Effectively Troubleshooting and Resolving Black Squares Over Desktop Icons in Windows
As a long-time Windows user, we’ve encountered our fair share of irritating desktop icon issues over the years. Recently, several forum users reported seeing mysterious black squares covering their desktop shortcuts and icons in Windows 10.
Intrigued, we decided to dig deeper into this phenomenon and uncover potential solutions. After thorough research analyzing insightful forum discussions between experienced users, we’re ready to share our findings on effectively resolving this Windows 10 desktop icon dilemma.
Diagnosing the Cause of Black Boxes Overlaying Desktop Icons
Before rushing to apply "quick fixes," it’s wise to first understand the underlying cause of the black squares appearing over desktop icons.
Potential culprits include:
- Accidentally toggling on the "hide icons" setting in Windows Personalization settings
- Display driver conflicts after upgrading hardware or software components
- Corrupted icon cache requiring a restart to rebuild
- Removal of shortcut arrows resulting in overlapping black boxes
Pinpointing the trigger will steer us toward the appropriate remediation path.
How do I fix a black screen on Windows 11?
If your computer won’t reboot and displays a black screen again, see the section below on fixing a black screen before login. Similar to Windows 10, you can use a keyboard shortcut — Windows logo key + P or Ctrl + Alt + Del — to wake up your Windows 11 screen. Or, hold the power button for 10-15 seconds to reboot your device completely.
How do I fix black squares on Windows 10?
Check your desktop icons first to see. When you reboot or login after Part 1, where the arrows once were there will now be black squares. To permanently fix the black squares problem, a short script will run automatically every time you login to fix the icons before you see them. Non-programmers can easily follow these simple steps. Open Notepad.
Step-by-Step Fixes to Remove Black Boxes from Desktop Icons
Here are the top methods to battle those pesky black squares based on recommendations from experienced Windows enthusiasts. We’ll explore them in order of simplicity.
Reset Icon Settings to Default
This fast and easy workaround restores the default Windows icon settings. Follow these steps:
- Open File Explorer
- Click the "View" tab
- Click "Options"
- Select the "View" tab
- Click "Restore Defaults"
If the boxes vanish, you’re all set!
Roll Back Display Drivers
If resetting the defaults doesn’t work, it’s smart to check if a display driver update caused incompatibilities.
Here’s how to roll back display drivers:
- Hit Windows key + X
- Open Device Manager
- Expand "Display adapters"
- Right-click your display adapter
- Select "Properties"
- Go to the "Driver" tab
- Click "Roll Back Driver" to revert to a previous version
This should banish those irksome black squares once and for all.
Rebuild Icon Cache
Black boxes might still persist if the icon cache became corrupted. Rebuilding it is easy:
Why are there black boxes on my new PC?
If the black boxes truly appeared from the very first time that you powered on your new PC, you really should bring that to the manufacturer’s attention. Your computer should work properly from Day 1 and you have a warranty. The boxes do not appear to be icons, given their shape and the fact that one of them is overlapping your Malwarebytes icon.
Why is there a black box on my Windows 11/10 desktop?
Stay in touch with the latest in the world of Windows! Are you seeing a black box on your Windows 11/10 Desktop? If so then this guide will help you fix the issue. It could be this process or your Graphics driver.
How do I fix Windows 10 display problems?
For Display issues one fix that is working is to Roll back or Uninstall the Driver on the Display Device > Driver tab, restart PC to reinstall driver. You can also try older drivers in Device Manager > Display device > Driver tab > Update Driver > Browse > Let Me Pick.
- Open the Run dialog with Windows key + R
- Type “ie4uinit.exe –show” and hit Enter
- Double click “Rebuild Icon Cache"
Give your PC a restart and hopefully the icons will reappear unobstructed.
Uninstall Display Driver
When rolling back drivers doesn’t cut it, completely uninstalling may do the trick:
- Open Device Manager
- Expand “Display adapters”
- Right-click the display adapter
- Select "Uninstall device"
- Check the box to delete driver software
- Restart your PC and Windows will reinstall the driver cleanly
This should wipe out any remnants of the problematic driver version.
Confirm Hardware and Software Are Up-to-Date
As a final step after resolving the black box issue, ensure your hardware drivers, Windows version, BIOS, and other firmware are completely up to date. The Intel Driver Update Utility , NVIDIA Update , and AMD Auto Detect tools simplify this driver update process.
Why are there black squares behind folder icons?
While the black squares behind the folder icons look unsightly, the problem, however, is not a major issue and it is just a graphical glitch that will not cause any damage to the content of folders and files. The cause of this visual glitch problem can be, corrupted system files or outdated thumbnail caches.
How do I fix a black box on Windows 10?
You could use our portable freeware Thumbnail Cache Rebuilderto rebuild the icon cache. Simply download it, run the exe file as admin, select Delete Icon Cache and press the Rebuild button. Restart your PC and see. Fix: Black box on Windows Desktop.
How to fix black background in Windows 10?
Disk Cleanup tool is one way of fixing the black background problem behind the folder icon by deleting all the Thumbnail files on your disk. Go to Search bar and type Disk Cleanup. Select the C: drive to clean up from the drop-down menu and click OK. After the scanning is complete, select the files you want to delete.
Updating optimizes performance and prevents future desktop icon conflicts.
Prevent Black Boxes on Icons in the Future
Now that you’ve banished those pesky black icon boxes, let’s ensure they never return:
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Carefully vet software updates and new device drivers before installation. Only download from manufacturer websites.
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Periodically rebuild the icon cache for maintenance using the steps outlined earlier.
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Maintain current versions of operating systems, BIOS, firmware, and hardware drivers. Set updates to automatic if possible.
With vigilance, those frustrating black boxes on desktop icons will become a distant memory!
Explore Other Common Windows 10 Display Troubles
While black boxes over shortcuts are vexing, many other display issues can also plague Windows 10 users:
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Hardware problems like defective cables, outdated drivers, low resolution settings, etc.
Why does Windows 10 have a’square box’?
In certain apps, these changes can lead to the “square box” symptoms when displaying certain international text. All Windows 10 editions include fonts that provide broad language support, and the Windows platform includes font fallback mechanisms designed to ensure that text in any language always displays with legible glyphs rather than boxes.
How to turn on or off translucent selection rectangle in Windows 10?
How to Turn On or Off Translucent Selection Rectangle on Desktop in Windows The translucent selection rectangle is the box you see when you left click and hold, and then drag the pointer over items to select them when you release the left click. If you li
Why are my icons turning black in Windows 11/10?
While it does not cause any functional issues, it is an ugly graphical glitch. Icons turn black in Windows 11/10 If you are facing this strange situation where your file or folder icons have turned black, try the following suggestions to fix the issue. They helped me and I am sure they will help you too: Manually reset one folder’s icon to default
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Operating system crashes, freezes, screen artifacting, or display distortions after a buggy Windows update.
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Incorrect resolution, colors, orientation, or multi-monitor settings caused by user changes or software conflicts.
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Faulty, corrupt, or incompatible video card drivers leading to a panoply of display issues.
Dig into the search results below for troubleshooting guides and videos tackling these common dilemmas. With the right fixes, you’ll get your display back on track in no time.
We hope these tips help you banish those pesky black boxes from your desktop icons for good. Let us know if the solutions work or if any other display issues arise. We’re always happy to help our Windows community squash frustrating PC problems together!
