How to Change Icon Cache Size in Windows
The icons that display for files in Windows are saved in an icon cache so they can be displayed quickly instead of having to manually scan and slowly load them each time.
Sometimes you may notice File Explorer loads icons slowly when you open a folder with lots of files. Increasing the size of the icon cache may help.
By default, the icon cache is 500 KB. Increasing the icon cache size to 4 MB gives the best results, but you can change the size to what works best for you.
This tutorial will show you how to change the maximum size of the icon cache to fix slow loading icons in File Explorer for all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
You must be signed in as an administrator to change the icon cache size.
Contents
- Option One: Change Icon Cache Size using a REG file
- Option Two: Manually Change Icon Cache Size in Registry Editor
The downloadable .reg files below will modify the string value in the registry key below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
Max Cached Icons string value
(delete) = Default
4096 = 4 MB
1 Do step 2 (4 MB) or step 3 (default) below for what you would like to do.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Set_icon_cache_size_to_4MB.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Default_icon_cache_size.reg
Download
4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 Restart the computer to apply.
8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.
2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
3 In the right pane of the Explorer key, double click/tap on the Max Cached Icons string value to modify it. (see screenshot above)
If you do not have a Max Cached Icons string value, right click on an empty area in the right pane of the Explorer key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type Max Cached Icons for the name, and press Enter.
4 Type the icon cache size you want in KB (1 MB = 1024 KB), and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
5 Close Registry Editor.
6 Restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Change Icon Cache Size in Windows
-
New #1
Good one, Shawn!
Worked a treat for me!
I view by Large Icons with a large number of files on many drives.
The icons still have to render but they render quickly; no more Explorer progress bar lagging on slow as molasses in January!
-
-
-
-
-
-
New #7
-
New #8
@Brink, apologies for reviving this old thread.
I recently came across having to restart explorer.exe constantly when working with hundreds of image file with a lot of thumbnail, within few hours use the context menu go all blank/black. I wish to increase the limitation thinking that hitting limit maybe causing context menu to corrupt, larger size = more hours before a restart is required.
so on this thread it shows to increase Icon cache size.. but then I came across this Clear and Reset Thumbnail Cache in Windows 10
how is this thread different to the link above? also in the link above is already at 3MB, mine is sitting at 10MB. does increasing cache icon size affect this thumbnail thing?
-
Change Icon Cache Size in Windows
How to Change Icon Cache Size in WindowsPublished by Shawn BrinkCategory: Performance & Maintenance
17 Oct 2021
Quote
Related Discussions
