apps randomly become transparent/translucent on PC

Dear Ron Lai,

Hello! Welcome to the Microsoft Community. I'm glad to be able to assist you. If I misunderstand your question, please let me know promptly.

I understand that your icons have become transparent, and that programs that are used frequently are more seriously affected. I understand the trouble this problem has caused you, and I will try my best to help you solve it.

If the drive icon in is damaged or displayed abnormally, here are some common solutions:

1. Rebuild the icon cache

Run the command prompt as an administrator (type cmd in the Start menu search box, then right-click and select "Run as administrator").

Run the following command:

taskkill /f /im explorer.exe

cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

attrib –h IconCache.db

del IconCache.db

start explorer.exe

This will terminate Windows Explorer, delete the icon cache file and restart Explorer.

2. Fix via Registry Editor:

Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons

Under the DriveIcons key, find the letter that corresponds to the affected drive (for example, C) and delete all keys and subkeys associated with it.

3. Using the Command Prompt:

Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and enter the following command:

reg delete HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons /f

This will delete the registry entries related to the drive icon and restore it to the default icon.

Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems, **however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.**For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Support to view the article. 

4. Check system file integrity and run DISM

Search for CMD, find the command prompt, and choose to run in administrator mode.

Enter the following commands one by one. Be sure to execute the next command after the previous one is completed.

sfc /scannow

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After the scan is complete, you can check the scan information to see if any problems have been detected and fixed.

5. If the above methods do not solve your problem, or the problem recurs after being fixed, try running a clean boot to see if the problem still occurs:

Clean startup, try to use clean startup, and check whether the problem still appears after eliminating the influence of third-party soft armor and services. If the problem is solved, you can follow the steps of clean startup to find the problematic software.

How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background program is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem.

These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by-step so that it will help you get you back on track.

6. If the issue is still not resolved in a clean boot, try to see if the same issue exists in a new account:

Press win+R and enter "lusrmgr.msc" to open Local Users and Groups.

Right-click the Users folder and select New User.

Enter the username and password and click Create.

On the right side of the newly created account, select the account type and set it to Administrator.

Now go to the newly created local account and see if the issue is resolved.

I hope the above information is helpful to you. If the problem is still not solved, the system files may be damaged. Please let me know in time.

Best Wishes

Pyke.D | Microsoft Community Support Specialist