10 Fixes: Black Background Behind Folder Icons In Windows

Those black blocks behind the folder could look ugly. If you’re facing the same problem and think it is a virus, we have news for you.

It is something entirely simple, and you can fix it. There won’t be any error messages. All you need to do is follow ahead:

There are 10 fixes for Black Background Behind Folder Icons in Windows 10.

How To Fix Black Background Behind Folder Icons in Windows 10

1. Change The Desktop Background Wallpaper
2. Disable High Contrast Settings
3. Disable The Read-Only Attribute
4. Change The Folder’s Icon
5. Update The Graphics Drivers
6. Delete Thumbnail Cache By Using Disk Cleanup Tool
7. Restore Folder’s Settings To Default 
8. Run The System File Checker (SFC Scan)
9. Run A DISM Scan 
10. Try Updating Or Resetting The Windows 

1. Change The Desktop Background Wallpaper

Sometimes, changing the background image does the job because of display errors.

• Right-click on the Main Screen.

• Choose ‘Personalize.’

• Change the background accordingly. 

• You can also select an image. Right-click on it and select ‘Set As Desktop Background.’

2. Disable High Contrast Settings

High contrast settings don’t work best with old systems. So:

• Right-click on the Start Menu icon.

• Select Settings and then select Ease Of Access from the options.

• Find ‘High Contract’ in the Vision section. 

• There will be a toggle. Turn it off if it is active. 

3. Disable The Read-Only Attribute

As you know, there are many options, like View Hidden Items. Similarly, read-only can be the issue: 

• Right-click the said folder.

• Select Properties and find Attributes in the General tab. It should be at the bottom. 

• Click on the box next to ‘Read-Only (only applies to files in the folder.)’ until it is blank.
• Click on Apply and then OK.

4. Change The Folder’s Icon

Changing the folder’s icon or restoring the default icon often works wonders: 

• Go to Properties of the folder once again.
• Click on the Customize tab from the top options.

• There will be a Folder Icon section.

• Click on Change Icon and choose any that you like. 

• Apply and click OK.
• If that doesn’t work, return and choose the ‘Restore Default’ option.

5. Update The Graphics Drivers

Running driver updates is worth a try: 

• Go to the Search Bar next to Start Menu.

• Type – Device Manager. Select to launch it.

• Go to the ‘Display Adapters’ in the options. Expand it.

• Right-click the given driver and select Update.

• Make sure to select the automatic option.
• Let the system do the job. 

6. Delete Thumbnail Cache By Using Disk Cleanup Tool

You can try cleaning the cache files for thumbnails. They are hidden files, so you can use the Disk Cleanup tool: 

• Press Windows Key + R and type: cleanmgr.exe 

• Hit the enter button on your keyboard. 
• In the files to delete, uncheck everything.

• Select Thumbnails. 

• Then click on OK.
• It might show you a prompt. Click Delete Files and let the tool do the job. 
• Restart the system. 

7. Restore Folder’s Settings To Default

Some third-party apps, or you, might have changed settings for file explorer. So, it is worth restoring the folder’s settings:  

• Open the Folder.
• In the top options (File, Home, Share, View), select View.

• Select the ‘Options’ at the end (right side) of view commands.

• A new window will pop up. Go to General Tab. 
• At the bottom, you will see Restore Defaults.

• Click on it, provide permission, then press OK. 

8. Run The System File Checker (SFC Scan)

This is one of the best tools to fix Windows file problems: 

• Launch the command prompt. Search for it in the Start Menu. Right-click on it and select ‘Run As Administrator.’

• Type the following command in the command prompt window: SFC / scannow 

• Hit enter and let the system do the work. 

9. Run A DISM Check 

DISM is a higher-level scanner like SFC that can fix the issue

• You can once again launch the Command Prompt. You can also use Windows PowerShell for DISM.
• Type and hit enter: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth

• If the scanner finds something, type: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

• Press Enter

10. Try Updating Or Resetting The Windows 

If you have tried everything, this is the last resort: 

• Use the keyboard shortcut. Press Windows + I Key to launch Windows Settings.
• Find Update & Security from the options.

• Select Windows Update and then click on ‘Check For Updates.’

• If you have available updates, click on ‘Install Now.’
• If you have Windows 11 Installation available, you can also try it.

Conclusion – Black Background Behind Folder Icons Window

Generally, clearing the icon cache does the job. If it doesn’t, then you can try other solutions. We hope that this fixes the unappealing error of black blocks. If nothing works, just reinstall windows.