Folder icon gone? Help please?

Restart the computer in safe mode. Certain caches maintained by the system will be rebuilt.

Safe mode is much slower to start up than normal. The next normal startup may also be somewhat slow.

When the login screen appears, restart as usual (not in safe mode) and test. There's no need to log in while in safe mode.

Note: If FileVault is enabled in OS X 10.9 or earlier, or if a firmware password is set, or if the startup volume is a software RAID, you can’t start in safe mode. In that case, ask for instructions.

Please read this whole message before doing anything.

This procedure is a diagnostic test. It won’t solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.

The purpose of this test is to determine whether the problem is localized to your user account. Enable guest logins* and log in as Guest. Don't use the Safari-only “Guest User” login created by “Find My Mac.”

While logged in as Guest, you won’t have access to any of your documents or settings. Applications will behave as if you were running them for the first time. Don’t be alarmed by this behavior; it’s normal. If you need any passwords or other personal data in order to complete the test, memorize, print, or write them down before you begin.

Test while logged in as Guest. Same problem?

After testing, log out of the guest account and, in your own account, disable it if you wish. Any files you created in the guest account will be deleted automatically when you log out of it.

*Note: If you’ve activated “Find My Mac” or FileVault in OS X 10.7 or later, then you can’t enable the Guest account. The "Guest User" login created by "Find My Mac" is not the same. Create a new account in which to test, and delete it, including its home folder, after testing.

Do icons show up in other folders?

If I goto my user folder the folder icons there show up, just not on anywhere else.

I'm not sure I understand this response. I know that icons are missing on the Desktop, but I'm not sure whether they are also missing in any other folders. The answer should be either yes or no.

Back up all data before continuing. Empty the Trash.

Please triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

mv $TMPDIR../C/*.ic*s .Trash/

Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

Paste into the Terminal window by pressing the key combination command-V. I've tested these instructions only with the Safari web browser. If you use another browser, you may have to press the return key after pasting.

Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign ($) to appear below what you entered. You can then quit Terminal.

Some cache files will be moved to the Trash. Open the Trash and verify that it contains a folder named "com.apple.iconservices" and nothing else. Log out or restart the computer, empty the Trash, and test.

Why not?

You need a backup device. Do you have one? Have you ever backed up? See below.

Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple Support

No, there isn't. Backing up is a much higher priority than the problem you asked about, unless you just don't care about your data. You are certainly going to lose every bit of data you have, sooner or later, if you don't start backing up. If you're not going to back up, I have nothing else to suggest.