HP did an update related to AI on 10-18-24. Now my PDF icons on my desktop are just blank outlines

[Kadee3998]

Following an update by HP on 10-18-24 related to AI, my desktop icons for my PDF documents are now blank outlines. Gone is the PDF red traditional cover.  

[Raj_05]

Hi @Kadee3998,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It seems that the HP AI-related update might have affected how your system handles file associations, causing the PDF icons to revert to a generic or blank appearance instead of displaying the Adobe or PDF reader icon.

Here are some steps you can take to restore the proper PDF icons.
 

Refresh the Icon Cache:

• Sometimes the icon cache may get corrupted, causing icons to not display properly.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
3. In the Command Prompt, type the following commands one by one:

ie4uinit.exe -show
taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F
DEL /A /Q "%localappdata%\IconCache.db"
start explorer.exe

This will refresh the icon cache and may bring back your PDF icons.
 

Re-Associate PDF Files with Your PDF Reader:

• The update might have changed the default program for opening PDFs, leading to the issue.

1. Right-click on any PDF file on your desktop.
2. Select Open with, then click Choose another app.
3. In the list of apps, select Adobe Acrobat Reader (or the PDF reader you use).
4. Check the box that says Always use this app to open .pdf files.
5. Click OK.

Check for Updates in Adobe Reader or PDF Reader:

• If you are using Adobe Reader or another PDF reader, it might need an update to function correctly with the new system updates.
• Open your PDF reader, go to the Help menu, and select Check for Updates.

Reset File Icon Settings via Windows Explorer:

• You can reset the icons for file types in Windows.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on the View tab, and then Options.
3. Under the View tab in Folder Options, click on Restore Defaults.
4. Click Apply and OK.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support