How can I fix all desktop icons changed to same icon and became shortcut?

FIX: All my desktop icons changed to Internet Explorer

by Milan Stanojevic

Windows & Software Expert

Milan has been enthusiastic about PCs ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Read more

Posted: Mar 31, 2020

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Did you notice that all your software icons changed to a single icon (Internet Explorer)? This can happen suddenly and it is caused by a conflict with the .Ink extension, and also possibly the IconCache.db file.

One user shared his concerns on the Microsoft Answers forum.

Recently, all of my icons on my desktop and in the start menu have changed to the Internet Explorer icon. Also, when I checked my administrator files, they all end in LNK. I am not able to go into any of my programs through My Programs.

In this fix article, we will explore a few proven methods to solve this issue. Read on to find out how.

Why did all my icons turn to Internet Explorer icons?

1. Delete the .Ink key file from Registry Editor

1. Press Windows + R key on your keyboard
2. Type regedit (without quotes) in the Run box, and then press Enter.
3. Inside the Registry Editor, use the folder tree on the left side of the screen, and navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Explorer>FileExts>
4. Inside the FileExts folder, search for the .Ink subfolder, and delete it
5. Close the System Registry, and restart your PC
6. Check to see if the problem persists, if it does, follow the next method

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2. Remove the IconCache.db file

1. Close all open folders
2. Click on the Start button
3. Search for the folder Windows System > Right click on Command Prompt > More > Run as administrator
4. To end the Explorer process, type in the following command taskkill /f /im explorer.exe , and press Enter
5. Inside Command Prompt type CD /d %userprofile%AppDataLocal, and press Enter
6. After this, type DEL IconCache.db /a,and press Enter again
7. Next, type EXIT (without quotes) and press Enter
8. Next, we will restart the explorer process: go back to your Task Manager window, click on File, select Run new task
9. In the pop-up window, type in explorer.exe(without quotes), and press Enter
10. Restart your computer

If you have any suggestions or want to give us your opinion on this fix, please use the comment section found below.

• Where are Windows icons stored?
  

All Windows icons are stored and located in the system 32 folder. The patch to follow is this C:Windowssystem32SHELL32. dll location.

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