I too have a desktop icon problem

I used Ccleaner to clean up the computer. When I re-started the computer, desktop icons for Internet web page short cuts (about 20 of them), have all changed to the same icon, the way it is seen in my attachment at the top. Before the clean up, they all had different icons according to the web page, as shown in attachment at the bottom. How can I get back the original web page icons for these short cuts?





Thank you,

oscer1 said:

hi see if this helps Icon Cache - Rebuild

I used the command line method but it did not work. Perhaps because they are short cuts and not files and folders which have their own extensions. The files and folder icons did not change after Ccleaner anyway, and after the cache rebuild operation also they remained the same.

After the cache rebuild two things happened to the short cut icons. (1) They all changed to the usual Notepad icon of WIN 7. Please see attachment. (2) This is spooky. When a web page is opened using one of the icons, two tabs open. First tab opens 'Ghostery' home page (I use this add on with Firefox which is my default browser), and the second one opens the correct web page. This happens with all the Internet short cuts! Now I have notepad icon on all these and I am plagued with Ghostery home page.



What can I do now?

As those website favicons are not stored in the computer (as the exes are), I doubt that rebuilding icon cache etc can restore them back.

IMHO you will need to make the shortcuts once again. Run CCleaner at the default settings only, the "non-checked by default", if checked, may wipe up or delete some things those are important to you.

Another point, I did not know that some people in Canada are also following the ICC world cup, as we are doing in India. :)

groze said:

Don't know if this will work or if you tried both of these methods. How to fix all shortcuts (.lnk) back to open with default.

Thank you for this, but I really don't think this will help as Arc explained above.

Arc said:

As those website favicons are not stored in the computer (as the exes are), I doubt that rebuilding icon cache etc can restore them back. IMHO you will need to make the shortcuts once again.

Yes, it looks like I'll have to do it all over again, unless someone else has a better idea. At last I managed to get rid of the Ghostery page by removing it from Firefox and downloading it again and it is not opening anymore when I click on those shortcuts. It sent me round the bend for a while!

Arc said:

Run CCleaner at the default settings only, the "non-checked by default", if checked, may wipe up or delete some things those are important to you.

Thank you. That is the mistake I made. Selected a few additional things to wipe.

Arc said:

I did not know that some people in Canada are also following the ICC world cup, as we are doing in India. :)

It is unusual I know. Only those who come from that part of the world or those who have ties to South Asia like me, are the ones who watch Cricket here. In this part of the world, people have not even heard of the game

P.S. I have sent you a private message.

Kind regards,

The two home pages might have been FF configuration - only open first Homepage. You reolved that by reinstall Ghostery.


Do you have the URLs in your bookmarks/favorites?

Are the favicons on those?

You can drag the URL from your bookmarks/favotites to your desktop (not sure about FF) if the icons are in the regular location.

If you just visit the page again, is the shortcut icon fixed? I don't expect it would be, but one click will tell - it's an easy test

I'm surprised that Windows didn't change the icon to the IE globe icon - I'm also not sure that's a Notepad icon, it could be just a default for a FF file extension - not sure, though.

Is the shortcut extension .url? Check properties.

Try one more thing: tweaking.com's Windows Repair (All in One) -- accept defaults if you wish, and ensure to check the one for rebuilding icons.

Slartybart said:

Do you have the URLs in your bookmarks/favorites?
Are the favicons on those? You can drag the URL from your bookmarks/favotites to your desktop (not sure about FF) if the icons are in the regular location.

Yes, dragging the URL from the Bookmarks works nicely and smoothly in Firefox too and it gives the original icon. I didn't know this until you suggested here! Unfortunately, although I have loads of Bookmarks I don't have ones for the favicons on the desk top. Didn't think they will be needed. If I had them it would have been a piece of cake to rectify this. So in future, I going to have a separate folder in Bookmarks specially for favicons, thanks to you.

Slartybart said:

If you just visit the page again, is the shortcut icon fixed? I don't expect it would be, but one click will tell - it's an easy test

No, it doesn't but in three steps it can be put right. Reduce the page size so that I can see the messed up favicon on desk top, delete it and drag and drop page to desktop again. It is saved with the proper icon.

Slartybart said:

I'm surprised that Windows didn't change the icon to the IE globe icon - I'm also not sure that's a Notepad icon, it could be just a default for a FF file extension - not sure, though.

I just had a good look at this. In my computer, files that automatically open with Notepad take up two types of icons (two attachments here). Both these open with notepad. So far I am unable to work out how Windows decides on the icon. I have not made any changes to file extensions.

Slartybart said:

Is the shortcut extension .url? Check properties.

Yes it is, in both, good favicons (I have just made some), and the bad ones as well.

Thank you very much for helping.

RolandJS said:

Try one more thing: tweaking.com's Windows Repair (All in One) -- accept defaults if you wish, and ensure to check the one for rebuilding icons.

Thank you for helping but I am a little scared to do a 'repair', as there is nothing wrong with my OS.

Kind regards,

Try one more thing: tweaking.com's Windows Repair (All in One) -- accept defaults if you wish, and ensure to check the one for rebuilding icons. -- RolandJS
Thank you for helping but I am a little scared to do a 'repair', as there is nothing wrong with my OS. -- Melita
Apparently, all your desktop icons have returned to their former pictures? Your opening problem has been solved, yes? If so, you're correct, no need to do my suggestion. You might want to download it and simply "park it" for future use :)