DOCX Files Not Showing Word Icon? Fix It Now

Published On - August 13, 2025

ivan Blogging

Ever opened a folder expecting to see that familiar blue “W” icon for your Word documents, but it’s gone? Instead, you find a boring blank page or a weird unknown icon beside your .docx files? Relax — you’re not alone. It happens. And the good news? It’s easy to fix.

Let’s walk through it!

Why Does This Happen?

Your .docx files not showing the Word icon usually means one of these things:

  • Microsoft Word isn’t set as the default program.
  • The icon cache is corrupted.
  • Word installation is broken or missing.

Now, let’s bring back that iconic “W”!

Step 1: Make Sure Word is Installed

First things first — make sure Microsoft Word is actually installed on your computer. You’d be shocked how often it’s not!

Go to Start > All Apps and type “Word” in the search. If you find it, great! If not, you might need to reinstall it.

If you already have Word, then let’s go to the next step.

Step 2: Set Word as the Default Program

This is often the fix! Here’s how:

  1. Right-click a .docx file.
  2. Choose Open with > Choose another app.
  3. Select Word from the list.
  4. Check the box that says “Always use this app to open .docx files”.
  5. Click OK.

Your icons might instantly change back after this. If not, keep going.

Step 3: Rebuild Icon Cache

Sometimes, Windows just forgets what icons belong to what files. That’s when you need to reset the icon memory.

Here’s how to rebuild the icon cache:

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. Go to C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local.
  3. Find a file called IconCache.db and delete it.
  4. Restart your computer.

This recreates a fresh icon cache. Hopefully, Word icons are back in style now!

Step 4: Repair Microsoft Office

If things are still funky, the Word app itself might be the culprit.

Don’t worry. You don’t have to uninstall anything. Just repair it:

  1. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
  2. Find Microsoft Office and select it.
  3. Click Change, then Repair.

This process might take a few minutes. But it can save hours of headaches!

Step 5: Use “Open With” to Create Permanent Association

If you’re having the issue with specific files, try this:

  1. Right-click a problem file.
  2. Choose Properties.
  3. Next to Opens with, click Change.
  4. Choose Microsoft Word.
  5. Click Apply then OK.

This tells Windows: “Hey, this is a Word document!”

Bonus Tip: Install File Type Icon Fixers

Still not working? There are free tools like FileTypesMan or Default Programs Editor.

They can fix file associations and bring your icons back with just a few clicks.

Wrap-up: Your Word Icons Are Back!

Dealing with missing Word icons can be annoying. But now you’ve got a toolbox of quick fixes.🔥

  • Double-check that Word is installed.
  • Reset the default program for .docx.
  • Rebuild the icon cache.
  • Repair Office if needed.
  • Use third-party tools if all else fails.

That beautiful “W” should be proudly sitting next to your documents again. 🎉

Go on, open that folder — your icons are waiting! 💾