wrong icon on desktop shortcut

G

Guest

Using XP SP3:
I have a number of shortcuts on my desktop. One of them (for my router)
almost consistently has the wrong icon showing. It uses the same icon as
that used on a neighboring shortcut. The caption below the icon is correct
so it is just an icon problem.
Yet when I look at the shortcut's properties, the correct icon is shown
(not the wrong one). Clicking on OK to close the properties screen does not
restore the correct icon to the shortcut. If, in the properties, I go select
change icon, but instead of selecting one I just click cancel, the correct
icon appears when I exit properties.
But the problem recurs the next time I reboot.
Is this a memory problem or something else. How can I fix it permanently?

Thanks. Jeff
 
S

smlunatick

Using XP SP3:
  I have a number of shortcuts on my desktop.  One of them (for my router)
almost consistently has the wrong icon showing.  It uses the same icon as
that used on a neighboring shortcut. The caption below the icon is correct
so it is just an icon problem.
  Yet when I look at the shortcut's properties, the correct icon is shown
(not the wrong one). Clicking on OK to close the properties screen does not
restore the correct icon to the shortcut. If, in the properties, I go select
change icon, but instead of selecting one I just click cancel, the correct
icon appears when I exit properties.
  But the problem recurs the next time I reboot.
  Is this a memory problem or something else.  How can I fix it permanently?

 Thanks. Jeff

Most routers should not have an icon showing up on most Windows PC.
These icons are the result from the router's UPnP settings.
 
G

Guest

smlunatick wrote:
Most routers should not have an icon showing up on most Windows PC.
These icons are the result from the router's UPnP settings.

The router did not put a shortcut on the desktop. This is a shortcut I
created with the usual http://192.168.1.1/ as the url. The icon is one I
added to it from my own collection of icons.

The shortcut showed the correct icon for 3 years, then suddenly about 1
month ago this problem with the wrong icon confusion started. That is why I
thought it might be a problem with the memory to remember which icon fits
which shortcut.

Any ideas how to return to where the correct icon is consistently shown?
 
H

HeyBub

Using XP SP3:
I have a number of shortcuts on my desktop. One of them (for my
router) almost consistently has the wrong icon showing. It uses the
same icon as that used on a neighboring shortcut. The caption below
the icon is correct so it is just an icon problem.
Yet when I look at the shortcut's properties, the correct icon is
shown (not the wrong one). Clicking on OK to close the properties
screen does not restore the correct icon to the shortcut. If, in the
properties, I go select change icon, but instead of selecting one I
just click cancel, the correct icon appears when I exit properties.
But the problem recurs the next time I reboot.
Is this a memory problem or something else. How can I fix it
permanently?

Right click on the icon, choose "Properties" then "Change icon"
 
N

Nil

Is this a memory problem or something else. How can I fix it
permanently?

In the olden days, there used to be a file called ShellIconCache
that contained all or most of the icons at use at a given time. It
would sometimes become corrupt, and if you deleted it, Windows would
rebuild it and the expected icons would reappear. It seems that XP
doesn't used the same file or method, but the icons are still cached
somewhere.

One way to fix it is with TweakUI, as someone else suggested. It's a
good utility that does some other useful things, so that would be
the best solution, I think. Another possible fix that I just found
with a quick web search, is to go right-click on the Windows
Desktop, choose Properties | Appearance | Effects and check "Use
Large Icons". That should rebuild your icons. You can then uncheck
the option to use small icons again.
 
G

Guest

Is this a memory problem or something else. How can I fix it
permanently?

In the olden days, there used to be a file called ShellIconCache
that contained all or most of the icons at use at a given time. It
would sometimes become corrupt, and if you deleted it, Windows would
rebuild it and the expected icons would reappear. It seems that XP
doesn't used the same file or method, but the icons are still cached
somewhere.

One way to fix it is with TweakUI, as someone else suggested. It's a
good utility that does some other useful things, so that would be
the best solution, I think. Another possible fix that I just found
with a quick web search, is to go right-click on the Windows
Desktop, choose Properties | Appearance | Effects and check "Use
Large Icons". That should rebuild your icons. You can then uncheck
the option to use small icons again.[/QUOTE]

Thank you all. I'll try TweakUI.
 
P

Peter Foldes

Bernd

Just curious. Are you the same Bernd that was posting help to the
outlookexpress.ch newsgroup a few yrs back? If not sorry for the mistake
 

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