How to get desktop IE icon back when obvious fix fails?

[David Hollway [MVP]]

Hi All,

Here's hoping someone can help me... here's a problem I've not seen before.

I'm currently attempting to fix a neighbor's PC. It's the usual home PC
situation - major brand PC sold with Windows XP Home, but without any kind
of spyware scanner, antivirus software, or firewall, and seriously out of
date on Windows security fixes. As a result, it's infested with every type
of malware you can imagine, and disinfecting it is taking quite some time.

Whether caused by one of the above or not I don't know, but - the desktop
Internet Explorer icon has disappeared. I've done the obvious - gone to
Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop, and yes, the Internet
Explorer icon is checked there. However, no IE icon on the desktop. I've
tried unchecking this checkbox and re-checking it, but no dice.

I could just create a shortcut to IEXPLORE.EXE on the desktop, but that's
not the same - for one thing, right-clicking on it would just give Shortcut
properties, and not access to the Internet Explorer options as the "real" IE
icon would.

Can anyone help? I'm guessing that the custom IE desktop icon is defined in
the Registry somewhere - any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

 

[t.cruise]

Does the system that you're working on have TweakUI for Windows XP, one of
the Microsoft Powertoys for Windows XP? If so, click the Start button/All
Programs/Powertoys for Windows XP/TweakUI. When TweakUI opens, in the right
pane click Desktop, in the left pane click to put a check to the left of the
I.E.6 icon. Then click the Apply and OK buttons, then reboot. If there
already is a check, remove it, then click APPLY and OK buttons, reboot, then
open TweakUI for Windows XP again, and put the checkmark back, then click
the APPLY and OK buttons, then reboot. If you don't have TweakUI for
Windows XP, you can download it at:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp

If the PC was upgraded from Windows 98 and already had an earlier version of
TweakUI for Windows installed, it MUST be removed before installing the
TweakUI for Windows XP version. You can uninstall the earlier version using
a vbs script from Doug Knox' site:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/scripts_desc/xp_tweak_uninst.htm

 

[kurttrail]

Hi All,

Here's hoping someone can help me... here's a problem I've not seen
before.

I'm currently attempting to fix a neighbor's PC. It's the usual home
PC situation - major brand PC sold with Windows XP Home, but without
any kind of spyware scanner, antivirus software, or firewall, and
seriously out of date on Windows security fixes. As a result, it's
infested with every type of malware you can imagine, and disinfecting
it is taking quite some time.

Whether caused by one of the above or not I don't know, but - the
desktop Internet Explorer icon has disappeared. I've done the obvious
- gone to Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop, and
yes, the Internet Explorer icon is checked there. However, no IE icon
on the desktop. I've tried unchecking this checkbox and re-checking
it, but no dice.

I could just create a shortcut to IEXPLORE.EXE on the desktop, but
that's not the same - for one thing, right-clicking on it would just
give Shortcut properties, and not access to the Internet Explorer
options as the "real" IE icon would.

Can anyone help? I'm guessing that the custom IE desktop icon is
defined in the Registry somewhere - any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

You can try this:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm #20

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei!"

 

[David Hollway [MVP]]

Does the system that you're working on have TweakUI for Windows XP, one of
the Microsoft Powertoys for Windows XP? If so, click the Start button/All
Programs/Powertoys for Windows XP/TweakUI. When TweakUI opens, in the right
pane click Desktop, in the left pane click to put a check to the left of the
I.E.6 icon. Then click the Apply and OK buttons, then reboot. If there
already is a check, remove it, then click APPLY and OK buttons, reboot, then
open TweakUI for Windows XP again, and put the checkmark back, then click
the APPLY and OK buttons, then reboot.

Hi T.C,

Thanks for the prompt response and the helpful tip - unfortunately, I've
already tried TweakUI, in fact it was one of the first things I tried. The
Internet Explorer option simply doesn't appear in the Desktop category. I
don't think this PC was upgraded from 98 - AFAIK it was bought new with XP
Home installed, and the problem is simply that it's been connected to the
net via broadband without any semblance whatsoever of security protection.
Spybot went bananas when I installed and ran it, and I've already managed to
remove the system policy that was blocking access to the Task Manager..
*sigh*

Having got the CLSID value for the desktop IE icon from the registry on my
OWN system, I'm currently trawling through the registry of both systems for
this value
( {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D} if anyone's interested) and trying
to figure out what's missing from the affected system. Hopefully, this will
turn up something of significance!

regards,

David Hollway [MVP, Windows Shell]

 

[Les Herrman]

Hi All,

Here's hoping someone can help me... here's a problem I've not seen before.

I'm currently attempting to fix a neighbor's PC. It's the usual home PC
situation - major brand PC sold with Windows XP Home, but without any kind
of spyware scanner, antivirus software, or firewall, and seriously out of
date on Windows security fixes. As a result, it's infested with every type
of malware you can imagine, and disinfecting it is taking quite some time.

Whether caused by one of the above or not I don't know, but - the desktop
Internet Explorer icon has disappeared. I've done the obvious - gone to
Display Properties -> Desktop -> Customize Desktop, and yes, the Internet
Explorer icon is checked there. However, no IE icon on the desktop. I've
tried unchecking this checkbox and re-checking it, but no dice.

I could just create a shortcut to IEXPLORE.EXE on the desktop, but that's
not the same - for one thing, right-clicking on it would just give Shortcut
properties, and not access to the Internet Explorer options as the "real" IE
icon would.

Can anyone help? I'm guessing that the custom IE desktop icon is defined in
the Registry somewhere - any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

Have you tried just dragging it off the top of the start menu to the
desktop?

This worked for me when I tried it. You still get the special
"Internet Properties" when you right click on it.

 

[R. Miller]

Hi David,

I have encountered EXACTLY the same problem you have experienced right
down to the Spyware/Malware issue. In this case the person's computer
is a Dell - I'm willing to bet that's what your neighbor's is also. I
have searched high and low for a fix for this, only to find HUNDREDS
of responses with the "obvious" fix. Your message was the first I
have found that spells the problem out so well and requests help
beyond the usual canned responses. As I have not yet been able to
find a valid method to repair this obnoxious and insidious little
problem, I'm hoping that you have and can share your results with me.

Randy Miller, (VPIT)