Folder Icons Keep Resetting

  • Thread starter Thread starter L. Duffy
  • Start date Start date
L

L. Duffy

Hey Guys,

The problem I am having is regarding the custom icons I am using for
some of my folders.

I have created several directories within "My Documents" folder, to
segregate different file types and purposes, alongside the default
folders such as My Music and My Pictures

I am getting this problem with just one of the five folders, the folder
I use to save files downloaded from the WWW, received via MSN
Messenger, etc. Each time a new file is saved to the directory the
folder icon is reset to the default 'Folder icon'.

I have read the problems and solutions listed here:

http://groups.google.co.uk/group/mi...+keep+resetting&rnum=4&hl=en#503a7ca5b19b9a05

and here:

http://groups.google.com/group/micr...ang_en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&newwindow=1&safe=off

but am sceptical as to whether or not they will work as the problem is
slightly different to my own.

If anybody has an input towards the solution of this frustating problem
I would greatly appreciate their support.

Thanks In Advance,

Leigh Duffy
 
Those posts don't apply to your problem. They dealt with custom icons for namespace folders. Your
post indicates you are dealing with file system folders, so the custom icon mechanism is different.

When you customize the icon of a file folder, a desktop.ini file is created with the icon info:

[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
IconIndex=13

and the folder's read-only attribute is set, this tells explorer to process the desktop.ini file.

So, if you're losing your custom icon, one of three things is happening:
1) desktop.ini is being edited
2) desktop.ini is being deleted
3) the read-only attribute for the folder is being cleared

To view the desktop.ini file, explorer options must be set to show hidden & system files. To
accurately check the status of the read-only bit, add the 'attributes' column to a detail view of
the parent folder in windows explorer ('R' is read-only).

Armed with the above info, determine which of the 3 things is happening, then please post back.
 
Dear Keith,

Thanks for the prompt response, I have looked into the situation,
bearing in mind the information you provided to me.

It seems to me that none of the actions is occuring, Desktop.ini's
attributes are remaining RHS, and it's contents are:

[.ShellClassInfo]
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
IconIndex=205

before and after the folder icon reverts.

The first time I notice the folder icon has changed is when I navigate
from the folder after viewing my downloaded files, and even after the
icon has reset, the Desktop.ini file is unchanged, IconIndex still
=205, and the only time the file loses its read-only attribute is when
I go back and manually change the Folder's Icon to what I want it to
be.

Any Ideas?

Thanks In Advance,

Leigh Duffy
 
It's not the attributes of desktop.ini that are important, it's the attributes of the FOLDER. Check
those.
 
Dear Keith,

Thanks for getting back to me and clarifying the problem

It IS the Read-Only attribute which is the cause, as this is being
removed (and the icon is being reset) as soon as any file is stored to
that directory.

Is there anything I can do within Windows to prevent this?

Thanks In Advance for your continued support,

Regards,

Leigh
 
The software that is saving the files is the most likely culprit...possibly the programmer thought
that read-only on a folder prevents a user from saving files there (it doesn't)....is it MSN
messenger or something else?

As a workaround, having the system bit set on a folder will also cause explorer to process the
desktop.ini file, so try setting that. Open a command prompt window to the parent directory of the
folder you are customizing and type the following:

attrib +s "<foldername>"

See if that gets left alone when you save files to the folder.
 
Dear Keith,

That's it!! Adding the System Attribute has sorted my problem, Custom
Icon Remains even after file downloads! Thanks Very much mate!!

For the record, and other reader's advantage, the problem was caused by
a host of software, including MSN Messenger, Internet Explorer and
Limewire.

Thanks Very Much for your continued support and persistence!

Kind Regards

Leigh
 
Dear Keith,

That's it!! Adding the System Attribute has sorted my problem, Custom
Icon Remains even after file downloads! Thanks Very much mate!!

For the record, and other reader's advantage, the problem was caused by
a host of software, including MSN Messenger, Internet Explorer and
Limewire.

Thanks Very Much for your continued support and persistence!

Kind Regards

Leigh
 
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