I have shellconcache under WINNT. Is that it?

did a search-found the above file-now rebooting. Also tried to find you Jun 11 post. Here goes. I will post the findings. (I hope.)

Under Windows XP, there's no such file (shelliconcache). There was one in Win98 but I doubt there's one in Win2k too...

bump. Anyone?

Michael:

Open Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel, then click the Display icon.

Select the Appearance tab.

Select the icon in the Item Box.

Under the appearance tab (lower left) is a box labled "Item". Select the down arrow and then highlight the word "icon". Then follow VariousArtists previous instructions.

HTH

Paul

Oops, sorry...the name and location was changed under Windows XP. It is now

C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Iconcache.db

Sorry Michael, I fed you a slightly inacurrate piece of information. You do have an icon cache like I stated before, but it has been renamed and relocated under Windows XP (as opposed to earlier versions of Windows). This file is a "database" of the icons that Windows has opened from various files throughout your system. This gives Windows a quick way to refer to icons without having to open every file on the system every time it needs to display them. Instead, it just goes to this cache. But sometimes the cache file can get corrupted (TweakUI from Microsoft has been known to cause this for some people).

Try this better and updated info:

1. Go to "Start | All Programs | Accessories | Windows Explorer".

2. In Windows Explorer pull down the "Tools" dropdown menu and select "Folder Options". This will open the "Folder Options" dialog box.

3. Select the "View" tab.

4. Scroll through the "Advanced Settings" scroll box and locate the item called "Show Hidden Files and Folders" and mark it active.

5. Scroll through the "Advanced Settings" scroll box again and locate the item called "Hide Extensions for Known Filetypes" and mark it active.

6. Click "OK" to close the "Folder Options" dialog box. This will return you to your Windows Explorer application.

7. In the left pane of Windows Explorer open the "My Computer" sub-tree and drill down through this directory structure (substitute whatever is appropriate on your system where mine indicates "bob" below):

c:\documents and settings\bob\local settings\application data\

8. Within the folder described in step 7 you should find the file called "IconCache.db". You can rename or delete this file. Windows will recreate it when you reboot.

9. Reboot.

Many times if this file is recreated it will get rid of the blackened icons. This has worked for me a few times.

did all that you said but couldn't find the file-I'm W2K. Instead of Bob I have 3 choices All Users/Default User/Michael. I looked under Michael where you said but the file does not exist. And you took all that time to type it out.

Any other ideas?

Under the appearance tab (lower left) is a box labled "Item". Select the down arrow and then highlight the word "icon". Then follow VariousArtists previous instructions.

HTH

never found the shelliconcache (maybe because I deleted it earlier under WINNT, but toggling the number up one and down worked. Andy Zee if you are tuning in you should try this-it worked. Thanks so much all of you VA.Paul,Tec, etc.

Much oblige.

Michael,

Try this modified version of the instructions. I recently upgraded from W2K to XP Pro on my machine. I don't have W2K in front of me and handy anymore. If this doesn't work for you then I will check a W2K machine at my office tommorrow and get another procedure for you to try. But I know you've got this file on that system somewhere.

Follow the previous steps 1-6 then try any of these folders on step 7 (then finish off with step 8):

7. In the left pane of Windows Explorer open the "My Computer" sub-tree and drill down to any of these file folders and file name combinations:

c:\winnt\shelliconcache
c:\winnt\iconcache.db
c:\windows\shelliconcache
c:\windows\iconcache.db

Microsoft has moved this thing around on us. Keep looking around your hard drive for something like these.

yeh, I deleted shellconcache a little while ago and nothing happened, and that probably explained why I couldn't find it because it was gone. Anyway, what finally fixed it was the toggle idea that Various artist gave, coupled with the fact I guess that you had already told me to delete that file. Sorry I took so much of your time, but it's weird looking at black boxes where names are supposed to be-downright spooky!!!


CHeers