but none have worked. I also note that the IconCache.db file is missing in the ‘Users/user/AppData/Local’ folder. I have tried to rebuild the file using recommended procedures but again no luck.
Also. when viewing folder contents in Explorer, there are no folder Icons. When I right click ‘Computer’ to view the system page, the only ebtry on the left side is Control Panel – the option to access System Restore is missing. However, I used ‘rstrui.exe’ via the command prompt to restore to an earlier setup, but the problem still existed !!!

I’ve carried out Virus Scans using AVG and Malwarebytes but nothing significant found except a few ‘PUP’ instances which have been removed.
I have an Image of my C: drive on an external USB drive, which I made about a month ago, but I’m reluctant to revert to this since I’ve added quite a few items since my last image creation.

Any suggestions – short of restoring from my Image – would be very much appreciated !!

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I found several comments and I’ve tried several suggested solutions, but none have worked. I also note that the IconCache.db file is missing in the ‘Users/user/AppData/Local’ folder. I have tried to rebuild the file using recommended procedures but again no luck.

You have probably all ready tried this approach, but in case you have not:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html

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Have you tried ending explorer.exe in Task Manager/Processes then File – New Task (Run…) and entering that which should force Windows to recreate a new IconCache.db file.

Failing that, run a command prompt as an administrator and enter sfc /scannow to see what that reports – Event Viewer may also have the event recorded.

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Sincere thanks to all who responded to my posting… Your time and effort is truly appreciated

However – I’m no further forward – despite all efforts, the problem still exists !!

Microsoft Fixit reported : “We did not detect any problems and therefore no fixes were applied.”

“Automatically Rebuild Icon Cache” Option one reported : Icon DB has already been deleted. Press any key to continue…. then nothing.
Option 2 : carried out the procedure exactly as instructed – still no change….
Tried Merging the registry file as instructed at the end of the procedure – still no change …

Sudo15 : tried both your suggestions already but neither fixed the problem……
sfc /scannow reported no problems !!!

Unless anyone has any further suggestions to fix this problem, it looks like I’ll have to Re-Image my C: Drive….

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What were you doing immediately before this problem became apparent? Is it associated with a Windows Update, for example?

I take it you have done a cold boot of the machine since the problem started?

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Have you checked Event Viewer ?

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Thanks again for your replies – much appreciated…..

Tandor : The problem just occurred when I turned on my Laptop yesterday morning (Cold boot from total shut-down)… I had not been doing anything ‘out of the ordinary’, before closing down the previous evening, when everything was working OK…..

Sudo15 : I had a look through Event Viewer but I didn’t really know what I was looking for…. Could you indicate where and what I should be looking for ??

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Thanks again for your replies – much appreciated…..

Tandor : The problem just occurred when I turned on my Laptop yesterday morning (Cold boot from total shut-down)… I had not been doing anything ‘out of the ordinary’, before closing down the previous evening, when everything was working OK…..

So you’ve done another cold boot since then, just to make sure the problem is a permanent one rather than a one-off?

Have you installed last week’s Windows Updates, and if so when? No other new installations, cleaner scans etc? No automatic quarantines from anti-virus/malware scans etc?

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Hi Tandor,
Thanks for your further comments..

I’ve carried out several cold boots since the problem occurred…

I have not yet installed the updates issued last week (10th March 2015)
I have not installed any new applications but have carried out scans with AVG antivirus and Malwarebytes. Neither found anything significant, apart from a few ‘PUPs’ which were dealt with by Malwarebytes….

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I’ll be away from my Laptop for a couple of hours or so, so if anyone responds to my posting, please don’t assume I’m ignoring you

I should be back around 10:15 GMT at which time I will respond…..

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In Event Viewer click on Error then on Show All Instances of This Event in the lower right pane then look for those with the time stamp when you first switched on to find this problem.

Clicking on those will produce a brief description in the lower pane and clicking on the blue online help link can give more info (if MS has it) and possible solutions.

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Thanks again for your responses….

jwoods : Yes, I tried a System Restore – as mentioned in my original posting, but it did not help. I chose a point several days before the problem occurred and had to use rstrui.exe in the command prompt, since the option was missing in the System folder (Right click on Computer > Properties)

Sudo15 : I looked in the location you suggested and the first entry for the date/time in question is :
Quote: “The driver detected a controller error on DeviceHarddisk1DR1.” and clicking on Event Log On-Line Help produced the following Quote “No results were found for your query. Please see Search Help for suggestions.”
I tried the TechNet search but got no further….

Looks like it’s a lost cause now and I need to restore my c: drive to my saved Image back-up……

Thanks again for all your help…..

Kind Regards…

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MS may not have anything on it but Google could or in the brown box that pops up when MS doesn’t have anything specific, enter Win 7 Event ID [its No.] and you normally get a number of similar links.

Look for one that has your identical error message.

What was the Event ID No. ?

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Just been having a Google on that error message as I think that could be resolved by downloading your chipset drivers, but I don’t think it is the cause of your missing icon cache.

Do you have an external HDD plugged in when you boot up ?

Are any more events listed for about the same time ?

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Hi again jwoods

That did it !!!! everything is back to normal now.

Thank You so much I was just about to give up on it and restore my C: drive Image from my external drive…..

I’m just going to make a fresh Image now on my USB Drive.

Thanks again and Kind Regards

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Oh Dear !!! Looks like I spoke too soon

I just restarted my laptop and the problem has returned….

I’ve now had enough and I’m going to restore my C: drive to the Image which was created on Feb. 26th.

Thanks again to all who spent time trying to help me… Much appreciated

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It’s probably too late now to suggest a clean boot, but it could well have been one of the programs that you had installed since your last system image, so reboot after reinstalling each program and if that identifies the cause, go into msconfig and uncheck that item.

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Hi Sudo15,
Thanks for your observation. I’ve restored my laptop to the Feb 26th Image and everything is working fine – as expected…..

The only software which was installed since my last Image creation, was on CDs / DVDs from reliable sources, however, I did connect a USB memory stick – which belonged to a friend – to transfer a couple of utilities from my E: Drive to his stick, for him to use, so I wonder if something ‘nasty’ could have been transferred that way ??? I’m unable to contact my friend at present, to see if he’s had any problems, but I will do ASAP.

Luckily, I keep all my documents, photos, music and emails on my E: Drive Partition, so I lost none of my important stuff as a result of the problem.

I’ve now re-installed the ‘lost’ software on my C: Drive and created a fresh Image together with a copy of my E: Drive content, on an external 500GB USB drive. No problems after installation, so I can’t blame the lately installed software for causing the problem….

Thanks again for your time and advice….

Kind Regards.

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Perhaps it was just a Windows glitch then, but glad you’ve got things back to normal.

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