# What happened to my desktop Icons?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 23, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413 "2005-11-23T13:29:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/1 "2005-11-23T13:29:01Z")
The Icons in the start menu and the icons on the desktop have reverted to some graphically challenged [looking things.](http://winepictures.blogspot.com/) How can I get my XP icons back? What happened to them to begin with? I’ve searched everywhere in XP to see if I can adjust the Icon properties system-wide but I had little luck. There must be some way to adjust the settings… ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/2 "2005-11-23T15:48:22Z")
Try downloading TweakUI - instructions on using it to fix the problem you describe are [here](http://malektips.com/xpwtw0007.html). ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/3 "2005-11-23T15:49:52Z")
The screenshot looks like Windows did not finish loading, I see that at times. Is it persistent even after a reboot? Try setting the windows XP theme again. Right click the desktop, select properties. On the themes tab select Windows Classic and click apply. Change it back to Windows XP (if that is your preference) and click apply again. Did that work? ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/4 "2005-11-23T15:52:30Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > Try downloading TweakUI - instructions on using it to fix the problem you describe are [here](http://malektips.com/xpwtw0007.html). Thanks, you’d think MS would have a patch for this; > [@](#): > > After you use Windows XP for a while, you may notice that certain icons no longer represent their correct file types. For example, MP3 icons may look like Notepad icons, Microsoft Word documents may look like Excel spreadsheets, etc. If this happens, then your icon cache file has gotten corrupt. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/5 "2005-11-23T15:55:27Z")
> [@Bongmaster](#): > > The screenshot looks like Windows did not finish loading, I see that at times. Is it persistent even after a reboot? Yes, after three re-boots, it persists. > [@](#): > > Try setting the windows XP theme again. Right click the desktop, select properties. On the themes tab select Windows Classic and click apply. Change it back to Windows XP (if that is your preference) and click apply again. Did that work? I did not try this, yet. I will when I get home - at work now. Would a system restore work too? I could go back a couple days since the Icon problem just popped up yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/6 "2005-11-23T15:57:13Z")
> [@Uncommon Sense](#): > > Yes, after three re-boots, it persists. > > I did not try this, yet. I will when I get home - at work now. > > Would a system restore work too? I could go back a couple days since the Icon problem just popped up yesterday. Possibly but it depends on what is causing the problem. If your theme files are goofed up somehow a system restore may not work. The TweakUI suggestion from above may do the trick as well, try it if changing the theme fails. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/7 "2005-11-23T15:58:59Z")
Also, be sure to do a full virus and spyware scan as well just to cover that area. Here are links to get the applications you need if you don’t have them already: [http://housecall.trendmicro.com/](http://housecall.trendmicro.com/) Online Virus Scan [http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/](http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download/) Adaware Antispyware ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-my-desktop-icons/332413/8 "2005-11-24T15:00:25Z")
thanks, the TweakUI did the trick… All back to normal now. 🙂