[SOLVED] Win 7 SP1 Messed My Icons

After installing SP1 on Windows 7 64-bit with Windows Update, my desktop and system tray icons are blown. The desktop shortcuts show only text, no icon. The system tray shows phantom buttons and the mouse hover tips work, but no icons there either.

I clicked the desktop, View > Show desktop icons, it was checked. I unchecked, then rechecked, no change.

I was running Stardock Fences before, but uninstalled it and rebooted. Same result.

I tried this a month ago back in March and got this result, so I uninstalled SP1 and restored my Stardock Fences, ran fine for 6 weeks. Thought I'd try again after updating some other Microsoft software (Office 2010, Security Essentials).

I'm a retired software developer familiar with the registry. If that needs tweaking, I can do it.

Please help. I don't want to go through another uninstall and run without SP1 again.

Try Ian's post in THIS THREAD
or try this Windows club app Nibs posted

Found my own solution in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons where there was an empty string value with a name "29". I deleted it and the icons immediately filled in.

Maaaaaan, you saved me from an entire headacheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

No homo, but I love you for posting your solution!!!

It just returned my whole damn Windows icons within 2 minutes!!!

I have been searching the whole day, and installing this crappy service pack took me 2 hours itself, I'm really glad you posted this.. As my problem was so damn exactly the same!

and I had Stardock Fences right before installing Win 7 SP 1 !!!

and just to know, I did exactly what you did, and instead i found 2 empty string values with 3 and 4, and all I did was DELETE them and my iconz returned as fast as possible like a charm!

NOTHING AS IN NOTHING ELSE I TRIED BEFORE HAD WORKED !!!
stuff like troubleshooting, and deleting iconcache.db using cmd and restarting in Safe Mode !!!

Thanks a billion tonnes man!!! YOU SAVED MY DAY
and I just registered to say thank YOU !!!

Well done M8. I believe that is the string to delete the old shortcut arrows on the icons? For curiosity, did the arrows return? I ask as I am now wondering if the shortcut arrow problem was resolved in SP1.