A new bug in Windows 10 1903 is causing USB drives to use the wrong icon in File Explorer even though the drives are clearly being detected properly.
In the current version of Windows 10 1903 installed, when you insert a USB thumb drive into your computer, Windows will at first display the normal storage device icon for it.
After a few minutes, the drive's icon in File Explorer will change and begin to incorrectly use a generic storage icon as shown below.
While the icon has changed, Windows 10 is still detecting the device properly as both a storage device and a portable device.
This new Windows 10 issue was first reported by Günter Born of BornCity.com after a reader posted a comment to his blog. It was soon discovered that users have also reported this issue in the Microsoft Answers Community [1. 2] and on Reddit [1, 2].
As can be seen from the images above, BleepingComputer has confirmed the issue as well.
It is not known when this issue started happening, but most users have started reporting this over the past 4-5 days.
The computer BleepingComputer performed this test on is using the latest Windows 10 KB4522355 cumulative update, which brings Windows 10 to build 18362.449.
Update 11/11/19 5:31 PM EST: It turns out that this issue is happening when the feature to download metadata and custom icons for installed devices is enabled in the "Device installation settings".
Microsoft must have recently made a server change on their end that replaced the icon that is downloaded for USB drives.
If you like the old icon, unfortunately once the new icon is downloaded due to the above setting, disabling the setting will not change the icon back.
Seriously Senpai told us on Twitter that you may be able to fix this by going into the %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceMetadataCache\dmrccache folder and then into the most recently modified language folder.
Then sort those folders by date to find the one for your metadata cache for the device that recently changed and delete that particular folder.
You can determine the folder by going into it and seeing if the icon matches the one that you are now seeing. Then delete that folder.
Unfortunately, in our case this did not revert the icon back to the original storage icon.
Comments
Guenter_Born - 4 years ago
It seems that it's a server side thing - which explains, why it didn't come in coincidence with a cumulative update.
Lawrence Abrams - 4 years ago
Yup, we updated our article to reflect this info.
dfhammock - 4 years ago
This also happens in Devices And Printers (Control Panel then Devices And Printers). Not only does it show the wrong icon, but it shows the devices as Unspecified even though they continue to work fine. It also now shows by printer (Brother MFC-J5520DW) as Unspecified with a generic USB icon. Probably because this printer has a card reader and USB port. It's also showing my card reader as Unspecified and generic icon.
I tried to find a way to report this to Microsoft but they seem to no longer have an email for tech support and I didn't want to call support and talk to someone that is hard for me to understand (no offense). Maybe a posting here will help.
Guenter_Born - 4 years ago
@Lawrence Abrams : Thx I've added a link to this article within my blog post (https://borncity.com/win/2019/11/11/windows-10-v1903-shows-suddenly-generic-usb-drive-icons/).
@dfhammock: concerning your "I tried to find a way to report this to Microsoft but they seem to no longer have an email for tech support and I didn't want to call support and talk to someone that is hard for me to understand (no offense). Maybe a posting here will help."
FYI : After I wrote the blog post I've escalated the behavior to MS forum moderators in MS Anwers and asked the folks to forward it to MS developers. See https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/my-usb-drives-shows-either-as-a-generic-device-or/6e817b6d-8698-49d5-aa43-7e8a2042e47b
dfhammock - 4 years ago
Thanks for your help and trying to get this problem to the proper people at Microsoft so it can be fixed. As far as consumers are concerned, Microsoft always seems to have the same list of things to try and do no matter what the problem. When almost everyone out there is having the same problem, I don't think making sure you have the latest and right drivers is going to help. I am pretty sure if Dell called and said we are having a problem with our USB devices showing the wrong icon, it would be fixed before the day was over.
Anyway, at least I know it's not a problem on my end. Thanks again.
uBlast - 4 years ago
For anyone facing this problem, there´s a solution:
1 - Unplug all USB devices.
2 - Disable the feature to download manufacturer´s metadata and custom icons for installed devices.
3 - Delete all contents inside this folder: %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceMetadataCache\
4 - Install the program "Device Remover - www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/device_remover_543c.html
5 - Check the option to show detached/unplugged devices and delete all references to USB Devices (pendrives, volumes, mass storage, etc..)
