Windows 11: Creating Desktop Shortcuts for Apps - Blank Icons Fix

Abstract: Learn how to create and customize desktop shortcuts for your Windows 11 apps. Fix blank icons issue by updating the Start menu.

Created: 2024-03-14 by UserComp.com Editors

Creating Desktop Shortcuts for Windows 11 Apps with Non-Blank Icons

Windows 11 allows users to create desktop shortcuts for their installed apps by dragging and dropping them from the Start menu. However, some users have reported an issue where the created shortcut icons turn into a blank or default page icon. This article will guide you through fixing this issue and creating desktop shortcuts with non-blank icons for your Windows 11 apps.

1. The Drag-and-Drop Method

The default method to create a desktop shortcut in Windows 11 is by dragging and dropping the app from the Start menu. However, this may result in a blank icon for the shortcut. To fix this, follow these steps:

Right-click on the app in the Start menu.
Select More and then click on Open file location.
Right-click on the app executable file and select Create shortcut.
A new shortcut will be created on the desktop with a blank icon. Right-click on the new shortcut and select Properties.
In the Shortcut tab, click on the Change Icon button.
Browse to the app's installation folder or the system folder containing the app's icon file (%SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll).
Select the desired icon and click OK.

2. Using PowerShell

Alternatively, you can use PowerShell to create a desktop shortcut with the correct icon. Here's how:

Press Win + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
Type the following command, replacing AppName with the name of the app and IconPath with the path to the icon file:

$WshShell = New-Object -comObject WScript.Shell
$Shortcut = $WshShell.CreateShortcut("$Home\Desktop\AppName.lnk")
$Shortcut.TargetPath = "C:\Program Files\AppName\AppName.exe"
$Shortcut.IconLocation = "C:\Path\To\IconFile.ico"
$Shortcut.Save()

3. Preventing Blank Icons

To prevent the issue of blank icons when creating desktop shortcuts, ensure that the app's installation folder contains an .ico file with the correct app icon. If not, you can extract the icon from the app's executable file or download an icon online.

Windows 11 users may encounter blank or default page icons when creating desktop shortcuts for apps.
To fix this, change the shortcut's icon manually or use PowerShell to create the shortcut with the correct icon.
Ensure that the app's installation folder contains a valid .ico file to prevent blank icons when creating shortcuts.

References

Microsoft Docs. (2021). Shortcuts.
TenForums. (2021). Change Icon of Shortcut in Windows 10.
How-To Geek. (2021). How to Create Desktop Shortcuts in Windows 10.

Tags: Windows Tech Support Desktop Shortcuts Apps

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