Solved Multiple icons showing in smallest size when using Extra Large Icons

[RoadkillSD]

I've seen multiple posts here and other forums and I have tried all of the steps provided in those posts but it is not resolving my issue. I have the exact same issue as the user in THIS THREAD. I have tried the icon database rebuild (both manually and using the bat file HERE), I have tried ie4uinit.exe - ClearIconCache from command prompt, I have tried Disk Cleanup and checked the box to delete icon cache and I have tried different cache size amounts using the steps HERE. I've tried these all from normal boot and safe mode. I don't know what else to do. The icons that have the problem keep changing every time I restart the PC. I can change them to another icon, rename the icon the shortcut had previously been using and reapply that icon and it shows normal at that time but as soon as I restart the PC, icons change to the smaller size on random shortcuts again. What other steps are there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Welcome to the Seven Forums.

Have you tried the batch file in this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/15692-folder-view-settings-reset-all-default.html
It resets the area of the registry that stores some desktop icon info.
warning: read the note about desktoprestore.

You might also want to try combining the batch file for icon cache rebuild with this one... only kill/restart explorer once at the end.

Does this problem happen if you create (& log onto) a new (test) user account?

 

[RoadkillSD]

Welcome to the Seven Forums.

Have you tried the batch file in this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/15692-folder-view-settings-reset-all-default.html
It resets the area of the registry that stores some desktop icon info.
warning: read the note about desktoprestore.

You might also want to try combining the batch file for icon cache rebuild with this one... only kill/restart explorer once at the end.

Does this problem happen if you create (& log onto) a new (test) user account?

I combined both batch files into one and ran it. No change except that it changed the window sizes and rearranged icons on the desktop. Still have the same some-small-some-extra-large icon issue. I attached the batch file I made with the two combined so you can verify. I created a test user and logged on as that user and it has the same issue.

Thanks for the help so far. What else can I do?

 

[UsernameIssues]

I hope that you did not have too many desktop shortcut/icons to arrange again. If you install DesktopRestore, it would put them back for you.

I seem to recall that there is another active tread about this same issue (but I cannot find the thread right now).

I'll ask others to join in on helping you.

 

[Gandalf]

You might give this a try...
Right click on the Desktop
Select Personalize > Window Color > Advance appearance settings...

In the Item drop-down box select Icon. The size setting is to the right.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You might also show us what these icons look like before you change them and after you change them,
Cheers.

 

[Arc]

Here is my understanding about icons:

An icon is a complete system wide applicable icon for all view types when it contains multiple layers and colors, viz

• Small icons: 16x16
• Medium icons: 48x48
• Large icons: 128x128
• Extra large icons: 256x256

When such an icon is opened with windows photo viewer, it looks like this:

​

If an icon contains the largest resolution only, it tries to shrink it for different sizes, but the icon having small resolution only cannot expand beyond its maximum size. Then it leaves an outline box around it, when the higher resolution is set.

Suppose the google chrome icon and windbg icon. When set to medium icon view:

​

But when set as large icon view:

​

It happens. Because the windbg icon does not contain the higher resolutions. Have a look below:

​

That is why all icons does not show in the large size, even if the large icon view is set.

 

[Slartybart]

RoadKillSD: Thank you for filling in your system specs.

Do you have any 3rd party theme builders on your system?

Does the issue exist in a basic theme or only aero?

Does this happen only on the Desktop or in Explorer too?

I'll think about it a little more, but that's all I can offer at the moment.

ThrashZone made a good suggestion - show us what you see.
See: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Bill
.

 

[Arc]

The icons that have the problem keep changing every time I restart the PC. I can change them to another icon, rename the icon the shortcut had previously been using and reapply that icon and it shows normal at that time but as soon as I restart the PC, icons change to the smaller size on random shortcuts again. What other steps are there?

Thanks in advance.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/53402-shortcut-change-icon.html

I think you want to change the icon to any custom icon. So you have to skip step 4. But make it 100% sure that the custom icon is remaining in the target location (to which you are navigating) forever, not deleted or moved to another place.

 

[RoadkillSD]

You might give this a try...
Right click on the Desktop
Select Personalize > Window Color > Advance appearance settings...

In the Item drop-down box select Icon. The size setting is to the right.

That's for desktop icons. The icons I am referring to are all shortcuts inside of a folder. Desktop icons are all displayed correctly because they are at the standard 32 size.

RoadKillSD: Thank you for filling in your system specs.

Do you have any 3rd party theme builders on your system?

Does the issue exist in a basic theme or only aero?

Does this happen only on the Desktop or in Explorer too?

I'll think about it a little more, but that's all I can offer at the moment.

ThrashZone made a good suggestion - show us what you see.
See: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

Bill
.

I have Frameworkx Vista Shortcut Manager installed to remove the shortcut arrow from the icons. This issue was occurring before I installed it though. Only the UnsignedThemeSvc enabler that you have to use to allow for custom themes was in place before this started happening. I only use the extra large icons in game folders so I only noticed it in Explorer. I ctrl+scrollwheel the desktop and I see that icons that have a extra large size do expand as I do that. The icons have the same issue in basic theme as they do in Aero.

The icons that have the problem keep changing every time I restart the PC. I can change them to another icon, rename the icon the shortcut had previously been using and reapply that icon and it shows normal at that time but as soon as I restart the PC, icons change to the smaller size on random shortcuts again. What other steps are there?

