Retaining Shortcut Icons in Desktop Folders

[Guest]

When I create a shortcut on the desktop for a web site site that I'm visiting
(Right Click/Create Shortcut), the icon for the web site is displayed intact
on the desktop.

But when I move this same shortcut to a desktop folder, the icon is replaced
by the classic "Big Blue E" Internet Explorer icon?

Why does this happen?

Any suggestions or fixing the problem, and retaining the original properties
of the Shortcut Icon when it is moved?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

They were deleted when you emptied your Temporary Internet Files folder.

Read about it here...
[[Favicons are usually lost when you delete your Temporary Internet Files,
but FavOrg preserves them.]]
FavOrg
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,108438,00.asp

Download it here...
108. Right hand side
FavOrg - Restore and Save Favorite Icons
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Direct download of favorg.zip
http://www.gratilog.net/anglais/internet/favorg.zip

These Icons are stored in >>
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
or
C:\Documents and Settings\YourNameHere\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

The contents of these files get deleted. Icons revert back to the generic
ugly IE e.

IE | Tools | Internet Options | General tab | Settings button | View Files
button | Scroll down to whatever *.ico files you want to keep | Left click
favicon.ico | Drag to Desktop | Rename to whatever | Store in a folder such
as >> C:\Documents and Settings\YourNameHere\My Documents\ICONS

Open Favorites | Right click whatever item | Properties | Change Icon |
button | Browse button | Click: My Documents or wherever *.ico are stored |
Click whatever *.ico | Open button | Click OK | Click Apply | Click OK
Repeat as necessary.

If you move any *.ico files after customizing your shortcut/favorite, the
icon will revert back to the blue e

<quote>
I used to see favicons, but now they've all disappeared. What happened?

Favicons are cached similarly to html documents. When they are deleted from
the cache, they revert to the standard IE icon. If you want to prevent the
icon from disappearing:

1. Create a local directory (e.g., c:\favicons)
2. Copy the desired favicon into the directory created above.
3. Right click the mouse over the favorite/bookmark and select properties.
4. Enter the path (or use the 'browse' feature) to the favicon you want for
that bookmark.

Another temporary solution is to hold down the mouse button while holding
shift over the default IE icon in the address bar and then let go of the
mouse button anywhere in the address bar. This seems to 'update' the
favicon.
<quote>
from...
Internet Explorer Troubleshooting Favicons
http://favicon.com/ie.html

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your suggestions, but nothing worked.

I'm reasonably certain that the problem had nothing to do with emptying my
Temporary Internet Files folder, since I didn't.

I simply created a shortcut on my desktop for a newly visited web site and
IMMEDIATELY dragged it into one of my desktop folders. That's when the
distinctive favicon for the web site shortcut changed into the "Big Blue E"
IE icon. When I dragged the shortcut out of the desktop folder and back
onto the desktop, the distinctive favicon was restored.

I did download FavOrg, and ran it as suggested, but it didn't help -- which
didn't really surprise me since I've never had a problem with the icons
appearing in my Address Bar or Favorites List, even after cleaning out my
Temporary Internet Files folder.

It's when I try to drag them off the Desktop that the problem arises.

Does anyone else experience this problem ???

 

[dean-dean]

It may have to do with the size you've set for your desktop icons. If an
icon doesn't contain support for bigger dimensions (and most favicons
don't), your desktop will show the generic "e" icon, which does. If you
right -click your desktop and choose View > Classic Icons, you will
probably see most of your "e"s revert to the favicon, if the shortcut has
one.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Are you using Vista or XP?

I do not have a View > Classic Icons choice with XP.

You're using Vista.

XP does not even have a View choice on the Desktop only in folders and View
does not have Classic Icons as a choice.

Vista: Return Icons to the Smaller Classic XP Size
http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1399/vista_return_icons_smaller_classic_xp_size

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[dean-dean]

Ooops. I'm sorry, I guess I was lost as to what group I was in. I was
reading some of the headers for the group and assumed, wrongly, that it was
a Vista group, without thinking to re-check where I was (no more posting
late at night...).

But now I'm wondering, in principle, whether the OP may have changed his
desktop icon size from the default XP size to a bigger one, causing the
favicons not to show.

 

[Guest]

Actually, your suggestion -- or at least a variation of it -- worked liked a
charm!

I too am running XP (Home Edition) instead of Vista

And even thought there is no "View" option when I right-click on the Desktop
(and thus no "Classic Icons" option), I simply opened one of my Desktop
Folders, selected "View", and clicked on "Icons" (XP apparently defaults to
"Tiles", which results in the larger icons that you originally mentioned.

Once this change was made (and while I was still within this same open
Desktop Folder), I then selected "Tools/Folder Options/View/ Apply to All
Folders" to implement the change system-wide.

What I'm seeing appears to be the "Classic Icons" . True ????

Either way, it works for me! Thanks to both of you for your assistance!

