Windows 7: Rebuilding Icon Cache?

Ekairii · 08 May 2011

I've tried at least 5 or 6 different ways to re-build my icon cache, with no luck. I've opened cmd and tried to delete the icon cache, but a note comes up that says 'Access is denied' whenever I try to do so (it comes up after I've typed in the whole \AppData\Local part). I've had to re-build my icon cache before, but for some reason it refuses to work now.
I'm getting a fair bit annoyed with having to look at blank documents as my icons. Even if I'm just opening something like Mozilla Firefox, I have to right click, open, and it says 'Choose the program you want to use to open this file'. Most every file I have right now is .lnk, and I'd really like to be able to fix this.
Running as administrator in the command prompt doesn't help fix the 'access is denied' response I keep getting.

johnnya · 08 May 2011

Not sure if this will help but give it a try.

Icon Cache - Rebuild
Regards
JohnnyA

Ekairii · 08 May 2011

That's one of the links I've tried, hasn't worked for me.

Tepid · 08 May 2011

That doesn't sound like an Icon Cache problem to me...

Quote:

opening something like Mozilla Firefox, I have to right click, open, and it says 'Choose the program you want to use to open this file'.

I do not believe this is conducive to an Icon Cache issue.
All the Icon cache does is display the icon, it has nothing to do with opening the actual application.

If this is happening on multiple applications, you have a bigger issue.
Your applications are losing file associations.

I would tell you to start here...

Default File Type Associations - Restore

Ekairii · 08 May 2011

All of my files say 'choose the program you want to use to open this file'.

For that link, would I click .lnk, because that's the extension of most of the files on my desktop?

Brink · 08 May 2011

Hello Ekairii, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You want to use both the exe and lnk downloads.

Ekairii · 08 May 2011

Thank you so much, Brink!! That did the trick!

Brink · 08 May 2011

You're most welcome. Glad that we could help.

Tepid · 08 May 2011

.lnk = Shortcut icon, this is not related to any specific application.

Brink · 08 May 2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Tepid

.lnk = Shortcut icon, this is not related to any specific application.

True, but if the .lnk file extension was associated to something by mistake or the registry settings for it got messed up somehow, it could prevent shortcuts from opening as well.

That's why I always recommend to use both the .exe and .lnk download options to be thorough since they both affect the opening of programs via their exe or shortcut.

Windows 7: Rebuilding Icon Cache?

Rebuilding Icon Cache? problems?