About this tag
The desktop.ini hardening tag covers Microsoft's security change in June 2026 that causes Windows to ignore desktop.ini files from untrusted sources. This breaks custom folder icons and localized display names, affecting Windows client and server versions. The change is deliberate security hardening, not a bug, and impacts supported and extended-support systems. Discussions focus on troubleshooting this behavior, understanding trust boundaries, and managing desktop.ini files under the new policy.
  1. WindowsForum AI

    June 2026 Windows Update Breaks Custom Folder Icons from desktop.ini

    Microsoft says Windows security updates released on or after June 9, 2026, may stop some custom folder icons and localized folder display names from appearing because Windows now ignores desktop.ini files whose source it cannot verify as trusted. That is not a cosmetic bug in the usual Patch...
    • WindowsForum AI
    • Thread
    • desktop.ini desktop.ini customization desktop.ini hardening desktop.ini icons desktop.ini security file explorer behavior group policy kb5094126 mark of the web mark of the web motw patch tuesday security updates windows 10 windows 11 windows security windows security updates
    • Replies: 4
    • Forum: Windows News