Why can't I change the icon being displayed for a desktop shortcut?

windows-7 desktop icons shortcuts

14,629

Solution 1

Windows explorer keeps a cache of icons. You can try deleting the following file:

Vista/7: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\IconCache.db
XP: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Local Settings\Application Data\IconCache.db

Also, killing explorer.exe and restarting it may help.

Solution 2

I had the same problem till I realised I had accidentally selected the .exe file instead of the .ico file for the icon - since the correct icon shows against the .exe file it is quite easy to make this mistake and you cna press the apply button without triggering a warning or error - the shortcut then of course will not display the correct icon and defaults to the Windows default.

14,629

Bill

I enjoy applying software solutions to business problems. Having held other commercial positions prior to moving into IT, I find that my empathy with users enables me to span the gap between the business users and the computer environment, and deal with each domain appropriately. It is my view that software should be functional and eminently usable - software should not exist for its own sake. I am interested in well-designed user interfaces. I am interested in the concept of enabling computers to efficiently and effectively support human activity. I am a firm believer in the KISS principle.

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Bill over 1 year

I wanted to change the icon showing for a shortcut on the desktop, which points to a .Net utility I created for myself. I rebuilt the exe after changing the icon used within the project.

In Windows Explorer the new icon shows in all size variations for the exe. In the 'Change Icon' dialog from the Properties option, the correct icon is showing as present, yet when I Apply it remains with the old icon?

Even when I delete the shortcut and create a new one pointing to the newly built exe the old icon somehow is assigned?
Bill about 14 years

I can't find an equivalent folder in Windows7, and restarting the machine didn't solve it.
heavyd about 14 years

Edited to add Win7 path. If the restart didn't help, probably not a caching issue then.
Bill about 14 years

Probably not a caching issue either because there is no IconCache folder in my AppData\Local folder. The problem is also not Win7-64 related because I get exactly the same behaviour on a Win7-32 laptop as well.
TheModularMind almost 3 years

This is not really a new answer, it largely repeats what has already been said. Consider adding a comment instead, or (when you have enough rep) editing that answer to add useful information.