Why Are There Red X’s on My Folders Windows 10? Fix It Now!

Why Are There Red X’s on My Folders Windows 10?

Some users report that when they access Windows File Explorer, they find there is a red circle with an X on the logical hard drive icons. Windows 10 red x on icons is a rare error. But, it is an annoying error.

Till now, the exact reasons for red x on files Windows 10 is unknown. But, when this issue occurs, it usually means that the file/folder/disk is not refreshing, updating, or syncing.

If you are also bothered by this question, don’t worry! The Windows 10 red x on icons issue can be solved using different methods. No matter the issue happens to local hard drive disks, disks mapped on a network, files, or folders, you can try these methods to help you out.

How to Remove Windows 10 Red X on Icons?

To remove red X on folders, files or Hard Drive in Windows 10, you can try these methods:

Reinstall the Cloud Service App

If you have installed some cloud service applications like OneDrive, Dropbox, etc. on your computer, you may encounter this issue easily.

So, you can update/reinstall the cloud service apps to have a try.

Disconnect Network Drive

If the drive is mapped, you can disconnect the drive to have a try.

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Select the down arrow in the Map network drive option and then select Disconnect network drive.
3. Select the drive letter for the mapped drive.
4. Click OK.

All the mapped drives are disconnected. Then, you can go to check whether the Windows 10 red x on icons are gone.

Update Windows and BIOS

Someone report that they solve the issue by updating Windows to the latest version and updating BIOS. If the above solutions don’t work, you can try this method.

You still need to reboot the computer after the updating process. Don’t forget it.

Run CHKDSK

CHKDSK can detect and fix some issues on the drive. You can use it to solve the red x on files Windows 10 issue.

To do this job, you need to run CMD as an Administrator and then input the following command:

chkdsk <Drive Letter>: /f /r /x /b

Then CHKDSK will begin to check and fix the found errors.

If the volume is used by another process, you will receive a message saying:

Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process, Would you like the schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)

You need to press Y to make a scheduling for disk check.

At last, you can restart your PC to see whether the issue disappears.

Clear Icon Cache

You can follow these steps to clear iCon Cache on your computer:

1. Go to Task Manager.

2. Scroll down to Windows Explorer and right-click on the list. Then, select End Task.

3. Run CMD as an Admin.

4. Input and execute the following commands successively:

cd /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local

attrib –h IconCache.db

del IconCache.db

start explorer

Now, the icon cache should be cleared and rebuilt.

Remove Write Protect on the Hard Drive

Removing the hard drive protection is also proved to be effective. You can try this method to fix your issue.

Scan Viruses

Windows 10 red X in icons can also be caused by virus attack. So, you can download and install dedicated antivirus software on your computer to full scan and kill the detected viruses.

We hope these solutions are helpful to fix your Windows 10 red X on icons issue.

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