I'm using windows 2k, I have primarilly games installed. I also have visual
studio.
This is a problem that has just PLAGUED me for years. After running a fresh
install of windows for 3-4 months, some or all of my desktop icons become
inverted in color. The FIRST icon to do this is ALWAYS internet explorer
icon. The first time it happens, it's the IE icon, or an icon related to IE
(link shortcut or html document). Next, goes my "my computer" icons and
shortcut to folder icons. Eventually they're all inverted, regardless of
what kind of program it is, where it's located on the disk, even if it's a
text document, or even un-identified filetype. I only know of one program
that seems to directly trigger it, and it's nesticle95 - a NES emulator.
I've long since stopped using that, and even reformated and re-installed from
scratch MANY times, but it still goes all inverted eventually. But, it's
only my icons. Eventually, if I leave it without bothering to completely
erase everything and re-install, all my icons turn solid black, and you see
basically just the black silouette of the icon shape on my wallpaper.
Sometimes it randomizes the images on top of the wrong sillouettes. It's not
like something that is TOTALLY manditory to have, but what's the point of
running windows at all if you can't click on stupid icons?
Things I've tried:
Reinstalling from scratch - works for about 3-4 months, sometimes longer,
most times less. The less icons I keep on my desktop in general, the longer
the icon integrity seems to last.
Reinstalling Internet Explorer - Doesn't do crap. I don't know if it
actually replaces any files when it does re-install, but it has litterally no
effect.
Re-setting the icon to a different icon manually - Works immediately, that
icon is totally repaired. Until I change it back, or until the next time I
reboot, then that icon is just as bad off as the others. But for some freaky
reason, when I reload the original, it's fine. In other words, I swap the
icon, it's good. I reboot, it's inverted, or black-sillouetted, or right
image/wrong sillouette, or wrong sillouette/right image, or even wrong
image/wrong sillouette. I swap it back to the original, it's good. I reboot
again, it's all screwed up again.
Deleting/moving all but the most basic icons off my desktop - After the
first symptoms, this actually fixes it, even the IE icon and the my computer
icon... for a few days. Then it's haywire again.
Keeping less icons on my desktop in general - This extends the time before
which it becomes problematic from the fresh install, but it eventually
happens anyway. When I first encountered this problem, I had about fifty
icons/files on my desktop, so I kinda deserved it, but now, I keep no more
than two columns of icons, when sorted by name, and that causes the problem
in 3-4 months like I said.
I've tried icon fixers and stuff, but nothing seems to work. To me, it
seems like there's some icon list/buffer that just gets full somewhere, but I
don't know how to prevent it, or clear it. It's just so annoying.
Ramesh said:
Demis,
Try this fix:
Repairs the Icon View [Line 4]
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm
-or-
Manually edit the registry and set 'Shell Icon BPP' value to 16:
Display High Color Icons (All Windows) at Registry Guide for Windows:
http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/39/
--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k
I am using Windows XP Home Edition with Office 2003
installed.
No special viewers or Tweak programs installed.
-----Original Message-----
Demis,
Pls mention the Operating System you're using and any recent software
configiration changes made in your system (such as installation of a
third-party tweak program, image viewer etc)?
--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Window XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k
The IE Icon on my desktop changed from the normal blue to
a very dark blue.
I go into Display Props, Desktop, and disable and enable
the IE icon to test it out. Sometimes it goes back to
the original color but eventually always go back to this
other darker blue color.
Being the perfectionist I am, I want to fix it. Anyone
know a fix to this?
.
