Refreshing desktop icons

[Bobbi]

From time to time, Windows refreshes all my desktop icons. It seems to be
connected with closing and maybe also opening Windows Explorer. In Win98, I
learned a trick for temporarily suppressing that behavior (although it would
eventually recur): change the size of the desktop icons and then change it
back to what it was. But that's not helping in XP. Does anyone know the
cause or cure?

Bobbi

 

[Newbie Coder]

This is due to the Icon Cache

If you can, do this & it should sort your probelm:

Click START
Click RUN
Type 'regedit' (without quotes) & press OK
Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

Key: 'Max Cached Icons'

Change to '4096' by double-clicking & entering the 4096

That should stop the Desktop icons refreshing so much

I hope this helps,

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi Bobbi,

If you are reluctant to edit the Registry, download and run this little
script by MS-MVP Kelly Theriot, to do the same thing:

Add Icon Cache Size to Folder Options/View (Line 166)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm it's on the right side.

Download this to your desktop. Double-click this file, and when prompted,
answer Yes to import the file. This will give you the ability to change the
size of the Icon Cache from within "Folder Options" without the risk
associated with Registry edits.

HTH,

--
Curt

http://dundats.mvps.org/
http://www.aumha.org/


| This is due to the Icon Cache
|
| If you can, do this & it should sort your probelm:
|
| Click START
| Click RUN
| Type 'regedit' (without quotes) & press OK
| Navigate to:
|
| HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
|
| Key: 'Max Cached Icons'
|
| Change to '4096' by double-clicking & entering the 4096
|
| That should stop the Desktop icons refreshing so much
|
| I hope this helps,
|
| --
| Newbie Coder
| (It's just a name)
|
|

 

[Newbie Coder]

Never run scripts from anyone unless trusted. Besides its not a script but a
registry entry & don't recommend you adding that registry key to your
registry.

It seems a lot of people link to this Kelly's site & maybe they are on
commission for it

Its so simple to create your own registry keys.

If you look into that registry key it gives a value of 2 kb, which is
default size & I suggested changing this to 4096 (4kb), which will also stop
the Desktop refresh quite as often.

 

[Bobbi]

Hi, Curt & Newbie-

Changing the subject just slightly, I can't see Newbie's original post
(included below) as a separate post. I can see his response to you at 8:13
AM, but not the original message. I'm wondering why and whether there are
other messages which have been posted but which I can't see for some reason.

I will try the suggested solutions later.

Bobbi

 

[Newbie Coder]

Bobbi

I always delete the other posts when I reply so to keep it clean/tidy. I
have done the same for this post too

 

[Rock]

Never run scripts from anyone unless trusted. Besides its not a script but
a
registry entry & don't recommend you adding that registry key to your
registry.

It seems a lot of people link to this Kelly's site & maybe they are on
commission for it

Its so simple to create your own registry keys.

If you look into that registry key it gives a value of 2 kb, which is
default size & I suggested changing this to 4096 (4kb), which will also
stop
the Desktop refresh quite as often.

There is nothing wrong with the edits on Kelly's site. She is highly
respected, respect she has earned over years of effort.

 

[Bobbi]

Thanks Curt, Newbie and Rock for your help.

I tried the regedit suggested by Newbie, but couldn't find that key (not
even with a search). I guess it wasn't in my registry. Not wanting to try to
create a key, which I've never done, I exercised the script suggested by
Curt, and so far it seems to have solved the problem.

BUT
In trying the reg edit, I accidentally misclicked on two keys, and now there
are two keys in the right pane. How do I get them out of there?

Bobbi

 

[Elmo]

Thanks Curt, Newbie and Rock for your help.

I tried the regedit suggested by Newbie, but couldn't find that key (not
even with a search). I guess it wasn't in my registry. Not wanting to try to
create a key, which I've never done, I exercised the script suggested by
Curt, and so far it seems to have solved the problem.

BUT
In trying the reg edit, I accidentally misclicked on two keys, and now there
are two keys in the right pane. How do I get them out of there?

Bobbi

Leaving them may be less dangerous than deleting the wrong entries, but,
if you highlight the item you want to remove, you can right-click it and
there should be a Remove option, or the toolbar atop the page should
have a similar option.

