Clear Icons Cache – Guide for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10

This guide shows you how to clear the icons cache for the following Windows versions: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 or 10. 

How to clear the icons cache in Windows XP

To clear the icons cache in Windows XP, follow these steps:

1. Open any folder so you have Windows Explorer available
2. Click Tools
3. Select Folder Options
4. The Folder Options window should now appear
5. Click the View tab
6. Under the Hidden files and folders section, check the Show hidden files and folders option
7. Then click OK
8. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data, where User is the username of your profile account
9. Select the IconCache.db file found in the Application Data folder
10. Right­-click on this file and click Delete.Alternatively, press the Shift + Delete keys on your keyboard to delete the file
11. Empty the Recycle Bin

Clearing icon cache in Windows XP

How to clear the icons cache in Windows Vista

To clear the icons cache on a Windows Vista computer, follow these instructions:

1. At Windows Explorer, click Organize.To have Windows Explorer open, open any folder or open My Computer.
2. Click Folder and search options
3. The Folder Options window appears
4. Click the View tab
5. Under Hidden files and folders section, check Show hidden files, folders, and drives
6. Then click OK
7. Go to C:\Users\User\AppData\Local, where C:\ is the drive where Windows Vista is installed and User is the username of your account profile
8. Find the IconCache.db file
9. Select the file and right­-click to click Delete.You can also press the combination of Shift + Delete keys to delete the file.
10. Then empty the Recycle Bin

Clearing icon cache in Windows Vista

How to clear the icons cache in Windows 7

To clear the icons cache in Windows 7, follow these instructions:

1. Click Organize in Windows Explorer (open My Computer and click Organize)
2. Select the Folder and search options item
3. Go to View
4. Under the Hidden files and folders section, check the Show hidden files, folders, and drives, then click OK
5. Go to the C:\Users\User\AppData\Local folder, where C:\ is where you installed Windows 7 and User is the username of your account profile
6. Find a IconCache.db file listed in the Local folder
7. Right­-click on the IconCache.db file and click Delete
8. Empty the Recycle Bin

Clearing icon cache in Windows 7

How to clear the icons cache in Windows 8 or 8.1

To clear the icons cache in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, follow these instructions:

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. From the View tab, select Hidden items
3. Then select Show selected items
4. Go to C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, where C:\ is the drive where you installed Windows 8 or 8.1 and User is the username of your account profile
5. Select all files that begin with iconcache
6. Right­-click on these files
7. Click Delete.To delete these files faster, press the Shift + Delete keys.
8. Empty the Recycle Bin

Clearing icon cache in Windows 8

How to clear the icons cache in Windows 10

To clear the icons cache in Windows 10, follow these instructions:

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. From the View tab, select Hidden items
3. Then select Show selected items
4. Go to C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer, where C:\ is the drive where you installed Windows 8 or 8.1 and User is the username of your account profile
5. Select all files that begin with iconcache
6. Right­-click on these files
7. Click Delete.To delete these files faster, press the Shift + Delete keys.
8. Empty the Recycle Bin

Clearing icon cache in Windows 10

More Information

Support Links

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  Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.

• The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
• Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10.

Applicable Systems

This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:

• Windows XP (all editions)
• Windows Vista (all editions)
• Windows 7 (all editions)
• Windows 8 (all editions)
• Windows 8.1 (all editions)
• Windows 10 (all editions)

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