Thanks in advance.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/53402-shortcut-change-icon.html

I think you want to change the icon to any custom icon. So you have to skip step 4. But make it 100% sure that the custom icon is remaining in the target location (to which you are navigating) forever, not deleted or moved to another place.

That is exactly how I've done all of the icons in my folders aside from the default icons that Steam assigned the shortcuts it created. Coincidentally, those Steam icons are only 128x128 yet they are scaling to 256x256 without issue until Windows randomly chooses one of those icons to display incorrectly. I'm using icons that I either created off PNGs that were far above 256x256 and converted to 32-bit 256x256 icons using iConvertIcons.com with 32-bit Windows icons as the only options, or I downloaded ICO files that other users created on deviantART in 256x256 or 512x512 sizes. After I convert PNGs to ICOs, I verify in the details tab of the icon file that it indeed says it is 256x256. Every single shortcut has displayed the icons correctly at one point. Every time I restart Windows or put it to sleep and resume, a different set of icons is then showing incorrectly whereas icons that may have been showing incorrectly are now showing correctly. It seems totally random.

Also, if I rename the icon file that a shortcut is currently using and edit the shortcut to point to the newly renamed icon file, it displays correctly. If I rename the icon back to what it was (or never rename it and just change the icon to a different one and then back to the old one again) and change the shortcut icon back to the icon file that I have changed back to its previous name, the icon shows incorrectly again. It's like the icon database rebuild does nothing. I don't get it.

 

[Slartybart]

Thanks for that feedback. I'm not well versed in icons, so I'm going to back out of this thread.

Before I go...
Check folder options view
[ ] Always show icons, never thumbnails
[ ] Display file icon on thumbnails

Since you mention the icon db
navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA% and rename IconCache.db to IconCache_db.bak
restart your machine

I had a similar issue with Libraries. The album art was in the file but would not display in Explorer. The simple solution was to create a new folder and copy the music to the new folder. After that the album art displayed fine. Not a real solution because there were so many folders.

The thing about Windows is that when something like this goes awry, the crawl time to repair is very long. You could also try rebuilding the search index (Control Panel - Indexing options - Advanced - Rebuild). Why? It forces Windows to crawl faster.

These are off the top of my head ideas, another member will probably give you more straight forward advice on this issue.

Good luck, I look forward to reading the solution.

Bill
.

 

[lehnerus2000]

You could install an icon viewer to check if the larger size icons are present.

For example, IconViewer v3.02 Shell Extension
Make sure you download the correct version (i.e. 32 bit or 64 bit).

 

[whs]

I think you have to increase the icon size in the icon cache.

 

[Arc]

One more information is needed over what you said very elaborately.

What is the location of the two folders "FPS Games" and "action games" in the computer?

 

[RoadkillSD]

You could install an icon viewer to check if the larger size icons are present.

For example, IconViewer v3.02 Shell Extension
Make sure you download the correct version (i.e. 32 bit or 64 bit).

Not sure what this will do to help as it has already been established that 256 versions exist for almost every single icon being used with the exception of the few Steam shortcuts that are using the default Steam icons at 128 (yet still scale to 256). Every single icon at one point has displayed correctly.

I think you have to increase the icon size in the icon cache.

Are you referring to the steps in THIS KB ARTICLE? I have already done that. Tried 500, 1024, 2048 and 4096 with no change.

One more information is needed over what you said very elaborately.

What is the location of the two folders "FPS Games" and "action games" in the computer?

They are on the desktop (my user only, not public).

 

[Arc]

They are on the desktop (my user only, not public).

There is no adequate reason for such a mishap, other than a very particular fact that the shortcuts are internet shortcuts.

The shortcuts to installed exe files should not change in this fashion at all. But an internet resource which is not present in your computer may react in this way.

 

[RoadkillSD]

They are on the desktop (my user only, not public).

There is no adequate reason for such a mishap, other than a very particular fact that the shortcuts are internet shortcuts.

The shortcuts to installed exe files should not change in this fashion at all. But an internet resource which is not present in your computer may react in this way.

Yeah unfortunately this is not the case. The Steam shortcuts, while they list as internet shortcuts in their properties, are pulling their icons from the icon repository at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam\games\. The icons for non-Steam, standard shortcuts to game executables are having the issue as well as Steam shortcuts.

I said F it and deleted all of the game folders on my desktop, ran the batch file to clear the icon database and reset all folder settings to default, set the Max Cached Icons string to 1024, rebooted, recreated the game folders on the desktop, created shortcuts to every executable manually by right-clicking in the folders (while in extra large icon mode already so that when the shortcut appears, it is already choosing 256 size) and selecting new shortcut and pointing it to the executables then opening properties on each shortcut and setting the icons to the 256 icons on my D drive. Every shortcut is now displaying correctly... for now. I'll restart, logon/logoff a few times and test when I get home tonight and see if that did the trick. I'm not getting my hopes up as all the commands in the batch and the reg entry should have resolved this.

 

[Arc]

Best of luck. Wish you a success.

If not, by any chance, you may think of changing the executable files icons in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steam\games\ by using Resource Hacker.

 

[RoadkillSD]

No go. After a few reboots the issue has returned. I don't understand what the deal is here. Guess it's time for a chat with Microsoft. :huh:

 

[DayGlow]

Any luck in finding a solution? I have the exact same issue. Games folder on the desktop with shortcuts to my games, all with custom icons I know have 256x256 size and half of them display as small icons.