farrellts

Join Date 05/2025

Wrong icons on Start11 taskbar

even after restoring an old backup of Start11 configuration and ensuring latest version of Start11

So, it happens on certain apps more than others, but one ends up with a generic Windows icon in the Start11 taskbar for various apps, rather than the one intended by the app's creator. (I'd like to say they are all Microsoft apps but cannot swear to it.) As mentioned in my subtitle above, this problem still occurs with the latest version of Start11 installed, and having restored a correct Start11 configuration backup (everything looked right when the backup was made). I wonder if there is a fix or a workaround?

Curiously, the same thing happens in the stock Windows 11 taskbar, and the fix which is most often suggested is: stop the explorer process (kills desktop), delete icon caches (hidden in a subdirectory of %username%/Appdata), restart File Explorer (brings back desktop). This, however, does not help with Start11. I'm not even sure whether Start11 uses the same icon files as Windows.

Does anybody have any other ideas? Why this is happening or how to fix? Is Start11 suffering because of the icon problem with the Windows task bar? This Start11 bug along with the one which assigns the wrong icons to various apps can make the taskbar pretty useless at times. (Perhaps those two bugs are one in the same -- it makes sense that they might be.)

I really like Start11, by the way. It has saved me from the awful Windows 11 Start menu. I don't mean to trash talk about it.

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Hello,
Sorry to hear you are having issues. Need to know more on your system.

Windows 11 full version and OS Build number. Please use Winver.exe.
Start11v2 full version number.
Start11 taskbar location top, bottom, left or right?
Start11 Taskbar Enhance turn on or off?
Start11 Taskbar autohide on or off?
Start11 taskbar button combine mode?
Post a video showing us the issue so we understand it better.

Thank you,
Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant.

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We use the same icon cache, though a different size

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I have the same issue with Windows Terminal and Notepad. Notepad was easy enough as follows.

With Notepad running:

Right click the task bar icon
Right click the item with the funky icon
Click Properties
Click Change Icon
Navigate to: %SystemRoot%\System32\notepad.exe
Select desired icon.

For terminal, you need to download the icon. I found it here:

https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/terminal/master/res/terminal.ico

Save the icon on your local computer. I stuck mine in the directory with wt.exe

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\terminal.ico

Then with terminal running, the first four steps above are still valid:

Right click the task bar icon
Right click the item with the funky icon
Click Properties
Click Change Icon
Navigate to: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\terminal.ico
Select desired Icon.

I imagine the process would work for any other application too... just need to find your desired icon.

Hope that helps!

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Thanks, that is a reasonable approach, And I will try it. I'm a little leery though because in the past when Start11 started mismatching icons and apps on the taskbar, and I restored a backup to fix it, the fix was only temporary. Nevertheless, I will try your approach and I really appreciate you reaching out.

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1. Windows 11 24H2 (OS Build 26100.3194)

2. Start11v2 version 2.5

3. taskbar location: bottom

4. Enhanced taskbar: no

5. Taskbar autohide: on

6. Combine mode: on

7. start11 - wrong icon example

It appears that the problem is limited to Windows built-in programs ... or seems to be anyhow.

Please let me know what other information I can find.

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If this is happening without Start11 enhanced taskbar enabled then the issue is less likely to be Start11 as it does not provide the taskbar in that situation.

My best guesses are corrupt icon cache or shortcut has a bad icon as apps running will use the icon from the shortcut. If the cache was bad when the shortcut was made then it might have the wrong icon saved.

Might be worth seeing if the same happens if the same app is launched from search in Start11 or all programs list and also if it always shows the same icon or not.

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