black square on desktop icon

If you have run software that removes the shortcut arrow, use the software to undo it.

OR

Press the WinKey + e and navigate to:

C:\Users\"Your Username"\AppData\Local

delete the file named IconCache.db

Restart your System

And if the above doesn't work try this.

1. Click Start.
2. Click All Programs.
3. Click Accessories.
4. Click System Tools.
5. Click System Restore.
6. Follow the instructions on the wizard to restore to an earlier point.

Let us know how you get on.

http://vista-shortcut-manager.software.informer.com/download/

Click on the "yes" button to download the software then run it.

Vista Shortcut Manager is a small utility to remove and/or manage the arrow symbol on your icons and either remove them or replace them with some other custom graphic, you can also remove that shortcut to prefix in the text of any shortcut that windows makes.

It can be used by people looking for removing those ugly looking arrows on shortcut icons without editing registry or having to do some complex manipulation with system files and it comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit variants so as to allow you to choose the correct one for you computing environment, Vista shortcut manager presents various ways to customize your shortcut icons including arrow variants,no arrow or a user defined arrow graphic and it also has the ability to remove that extra "shortcut to" text put before every shortcut by Windows by default.
This small utility is good for the needy and it does exactly what it says, although you need to log off before changes take place, but after logging in you can see the changes you have applied .
Hope all goes well. :)