 

[Bobbi]

I don't want to remove them from the registry, I just want them not to be
displayed in the right pane. Is that possible (other than restoring the
registry from a backup)?
Bobbi

 

[Rock]

I don't want to remove them from the registry, I just want them not to be
displayed in the right pane. Is that possible (other than restoring the
registry from a backup)?
Bobbi

Bobbie, post exactly the entries you are seeing that are of question. What
keys they are under and what they are. You can use File | Export on the
menu bar to export a copy of the key or keys to a file on the desktop. Then
right click the file and pic open, not merge, and copy / paste the contents
of that file to a reply here.

That way folks here can see exactly what you're talking about.

 

[Bobbi]

The first key came from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE: (Default) REG_SZ (value not set)

Hi, Rock-

The second key came from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing:
Policy REG_BINARY 00


This is what the exported file looked like for the second key.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing]
"Policy"=hex:00

I don't know how to get it to export the first key.

-Bobbi

 

[Bobbi]

(REVISED RESPONSE RE: SOURCE OF FIRST KEY)

Hi, Rock-



The first key came from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY: (Default) REG_SZ (value not set)


The second key came from
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing:
Policy REG_BINARY 00


This is what the exported file looked like for the second key.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing]
"Policy"=hex:00

I don't know how to get it to export the first key.

-Bobbi

 

[Newbie Coder]

If the key wasn't there then you should have created it.

By using that registry key from theat Kelly site it just created the key I
suggested you create

Just because something is on the Internet it soesn't mean its safe so please
be careful when you run things from sites that cannot be verifed

 

[Bobbi]

Newbie or Rock or others-

I didn't know how to create a key. Besides, I had already made a couple of
mistakes trying to edit the registry that I didn't know how to undo (see my
previous posts) so I wasn't willing to risk another one.

Can you help me with the problem I created while trying to edit?
(Accidentally clicking on two keys and not being able to get them out of the
right pane- see previous posts)

I appreciate your warning. I trusted the recommendation from Rock. Kelly's
fix worked.

Bobbi

 

[Nightowl]

Can you help me with the problem I created while trying to edit?
(Accidentally clicking on two keys and not being able to get them out of the
right pane- see previous posts)

Hi Bobbi

I'm not sure there's anything wrong; I think you might have got a bit
confused with Newbie Coder talking about a "key" when what he meant
was a "value".

The yellow folders in RegEdit's left pane are the keys; when you click
on them, the right pane shows the values (names of the settings) and
data (the setting itself) inside. So, for example, if I click on the key
(folder):
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Non-Driver Signing]
this is what I see in the right pane:

Name Type Data
Default REG_SZ (value not set)
Policy REG_BINARY 00

This is how it's supposed to work. I'm pretty sure it's impossible for
you to have dragged the folders/keys into the right side. Are you sure
it's not just that the keys are open (because you clicked on them) and
so the values are displaying in the right pane?

You don't actually need to "close" them but if you want to, for that key
above, scroll back up the tree until you come to where the "Microsoft"
key branches out to the left. Click on the minus sign next to it and it
will open, but all the keys underneath will close. Scroll up again until
you see the SOFTWARE key branching out at the left; click on the minus
sign to close everything underneath. Do the same with the HKLM key and
finally click on My Computer and you should have a nice, neat and tidy
*closed* Registry

 

[Daave]

Newbie or Rock or others-

I didn't know how to create a key.

Here are step-by-step instructions with illustrations:

http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=56

Newbie apparently forgot the "Advanced" folder:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Ad
vanced\IconCache

Of course, there's no need to do that now since Kelly's fix did the same
thing.

In the future, if you *ever* muck about in the registry, make a backup
of it first!

 

[Rock]

Newbie or Rock or others-

I didn't know how to create a key. Besides, I had already made a couple of
mistakes trying to edit the registry that I didn't know how to undo (see
my previous posts) so I wasn't willing to risk another one.

Can you help me with the problem I created while trying to edit?
(Accidentally clicking on two keys and not being able to get them out of
the right pane- see previous posts)

I appreciate your warning. I trusted the recommendation from Rock. Kelly's
fix worked.

Bobbi

Bobbi, there is nothing to fix. Have fun.