Windows 7: Increase Icon Cache Size

Well unlike most of the reg the title of this key is WITH SPACES. Also 4MB seems like it must have been tweaked because as far as I am aware it is not usually set. Under what circumstances it does become active I am not sure. But everywhere I read I found 500 was the normal default. Personally I set mine to 8MB and it seems to be working better than when I had it set at 4MB. But I was also under the impression that 4MB was the limit. Guess I'll be leaving as it is as it does seem to work better and I have the memory for it.

Have a look at this post: Max Cached Icons - The Elder Geek on Windows

This was the only post I found where it mentioned values above 4MB. Also it does say that the Reg key is a String. I went with the DWORD option. If you try as suggested in the link then please let us know.

OK I tried the previous way of increasing my Icon Cache and at first it seemed to have some effect. However it soon became apparent that it was getting slower when I started installing more software. So I tried another way and found that this way definitely does work.

Start - Run (Regedit) to open the Registry Editor
The navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
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******NOW DON'T DO THIS AS PREVIOUS AND OTHER POST SAY*****
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Create a new DWORD called Max Cached Icons and set its value to 2048


******************************************************
******DO THIS INSTEAD AND YOU WILL INCREASE YOUR CACHE.*****
******************************************************
Create a new REG_SZ (String Value) Called Max Cached Icons (AND INCLUDE THE SPACES). Now save and restart your machine and you are done. As far as I can tell a values 500 is the default where set. But you can increase it to 4096 (4MB)

Good luck.

You can also create a QWORD with the same name for 64bit OS

In Microsoft's Knowledge base article KB132668 they state that it is a string value and that 4096 is the maximum supported value

Icons randomly change to different icons

REAdy u are fantastic... i didn't even know such a thing to be done on desktop.. but increase the icon cashe.. i think UR PC is old baby

Why in Gods Name would a Max Limit to a numerical value ever be expressed as an ascii string ????? What kind of warped minds are out there ???

in my Win 7 Pro x86 i found this:

"Max Cached Icons" is a String Value.

I believe it may have been a string value in previous Windows version but is now a DWORD in 7. A Windows 7 Fixit that fixes a problem with icons adds "Max Cached Icons" as a DWORD and NOT a STRING.

I think "4096" is the largest value that can be used to effect, any larger and it still will max at that value.

As far as the STRING or DWORD issue I myself would like a definitive answer because it is possible the Fixit is "wrong" per say, or could it be that it IS a STRING for x86 and a DWORD for x64 and the Fixit adds it as such? I cannot say as I only have Windows 7 x64. Test it for yourselves and please let us know your results.

Im pretty sure that only the "Icon and folder customization" option need be checked to add it to your registry, and preferably choose the option to select the Fixes yourself so it doesn't run any unnecessary or unwanted Fixes that are also included in the Fixit's options. Also the KB article describes adding "Max Cached Icons" to Windows 7 but for some darned reason doesn't state the Value type.

Fixit's KnowledgeBase article:
Icons change incorrectly in Windows

Direct link to the Fixit executable:
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9726337

I agree DWORD is better although you can create the same for QWORD was well if you're running a 64-Bit version of Windows 7. I agree spacing is better and it does work... I was thinking of how can is increase the maximization of IconCache last week and I created a new Max Cached Icons with a value of 2048 and it works better. in fact it looks as though we were thinking on the same level.



You can create QWORD as well with the same title, because QWORD is for 64-Bit so there wont be a clash. I created a batch file as well, although I must state it works first time and you will not use it again. Well I hope so.

Actually you can't create a QWORD with the same title (unless you maybe have to put it in a different registry key), as trying to do so when a DWORD with the name "Max Cached Icons" already exists produces an error message stating "The Registry Editor cannot rename New Value #1. The specified name already exists. Type another name and try again.". I've tried, I'm running Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit, and trying to create 2 registry entries in the same location (even of different types) with the same name does not work. So unless you can supply a different location to create the QWORD they do in fact clash. Additionally it would be nice if someone could verify that using a QWORD value for this entry is actually supported by the operating system. Otherwise this could be all for nought, meaning we will need to stick with using the DWORD entry.