Missing icons for Trusted Microsoft Store Apps in Start Menu search and taskbar

Question

Help!

The icons for my Trusted Microsoft Store apps are missing from my start menu when I search for them. They are also missing from my tasbar. I alo notice that icons are missing for files that are associated with these apps are missing.

Any idea on how to solve this?

When Using Search

Searching in the start menu won't show the icon for Trusted Microsoft Store apps. Other app icons are visible in the search.

In start menu

The icons for the store apps are visible in the menu when not searching:

Not visible in taskbar either

Here you can see that both the Slack and Store app icons aren't visible on the taskbar:

No file icons for associated apps

My images are associated with Windows Photos (also a Microsoft Trusted Store App). The aren't showing their icons.

What I've done so far

I've been searching Google and the MS fora for hours now. What I've tried so far:

• Running all Windows Updates
• Upgrading to Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
• Clearing the general icon cache by deleting C:\Users\[snip]\AppData\Local\IconCache.db
• Clearing Explorer icon cache by deleting C:\Users\[snip]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\IconCache*.db
• Re-reregistring all Windows store apps with PowerShell by running: Get-AppXPackage | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
• Running Disk Clean Up and choosing Clean Up System Files
• Running WSReset.exe

All to no avail. I hope you guys know a solution.

Solution 1

I don't know why this worked, I read it somewhere (I forget the exact source) but someone suggested removing the Google Drive File Stream application. I got fed up with this issue, and tried it on a whim not expecting much, and it actually fixed the situation and the icons came back during the installation.

Solution 2

Google Drive File Stream was/is the culprit for me. Uninstalling this app brings the icons back. I don't have the option of removing the app so I live with this fix until I get Windows reinstalled and the dice gets rolled to see if the problem comes back.

What can temporarily work (day by day) is by removing the following Registry Key:

Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.png\shellex\{E357FCCD-A995-4576-B01F-234630154E96}

And then restarting Windows Explorer from the Task Manager.

This registry key will come back so when your icons disappear again you will need to do this again. This works for all of the icons except the Windows Mail icon.

I tried all of the fixes on this site and a bunch of others short of reinstalling Windows. Nothing had any effect. I think a large percentage of people have this problem because of Google Drive File Stream. Google seems uninterested in solving this problem as it doesn't affect everyone.

Comments

[Razie Mat Saman]

Yep... works! Amazing...

[Nate]

Its not ideal, but it seems to fix the issue. Go figure, whatever that app is doing is causing some problems.

[Nurp]

This may be your source: answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/… No solution still for us who don't have Google Drive File Stream.

[Schneider]

This worked for me too. My mind is blown. Well done Google for breaking something

[Manuel Martinez]

Worked for me too - but why?

[Nate]

@ManuelMartinez I don't know why or how. If I did, I'd share here. If anyone has insight please share I'd love to learn more and I'd update the post to include it.

[aerioeus]

same here, once Google Drive File Stream was uninstalled all icons reappeared miraculously. WTF Google ....`? Thanks a lot for the tip @Nate