Unrecognized icons on taskbar

Hi all,

I have a slightly annoying problem with Win 7 - occasionally, and for no reason that im aware of, my laptop randomly (well i say randomly, it could possibly be the latest program i have installed) chooses a program, which i have installed and pinned to my taskbar, and decides to forget what the icon is supposed to be. It then replaces the icon with the generic 'unrecognized' icon, looks like a white bit of paper with a little graphic on it - know the one I mean?

The icon still funtions as normal and loads the program. I noticed that when i search for the program via the start menu it has the same unrecognized icon, yet I have just tried sending a shortcut of the program to the desktop and the icon mysteriously works (for that particular shortcut).

It first did it on Sopcast which i had pinned to my taskbar. A simple uninstal and reinstal solved the problem. A month or so later I installed some video software which i pinned to the task bar, and about a week later that done the same thing.

Anyone experienced this problem or can advise how to solve?
Cheers

 

... I'm not a wiz at fixing problems, but I've encountered a problem similar to yours on several OS when using an external hard drive?

(Do you?)

 

no i'm not using an external hard drive, and this is a problem i've only ever encountered on Win 7...

 

Do you have windows essentials installed?

 

INTERESTING DEVELOPMENT!

Note above in my original post that i tried sending a shortcut of the offending program to the desktop and how this icon appeared to work, while the start menu and taskbar icons remained unrecognized..... well i tried doing that moments before my original post, but mysteriously the start menu and taskbar icons have since corrected themselves, not immediately though, hence my original post. I havnt even restarted my computer or refreshed the desktop or anything!!!??

Does this help anyone to explain whats going on here?

I have now deleted the desktop shortcut again now, and so far the icons are still correct as I type....

No, but i have F-secure internet security & RegTool/AntiMalware

 

err.. I'm not too sure.

A lot of people are troubled by your same problem. Someone traced it back to Windows Essentials (NOT A GUARANTEE).

Sorry I couldn't help.

 

My name is Shawn, and my Windows 7 install is a 'broken-icon-oholic'.

Welcome to W7BIA, the support group.

Mine does it occasionally. Usually only affects Start Menu shortcuts here, though. I am running MSSE, though. It's not a big deal, and I just chocked it up to 'computers will be computers, esp when running an MS OS'.

Who knows...Still <3 my 7...

 

I've never seen any start menu icons go do that, but randomly (seems to happen on program installs sometimes) half of my pinned icons go blank with a blank sheet of paper icon, only to come back refreshed after 5 seconds~

 

yep happens for me everytime i install / update an app.

somehow sad that they still haven't icon under full control somehow a full new taskbar, all new coded, and still the icons can flush.. dunno.. hope they fix it in sp1.

 

Easy fix - see the attached - have done it on 3 systems now. Works great.

 

Excuse the dumb question, but if the path to my user folder is c:users/fred, what exactly should i type for the first command?

 

Probably should have mentioned - type exactly as shown in the small box at the bottom. No need to try to try and "insert" your user profile name.

 

Thanks, worked a treat!

 

Glad it worked - the blank icons annoyed me till found this solution.

 

Thank you! That worked very well!

 

Thanks ! ! !It worked like a charm...Rep is well deserved!!!