6 - Insert the USB device (or devices) again and the driver(s) will be reinstalled, now without the internet check for advanced icons
7 - No more unspecified devices and weird icons
MrNovi - 4 years ago
Did not work. 1909 64bit.
dfhammock - 4 years ago
Thanks uBlast, that solution worked for me. I also have Windows Pro 64 bit Version 1909. The Device Remover program was nice, too bad it hasn't been updated since 2012. It was a little buggy in Windows 10. Keep locking up and had to reboot Windows to get to run correctly again. I had to run the Device Remover program several times (like 4 or 5) to get everything deleted but it finally worked. But yes, it was a hassle.
uBlast - 4 years ago
"Thanks uBlast, that solution worked for me. I also have Windows Pro 64 bit Version 1909. The Device Remover program was nice, too bad it hasn't been updated since 2012. It was a little buggy in Windows 10. Keep locking up and had to reboot Windows to get to run correctly again. I had to run the Device Remover program several times (like 4 or 5) to get everything deleted but it finally worked. But yes, it was a hassle."
Glad it worked for you. Device Remover is still the best tool for removing orphan devices. There are others but not that good, like ghostbuster, devmanview and USB Oblivion. Unfortunately Device Remover development suddently stopped and last version is from 2014. About the unspecified device problem itself, Microsoft should release a fix at once...but that's not their style.
enigmaxg2 - 4 years ago
It has started happening on Windows 8.1 as well, yet to check Windows 7.
chromahoen - 4 years ago
Has anyone seen any response from MS? Is this a global issue? I work for a company that sells custom usb drives. And our entire product line is affected by this issue. lol I was able to repair my computer with The Device Remover and the instructions above as posted by uBlast.(thank you) But this is a serious issue or at least a significant change in how Windows presents usb flash drives. Craziness.
BobU - 4 years ago
I have done quite a bit of sleuthing on this and have some interesting finds. These are excerpts from posts at Microsoft I made rather than rewriting all:
Caused by the Nov update that adds a new icon from the MS server. Several ways they say to fix and for me was the easiest.
C\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceMetadataCache\dmrccache\en-US
For me there were to files from 11/9. If it is that easy for you, delete. rename or move them. I then created a restore point and rebooted. Back to normal.
If you cannot tell by the date, explore each. Most if not all have an ico file otr at least an XML that can be viewed in notepad. Look for the one ether with this new icon or that descibes as "other". Delete, rename or move as above.
This worked for me until I ejected and inserted a different thumb drive. Then changed to yet another generic incorrect icon and the generic folder is no longer there to remove. I thought this was the solution, and it was for a little while. But I do believe it is a result of the Nov updates.
_______________________________________________________
I continue to work on this as it will drive me crazy :) Here is some info that may help in case anyone else is working on a solution.
1. I have 7 flash drives. Four of them show this problem yet three do not.
2. All 7 show proper icons in a Windows 7 computer.
3. SD cards show their proper icons as do USB hard drives. Seems to be only flash drives.
4. The icon file in the above path I had removed has not reappeared again.
5. Formatting a USB with Quick Format does not change the icon.
6. Autorun.inf to change the icon to a specified icon and change the drive label changes the drive label but does not use th specified ico image.
7. Last for now, I slow formatted a flash drive with the issue in Windows 7 to see how it shows in Windows 10. It did not fix the problem and even as a blank, slow formatted flash drive shows a bad icon.
Need to note: The bad icon originally was the server icon in both file explorer and Devices and Drives in "This PC". After the "fix" it was as should be and when it came back the File Explorer icon is again the server but the "This PC" icon is a text document but without lines as a saved file from notepad would be. So that icon has shifted.
All I know for now.
Did a bit more sleuthing. Worth reporting that I uninstalled and reinstalled one of the "bad" flash drives and all icons associated with that dive are the blank page or better described yet as the icon associated with XML files and/or the first icon in system32/shell32.dll. The "good" drives are still good. So it is computer and flash specific.
But then!!! I ejected the "bad" flash, inserted and ejected a "good" flash, inserted the "bad" flash again and all icons back to normal everywhere-this PC, File Explorer, Safely Eject, etc.
I'll keep an eye on it.
Maybe this will help someone find a permanent solution. I cannot be sure what exactly makes it work again.
~Bob
BobU - 4 years ago
OK, just read a dozen or so threads on this claiming it is a Microsoft server error and that it has been fixed in November. So I guess I just need to sit tight until the fix comes my way and inserting a flash requests the proper file form the MS servers.
Novagene - 3 years ago
I thought I could wait out a Windows update to self-correcting this issue. Nope.
Then I tried every “fix” to no avail; messing with Device Remover program, clearing cache, and other ideas cribbed from the Internet.
On one hand, it wasn’t bothering anything, but on the other hand it would trigger my OCD every time I inserted a USB stick and saw the blank icon.
I finally did a repair install. Download Windows to USB using Microsoft's Media Tool and reinstall (note that the options doesn't seem to call it repair install anymore [May 2020], just pick the reinstall option that keeps apps and User data. Backup first of course).
A few screen flashes later and USB icons restored. No other issues, so all went well.
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.836)