"ShellIconCache" file...

[joey0904]

Hi, I was having some trouble with certain Icons a while back, specifically my .jpeg and .txt icons were being displayed using the bmp icon instead of the proper .jpeg & .txt Icons. Although these are the only 2 that give me problems and I see them regularily, I have noticed this time around that there are many other files in the Windows folder and other folders that just display the Windows default Icon (...a white page with the Windows logo...) and I don't know if all these other files are supposed to have Icons of their own or not!

I posted the problem and was instructed to find and delete the "ShellIconCache" file and then re-boot my Pc to have Windows re-create the file.

Well I did what I was told and my Icons displayed correctly for quite some time until yestersday when the problem resurfaced!

So, I again went looking for the "ShellIconCache" file to delete it and try again. To my surprise, I could not find it (yes, I changed my folder settings to show ALL files before anyone asks.). Now what should I do?

I'm a little bit confused, once this file is deleted, does Windows re-create it as I was told or not and if not, how can my Icons display at all if there is no file and what about all the others I discovered this time around?

[DeQuincey]

Try changing the Color Depth of your display. That's supposed to re-create the icons.

[Mosaic1]

Two things. One is to try and recreate the Shelliconcache. If it isn't there, there is a reason. Are you using any kind of a quick shutdown utility? Or that shutdown shortcut created using a command line? If so, don't use it. Go to display properties>effects and choose "Use Large Icons" Let them redraw. Then deselect the Large Icons Box. (This will also reset the icon size to the default 32, so if you have changed that you will have to redo that setting)
Shutdown normally using the shutdown menu. Restart Windows. See if your ShelliconCache has been recreated.

If this happens frequently, you can use a Registry File to increase the size of your ShellIconCache.

Here is a link to the directions:
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/57/>http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/57/</a>