Empty icon in control panel

[Dr. Dos]

XP SP2...
I have an "empty" icon the control panel. There is no description for it
and double clicking starts nothing, as far as I can tell. The icon is
the first icon in the shell32.dll collection, just a file folder with
colored little markings. The icon has no properties to see, no tip tool.
I have searched files and registry for a *.cpl with no name but have
found none. Since it has no name, it is the first in the details list,
or the top or first in thumbnails or icons.
I want to delete it from the control panel, but that is not an option.
Suggestions or cures?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

How to remove an invalid icon in the Control Panel
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/cpicon.htm

Compare the *.cpl files you found to these.

You may not have all of these and you may have some not listed here. This
is a list from my machine.

Control Panel cpl's:

access.cpl = Accessibility Options
appwiz.cpl = Add or Remove Programs
desk.cpl = Desktop Control Panel = Display Properties
hdwwiz.cpl = Add Hardware Control Panel Applet
inetcpl.cpl = Internet Control Panel = Internet Properties
intl.cpl = Regional and Language Options
irprops.cpl = Wireless Link Control Panel Applet
joy.cpl = Game Controllers
jpicpl32.cpl = JavaPlugin
main.cpl = Mouse Properties
mmsys.cpl = Sounds and Audio Device Properties
ncpa.cpl = Network Connections Control-Panel Stub
nusrmgr.cpl = Windows User Manager = Users Accounts
nvtuicpl.cpl = NVIDIA nView Control Panel, Version 52.16
nwc.cpl = Client Service for NetWare Applet
odbccp32.cpl = Microsoft Data Access - ODBC Control Panel
plotman.cpl = Autodesk Hardcopy Plotter Manager
powercfg.cpl = Power Management Configuration Control Panel Applet or Power
Options Properties
SanCpl.cpl = SiSoftware Sandra™ English Control Panel Extension (Win32
x86)(NT)(ANSI)
sapi.cpl = SAPI 5 = Speech Properties
styleman.cpl = Autodesk Hardcopy Plot Style Manager
sysdm.cpl = System Properties
telephon.cpl = Telephony Control Panel
timedate.cpl = Time Date Control Panel Applet
wscui.cpl = SP2 Windows Security Center (SP2)
wuaucpl.cpl = Automatic Updates Control Panel (Added by SP2)

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Dr. Dos]

How to remove an invalid icon in the Control Panel
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/cpicon.htm

Compare the *.cpl files you found to these.

You may not have all of these and you may have some not listed here. This
is a list from my machine.

Control Panel cpl's:

access.cpl = Accessibility Options
appwiz.cpl = Add or Remove Programs
desk.cpl = Desktop Control Panel = Display Properties
hdwwiz.cpl = Add Hardware Control Panel Applet
inetcpl.cpl = Internet Control Panel = Internet Properties
intl.cpl = Regional and Language Options
irprops.cpl = Wireless Link Control Panel Applet
joy.cpl = Game Controllers
jpicpl32.cpl = JavaPlugin
main.cpl = Mouse Properties
mmsys.cpl = Sounds and Audio Device Properties
ncpa.cpl = Network Connections Control-Panel Stub
nusrmgr.cpl = Windows User Manager = Users Accounts
nvtuicpl.cpl = NVIDIA nView Control Panel, Version 52.16
nwc.cpl = Client Service for NetWare Applet
odbccp32.cpl = Microsoft Data Access - ODBC Control Panel
plotman.cpl = Autodesk Hardcopy Plotter Manager
powercfg.cpl = Power Management Configuration Control Panel Applet or Power
Options Properties
SanCpl.cpl = SiSoftware Sandra™ English Control Panel Extension (Win32
x86)(NT)(ANSI)
sapi.cpl = SAPI 5 = Speech Properties
styleman.cpl = Autodesk Hardcopy Plot Style Manager
sysdm.cpl = System Properties
telephon.cpl = Telephony Control Panel
timedate.cpl = Time Date Control Panel Applet
wscui.cpl = SP2 Windows Security Center (SP2)
wuaucpl.cpl = Automatic Updates Control Panel (Added by SP2)

Thank you for the help.
The shellobject editor did not have an "expert mode" in the version I
downloaded, so that did not help.
Registry listings were not illuminating.
Looking at the properties of the various .cpl files was not informative
because they all looked legit.
I solved this problem by making a copy of all the .cpl files in system32
and placing them in system32. This created double listings in the
control panel. I then deleted each of the copies until one twin of the
errant icon disappeared. Not sure what to do with the original, for the
time being I renamed the extension. The "mystery" icon is now gone.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

What was the file's name? What.cpl?

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Dr. Dos]

What was the file's name? What.cpl?

btcpl
"Bluetooth Control Panel"
published by Broadcom Corporation, version 3.0.1.912, dated 10-01-2004.

I think it belongs to a Bluetooth dongle I installed several months ago
but have never used.

 

[deebs]

btcpl
"Bluetooth Control Panel"
published by Broadcom Corporation, version 3.0.1.912, dated 10-01-2004.

I think it belongs to a Bluetooth dongle I installed several months ago
but have never used.

If my experience is anything to go on (and I am not claiming it is)
there are different ways depending upon which side of SP2 the computer
original install lies.

Pre-SP2 the installation software may be handy, post-SP2 the same
software may be a liability

 

[Dr. Dos]

If my experience is anything to go on (and I am not claiming it is)
there are different ways depending upon which side of SP2 the computer
original install lies.

Pre-SP2 the installation software may be handy, post-SP2 the same
software may be a liability

Handy...liability??? What does that mean?