Windows 7 Start Menu Icon Never Load

reanimation

New Member
After a clean install of win7 (x64), the start menu icons never (or take extremely long) to load the first time after opening them. This primarily happens at Start button > All programs (and the folders within all programs). After the first time, they load normally. This happens each time I restart my computer. The memory isn't a problem as I have 4gb of it. The icons/thumbnails of all my other programs/pictures appears to be fine too. Any help please?
 
How long is the delay?:confused:
I personally also experience a delay upon login of the taskbar icons and start menu icons not displaying.
 
It ranges anywhere from 15 secs to +1 min. If I open the program folders inside >All Programs, it takes even longer. I have already done complete system scans for viruses using Avira (past antivirus) and Panda (current). I have also tried the clean boot with all startup programs + non microsoft services disabled, but no change (from msconfig). I have also deleted my thumbnail+icon cache and rebuilt it, to no result. That should probably rule out some solutions. Any other ideas?
 
Gave you tried defragging your drive?
Also, open CMD as admin and type "sfc /scannow"
It will scan for integrity errors.
 
Gave you tried defragging your drive?
Also, open CMD as admin and type "sfc /scannow"

Done defrag, but it shouldn't even be an issue as I just installed win7 less than one month ago. Also did sfc /scannow, the only files that came up as out of the ordinary were the ones I patched myself to make/use custom win7 themes. They don't effect the loading time of the start menu because I had them patched on my past computer and the start menu loaded fine then.
 
I did look into, I forgot to reply.
Thanks for bumping me here.

It seems this is quite a common issue, I've had it myself on almost every PC I've owned, but it's quite strange that it takes so long.

What is your average RAM and CPU consumption?
 
When you said you rebuilt the icon cache, did you delete the "IconCache.db" file, or did you do it some other way?

Edit:
Just for hell of it, try going into the taskbar properties and changing start menu icons to small, applying the setting and then going back and changing it again, i'm seeing elsewhere that this has helped some users. :cool:

Edit again:
Here's another thread about a similar problem, it's from the days of RC but either way, check it out, there's a good discussion there, with several possibly working solutions.

Let's hop I don't find anything else requiring me to edit the post again :rolleyes:
 
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What is your average RAM and CPU consumption?

Have 4GB ram, so at most I use about 30% of my ram, unless I'm running an intensive game or photoshop, so on.
CPU consumption stays under 10 most of the time, unless I'm doing something particular. Then it can go from anywhere from 10-100.
This shouldn't matter as I've tried opening start menu after restarting comp, when the consumption is barely 5%, the ram barely 20%.
 
When you said you rebuilt the icon cache, did you delete the "IconCache.db" file, or did you do it some other way

I deleted the iconcache.db in application data folder I think it was. Also, small icons brings no change. Lastly, you forgot to link the thread with possible solutions.
Thanks for all the help so far.
 
I would recommend re-building the index, please note this:
The indexing will take a long time, please have at least 2 hours in advance for this process.


  1. Click Start.
  2. Search for Indexing in the Start Menu.
  3. Click Indexing Options.
  4. Click Advanced.
  5. Under Troubleshooting, click Rebuild.
This process will take up to 4 hours.
 
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