Unable to Delete or Unpin wsl$ Icon in File Explorer

Saeid Shahriari 70 Reputation points
2024-12-09T07:46:47.28+00:00

Hello, I am facing an issue with my File Explorer in Windows. Specifically, I cannot delete or unpin the wsl$ icon (see attached screenshots). Despite unpinning it, the icon still remains visible in File Explorer.

Additionally, after updating Windows, I noticed that the Linux icon in the left sidebar of File Explorer is no longer present. I also tried entering \wsl$ in the File Explorer address bar, but another issue occurred. When I try to click on folders or files, another icon unexpectedly appears, (as shown in the attached screenshots).

Could you please guide me on how to completely remove the wsl$ icon and resolve this folder interaction issue? Thank you!photo_2024-12-09_08-02-40

photo_2024-12-09_08-08-50

Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | User experience | Other
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  1. Wesley Li 11,280 Reputation points
    2024-12-13T15:41:52.15+00:00

    Hello,

    Try the following steps to reset icon cache.

    1. Open Command Prompt as administrator from the start menu.
    2. Run taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe to stop explorer.
    3. Run del %localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer\iconcache* to delete the icon cache files.
    4. Run start explorer.exe to start explorer and the icon cache should be rebuilt automatically.

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