Common symptoms
- Custom icons have returned to Rhino defaults.
- Some buttons are blank, duplicated, or use the wrong icon.
- The icon pack appears in one shortcut or scheme but not another.
- Toolbar layout remains correct, but icon resources have changed.
- Rhino starts with a different theme after an update or shortcut change.
Step 1
Back up the current state
Close Rhino and copy %AppData%\McNeel\Rhinoceros\8.0\settings to a new dated folder. Do not overwrite the backup you made before installation.
If you do not have an earlier backup, follow the Rhino 8 UI backup checklist now.
Step 2
Confirm which scheme Rhino started
Rhino can store different settings for different scheme names. A desktop shortcut containing a /scheme="Name" parameter opens that scheme’s settings rather than the default scheme.
Check the shortcut you used before and after the update. McNeel’s Starting Rhino documentation explains how scheme-specific settings are stored.
Step 3
Check the active toolbar XML
Rhino 8 stores changes to default toolbars in XML files below the active scheme folder. Open the relevant XML in a text editor and confirm whether the custom ICONS section is still present.
Do not copy or delete sections until you know which file belongs to the active scheme.
Step 4
Reapply only the icon section
If the custom ICONS section is missing, use the purchased RhinoUI XML file and repeat the XML icon replacement steps. Avoid replacing the complete settings file unless you intentionally want to restore all settings from a known backup.
Step 5
Separate toolbar problems from icon problems
If toolbar groups, buttons, or external RUI files are also wrong, open Rhino’s Toolbars options and identify whether the affected toolbar is the embedded default or a linked external RUI.
Rhino’s official documentation notes that deleting an associated toolbar XML restores the original toolbar content from the RUI file. That also discards stored toolbar edits, so use it only after backing up and only when restoring the original toolbar is the intended result. See Toolbars Options.
Step 6
Use Reset only as a last resort
Rhino’s Reset command can restore the default window layout, remove toolbar customizations, reset application settings, or perform a factory reset. These choices affect much more than icons.
Read each option carefully and save your settings first. McNeel states that a factory reset creates an 8.0backup <date and time> folder, but you should still keep your own independent backup. See the official Reset command documentation.
When to contact support
Ask for help when the active scheme is correct, the ICONS section is present, and restarting Rhino still shows blank or incorrect icons. Include:
- Your Rhino 8 service release
- Your Windows version
- The scheme name or shortcut used
- A screenshot of the affected toolbar
- Whether the default scheme displays correctly
- The package version downloaded from Gumroad
Do not send purchase files, license information, or a complete settings archive publicly.