Lost Icons in RTM

[Jeff Gaines]

Several of my apps (mainly programming tools) have lost their Icons, and
any attempt to change the icon leads to a dialog saying 'There Are No
Icons In This File'. I have extracted a couple manually (using an XP box)
and they work fine then by browsing to the ico file. Is this a change in
Vista?

Fortunately it's not happening in apps I have written in VS 2005 - just
some old tried and trusted tools.

 

[Chad Harris]

Jeff--

1) If this is recent you can always try a system restore but you might have
already.

2) Try running SFC/Windows File Protection by typing run in above the start
button rather than Win Key +R then right click run when it pops up and click
"run as admin" on the right click context menu.

Type in sfc /scannow with a space after "c" and you have probably used this
before.

The reason this might help restore some of your app icons is that it will
replace files and .dlls whose signatures scanned show they are corrupt.

3) If these don't work, you can use the DVD to resort to Startup Repair.
Startup Repair can work to fix Vista, even when you don't have a no boot
problem.

Win RE Context
http://blogs.msdn.com/winre/archive/2006/09/18/760295.aspx

You run the startup repair tool this way:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

Note The computer must be configured to start from a CD or from a DVD. For
information about how to configure the computer to start from a CD or from a
DVD, see the information that came with the computer.
2. Restart the computer. To do this, click Start, click the arrow next to
the Lock button, and then click Restart.

This usually means that you enter bios setup by whatever key or keys
(sometimes there is more than one key that will do it for your model--go to
pc manufacturer site) and configure CD to be first in the boot order.

See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Note If you cannot restart the computer by using this method, use the power
button to turn off the computer. Then, turn the computer back on.
3. Set your language preference, and then click Next.

Note In most cases, the startup repair process starts automatically, and you
do not have the option to select it in the System Recovery Options menu.
4. Click Repair your computer.
5. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click the operating system
that you want to repair, and then click Next.
6. In the System Recovery Options menu, click Startup Repair to start the
repair process.
7. When the repair process is complete, click Finish.

Additional References for Startup Repair With Screenshots:

How to Use Startup Repair:

***Accessing Windows RE (Repair Environment):***

1) Insert Media into PC (the DVD you burned)

2) ***You will see on the Vista logo setup screen after lang. options in the
lower left corner, a link called "System Recovery Options."***

Screenshot: System Recovery Options (Lower Left Link)
http://blogs.itecn.net/photos/liuhui/images/2014/500x375.aspx

Screenshot: (Click first option "Startup Repair"
http://www.leedesmond.com/images/img_vista02ctp-installSysRecOpt2.bmp

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

3) Select your OS for repair.

4) Its been my experience that you can see some causes of the crash from
theWin RE feature:

You'll have a choice there of using:

1) Startup Repair
2) System Restore
3) Complete PC Restore

Good luck,

CH

 

[Jeff Gaines]

Jeff--

1) If this is recent you can always try a system restore but you might
have already.

Thanks for the input Chad

These aren't system files though, they're just programming tools - and
what I call 'well behaved' in that they don't need installing, they just
run. The apps are working but Vista somehow doesn't seem to think the
files contain icons - although XP can find them.

I wondered if Vista treats/looks for icons differently?

 

[Chad Harris]

As advanced as you are Jeff, you don't have a correct undrestanding of how
System Restore works either in XP where it could restore those icons via
registry snap shots, or Vista which of course works on Volume Shadow
services whose physilology Jill Zoeller has explained on her blog and linked
numerous timse in this group.

Again Run SR.

Again Run SFC--because some .dlls may be needed to display those APPLICATION
ICONS--I'm not talking about System Icons which are handled in a whole
different paradigm in the Windows registry Vista or XP.

Again try Startup Repair.

Best of luck,

CH

 

[Jeff Gaines]

As advanced as you are Jeff, you don't have a correct undrestanding of how
System Restore works either in XP where it could restore those icons via
registry snap shots, or Vista which of course works on Volume Shadow
services whose physilology Jill Zoeller has explained on her blog and
linked numerous timse in this group.

No, that's not the issue. XP finds icons in the .exe files but Vista
doesn't.

I'll fire up VS tomorrow and see if my icon extractor works the same way
on Vista as it did on XP.

 

[Jeff Gaines]

No, that's not the issue. XP finds icons in the .exe files but Vista
doesn't.

I'll fire up VS tomorrow and see if my icon extractor works the same way
on Vista as it did on XP.

Jut a follow up on this - I asked for help in one of the programming
groups having discovered the issue only arises with 16 bit apps, the
response is:

==============

The support for loading icon resources from 16 bit binaries (NE binaries,
instead of 32 bit PE binaries) was intentionally removed in Vista when MUI
support was added for icon resources.

So yes, this is by design. Note that it will still fall back to the
generic executable icon for 16 bit exes.

This was actually a change to icon resource loading code in User32
(user32!PrivateExtractIconsW, if you want to get specific), and
SHGetFileInfo just happens to be the top of one stack that calls into that
code.

==============

I guess 'where has my icon gone' may become a FAQ once retail Vista is
released.

 

[Dale]

As I have stated before, dropping support for 16-bit anything was a good
idea. I wish they had dropped support for 16-bit everything.

Wouldn't it be great if they wiped the slate clean and came out with a whole
new OS without being limited by any consideration for backward
compatibility?

Dale

 

[Jeff Gaines]

As I have stated before, dropping support for 16-bit anything was a good
idea. I wish they had dropped support for 16-bit everything.

Wouldn't it be great if they wiped the slate clean and came out with a
whole new OS without being limited by any consideration for backward
compatibility?

No thanks, I still use a lot of 16 bit utilities that work perfectly well,
why replace them?

 

[Dave Methvin]

No thanks, I still use a lot of 16 bit utilities that

work perfectly well, why replace them?

Because their icons look like crap in Vista.

 

[Dale]

And your DOS disks worked perfectly well.

Why replace those, either? If you want to use old stuff, just use old
stuff. Stick with XP.

Just think of the great 64 bit utilities you could get if the 16 bit ones
didn't work any more?

Dale

 

[Dale]

Now that made me chuckle out loud!

Dale

Because their icons look like crap in Vista.

 

[Richard Urban]

I have stated for a couple of years the same thing ( start Windows
development as Apple developed OSX - clean and fresh) on the XP groups. Only
then will Windows be able to move ahead.

We are hindered with all this backward compatibility crap.

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

As I have stated before, dropping support for 16-bit anything was a good
idea. I wish they had dropped support for 16-bit everything.

Wouldn't it be great if they wiped the slate clean and came out with a
whole new OS without being limited by any consideration for backward
compatibility?

Dale

 

[Richard Urban]

Bigggggggggg <<GRIN>>

--


Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User
(For email, remove the obvious from my address)

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!