Hi,
Try going to Control Panel> Personalization> Tasks (left side)> Change
desktop icons> Restore default.

Plan B... Control Panel> Personalization> Display settings, tweak the Colors
setting per this article http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=926715

Hope this helps,
Don
[MS MVP- IE]

"John N" <j@trudy.jp> wrote in message
news:58rvnmF2hnod2U1@mid.individual.net...
> using vista ultimate edition and machine has 3 administrator logons
>
> two of the three have a normal looking desktop, while the Administrator
account
> desktop shows this default icon which is not the real icon for the app,
even when
> accessing properties and setting that icon (ie. Adobe Reader v8) to it's
default icon,
> it still shows the microsoft default icon which has almost no color and
some generic
> windows flag
>
> the apps themselves work fine
>
> in explorer, the placeholder folders also have lost the default yellow
folder icon and
> show this default ms no color icon and some generic windows flag, ie.
c:\documents and
> settings
>
> is it an error in iconcache and how is it reset ?