Windows 7: Desktop Shortcut Icons - Doubled up Picture

I am not sure what made this problem start happening, but I think it was trying to change the ICON picture for one desktop shortcut... The problem is that now all of my desktop shortcuts (except the system desktop shortcuts) now have their icon 'pictures' messed up. New shortcuts that I send to the desktop are also messed up.

I have attached examples of the doubled-up picture in the icon. It seems that the little "shortcut arrow" symbol has lost its mapping to the correct image. If you look at the attached screen print you will see that the icons are bad as displayed on the desktop, however when viewed in the Windows File Explorer the desktop folder icons are OK.

Have I somehow messed up some pointer to an icon library file?

Thanks for any help.

Michael

That is not a shortcut otherwise it would have the arrow in the corner just copy and paste it from the folder.

Crispy,

Thanks for your attempt to help. But it is a shortcut. I am not new to using windows, I know how to create a shortcut. As I explained, all shortcut ICONS did look OK. Now the image for the arrow in the corner is apparently pointing to the wrong ICON library.

Hope someone else can help. I think I recall seeing that their is a registry entry that points to the icon library. One of the resource files is IMAGERES.DLL.

Thanks,
Michael

Those desktop icons are shortcuts to the executable file in the program files or program files (x86) folder. Right click the icon on the desktop and slect properties and make sure that there is an entry to the correct executable in the target field.

Nickle,

Thanks for the suggestion. The shortcuts are formed correctly. They point to EXE's and the shortcuts work. The problem is that the image of the shortcut arrow is not displaying correctly. This image must get pulled from a resource file to which the system is no longer pointing correctly.

As I said, all shortcuts were fine yesterday until I tried to change the icon picture on ONE of them.

It is odd that when I view the Desktop Folder in Explorer, the icons look fine (they display the shortcut arrow in the lower left corner). I don't know if some desktop theme is causing this problem, but I am using a "standard" theme from the theme set in Windows 7.

I will keep searching for an answer......

Michael

Looks here and rebuild the iconcache
Icon Cache - Rebuild

Well thanks to everyone who tried to help.

This forum post was the answer:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...ow-change.html

Somehow the registry entry for the Windows Shell Icon file had been changed and was no longer pointing to the file:
C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll,29

FYI, the 29 is the index number for the old style XP shortcut arrow image (smaller). You can change that number to overlay verious other images for the shortcut arrow if it suits your fancy....


Michael

Thanks for posting back with your solution. That will help someone in the future.