Launching Google Chrome Causes Refresh of Desktop Icons

When I launch the Google Chrome browser for the first instance on my Windows 8.1 desktop, all the desktop icons blink off and then immediately refresh themselves. The Chrome window opens, and while the window is filling, the icons turn very briefly white, then refresh with their icon image. It’s only an annoyance that distracts my view for about 1-2 seconds. This behavior seems to be relatively new, only noticed it in last week or two, maybe little longer.

When Chrome is already open, launching a 2nd instance does not refresh the icons. Also, launching Internet Explorer does not refresh the icons. Chrome is my default browser.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi.

I had the same problem. Check out the last message from Hanna D. It is the solution.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topicsearchin/chrome/chrome$20refresh$20icons%7Csort:relevance/chrome/ILhcpvMVcX8

same here, also getting "Updates are disabled by the administrator" when I try to update

asterix said:

Hi.

I had the same problem. Check out the last message from Hanna D. It is the solution.

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topicsearchin/chrome/chrome$20refresh$20icons%7Csort:relevance/chrome/ILhcpvMVcX8

Click to expand...

Thanks. Per Hanna D., I disabled the Chrome 'new profile management system' flag and the desktop icons have stopped the blinking. You are right, that is the solution.

Not so fast...Chrome just updated to Version 40.0.2214.91 m, and the blinking icons are back, even with the Chrome 'new profile management system' flag disabled. Sigh....

Retexan599 said:

Not so fast...Chrome just updated to Version 40.0.2214.91 m, and the blinking icons are back, even with the Chrome 'new profile management system' flag disabled. Sigh....

Click to expand...

Have the same version as you and no more icons refreshing. The trick is to set the flag before you sign into Chrome, otherwise the problem persists.. I basically erased the entire %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google folder, but not before copying the cookies stored in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

Those files w/ the cookies are 'Cookies' and (maybe) 'Cookies-journal'

Next, I navigate to chrome://flags on Chrome browser and scroll down to "Enable new profile management system" and mark it as 'Disabled'. Finally, exit Chrome, re-launch it, and it should be good to sign-in again. For me it refreshed only once more as it was loading plugins, but it has not done it again. Good luck!