Summary
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Windows 11 may silently revert custom folder icons to their default values if desktop.ini comes from an untrusted source.
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Untrusted sources include Web Marked files, copies of some WebDAV/HTTP locations, or untrusted network paths.
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Fixes include adding the font to Trusted Sites, enabling the direct remote path access policy, or removing Web Marking.
Have you noticed that some of your custom Windows icons have returned to their default appearance after the latest update? If so, don’t worry; you are not alone. Microsoft has made some adjustments to the way custom icons are handled with Windows 11, and if the operating system can’t verify that they come from a good source, it will silently change them to the default values without telling you. Yes, it’s one of those rare times when what may seem like a Windows bug is, in fact, entirely by design.
Microsoft confirms that ‘untrusted’ icons will no longer be displayed in Windows 11
But you can fix it quite easily.
Beyond the microsoft blogThe tech giant has confirmed that people who download the Windows 11 June Update may notice that their custom folder icons may have disappeared. Specifically, if you defined an icon or folder name through desktop.ini, it will return to the default value.
Before you look for that error reporting form, Microsoft explains that this is now expected behavior. The company is adding security hardening protocols where, if a desktop.ini file comes from an untrusted source, it will stop displaying custom icon changes and will instead revert them to their default values. Microsoft defines the following areas as untrusted sources:
Files downloaded from the Internet that bear the Mark of the Web (MOTW).
Files copied from certain remote locations, such as some WebDAV or HTTP-based locations.
Files on network paths that are not classified as intranet or trusted by zone policy.
If your icons are broken, Microsoft recommends three solutions. You can add the font to your Trusted Sites, enable the “Allow remote paths in file shortcut icons” policy, or remove the Web Branding label from your file. This should inform Windows 11 that the file should be trusted and it will recover your custom icon.