 

[dean-dean]

Well, that's interesting. As you've probably gathered, I'm running Vista,
and I do know that if the desktop icons are set to Medium or Large, a
favicon won't show, but rather the "e" is displayed. If set to "Classic"
(the smallest of the three choices), then the favicon is shown. I'm
wondering if, in XP, the View setting for the actual C:\Documents and
Settings\(YOUR USER NAME)\Desktop folder has anything do do with what
Explorer thinks it should display for an icon, at least in terms of IE
Shortcuts, on the Desktop (that is, the interface you boot to). Of course,
this theory is problematic with C:\Documents and Settings\(YOUR USER
NAME)\Desktop having a view of "List" or "Details". Dunno. You are right,
though, the default icon choice in XP is "Tiles', which must be, at least in
terms of pixels, bigger than "Icons".

At any rate, I'm glad your problem is solved, albeit roundabout!

 

[Colin Hill]

The most usual reason that causes icons not to change is the screen being set to the wrong colour quality (ie 16 bit instead of 32 bit etc).
I'm adding this reply in case other searches find it (as I did when having the same problems).
If an icon is 32 bit and the setting is for 16 bit, the icon will revert back to default and cannot be changed back without resetting the display to 32 bit.
A change to 32 will make the original icon appear on the desktop again with no other changes required.
Took me hours to find out why half my icons had reverted to the boring default ones.
Tweak32 will not help in this case (rebuild icons).
Hope this helps someone.

When I create a shortcut on the desktop for a web site site that I'm visiting
(Right Click/Create Shortcut), the icon for the web site is displayed intact
on the desktop.

But when I move this same shortcut to a desktop folder, the icon is replaced
by the classic "Big Blue E" Internet Explorer icon?

Why does this happen?

Any suggestions or fixing the problem, and retaining the original properties
of the Shortcut Icon when it is moved?

On Monday, March 19, 2007 2:25 PM Wesley Vogel wrote:
They were deleted when you emptied your Temporary Internet Files folder.

Read about it here...
[[Favicons are usually lost when you delete your Temporary Internet Files,
but FavOrg preserves them.]]
FavOrg
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,108438,00.asp

Download it here...
108. Right hand side
FavOrg - Restore and Save Favorite Icons
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Direct download of favorg.zip
http://www.gratilog.net/anglais/internet/favorg.zip

These Icons are stored in >>
%userprofile%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
or
C:\Documents and Settings\YourNameHere\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

The contents of these files get deleted. Icons revert back to the generic
ugly IE e.

IE | Tools | Internet Options | General tab | Settings button | View Files
button | Scroll down to whatever *.ico files you want to keep | Left click
favicon.ico | Drag to Desktop | Rename to whatever | Store in a folder such
as >> C:\Documents and Settings\YourNameHere\My Documents\ICONS

Open Favorites | Right click whatever item | Properties | Change Icon |
button | Browse button | Click: My Documents or wherever *.ico are stored |
Click whatever *.ico | Open button | Click OK | Click Apply | Click OK
Repeat as necessary.

If you move any *.ico files after customizing your shortcut/favorite, the
icon will revert back to the blue e

<quote>
I used to see favicons, but now they've all disappeared. What happened?

Favicons are cached similarly to html documents. When they are deleted from
the cache, they revert to the standard IE icon. If you want to prevent the
icon from disappearing:

1. Create a local directory (e.g., c:\favicons)
2. Copy the desired favicon into the directory created above.
3. Right click the mouse over the favorite/bookmark and select properties.
4. Enter the path (or use the 'browse' feature) to the favicon you want for
that bookmark.

Another temporary solution is to hold down the mouse button while holding
shift over the default IE icon in the address bar and then let go of the
mouse button anywhere in the address bar. This seems to 'update' the
favicon.
<quote>
from...
Internet Explorer Troubleshooting Favicons
http://favicon.com/ie.html

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In Youka <[email protected]> hunted and pecked:

 

[Stan Brown]

The most usual reason that causes icons not to change is the screen being set to the wrong colour quality (ie 16 bit instead of 32 bit etc).
I'm adding this reply in case other searches find it (as I did when having the same problems).
If an icon is 32 bit and the setting is for 16 bit, the icon will revert back to default and cannot be changed back without resetting the display to 32 bit.
A change to 32 will make the original icon appear on the desktop again with no other changes required.
Took me hours to find out why half my icons had reverted to the boring default ones.
Tweak32 will not help in this case (rebuild icons).
Hope this helps someone.

You didn't notice this thread is FOUR YEARS OLD.

You didn't trim your quotes.

You posted your response upside down.

High marks for enthusiasm, nil for accuracy.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Unfortunately, those usually go together - the main problem with
top-posters is not that they top-post, but that they indeed don't trim.

I agree completely. The lack of trimming is the biggest problem, and
it's a giant problem whether the message is top-posted or
bottom-posted.

(Ideally, posting should not top or bottom, but interpost, as I am here
- which does make easier reading.

And I agree completely again.

 

[Twayne]

In

You didn't notice this thread is FOUR YEARS OLD.

You didn't trim your quotes.

You posted your response upside down.

High marks for enthusiasm, nil for accuracy.

No, actually, it's quite accurate in content, and good information except
for lack of OS. So what if it's old? It's still an answer to a question.

HTH,

Twayne`

 

[Twayne]

In

.



And I agree completely again.

Umm, is that some sort of blessing from the gods of the ether? Why is it you
never respond to any actual problem queries?