On a 486/33 with 20 MB RAM, I'm not really surprised that Office 97 ran slow. Try going back to Office 4.3. HTH Dave

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If the shelliconcache file is missing or not rebuilding and you have tried the MS fix then do this: Clear your recycle bin. Delete all your "shortcut" desktop icons into it (NOT Programs or My Computer, Recycle Bin etc). Reboot then restore them from the bin. This often shakes shelliconcache into rebuilding. Derek

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first of i'm not stupid i know the folder is hidden and i view hidden crap all the time! i even used a dos shell that shows ALL files hidden, sytem, etc. and i did not find anything called shelliconcache now the problem with the last post is that the icons that are messing up are the my computer, recycle bin, and network nieghborhood and as far as post 7 goes i uninstalled office and i don't have office 4.0 nore do i want it

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The idea behind my #8 was simply to force the file shelliconcache to rebuild. Doing so often cures icon problems. The fact that you don't bin your system icons (My Computer etc) does not necessarilly prevent this happening. It can still cure problems with those particular icons. There are also other things you can try, such as increasing the icon cache. I would add that Tufenuf did not know how much you knew, we often get newbies on here. If my suggestion helps (assuming you are prepared to try it) then fine. If not, I have no intention of trying to help any further because your #9 was rude. We don't get paid to do this, we just try to help folks in trouble as best we can. Derek

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i did not mean to be rude but i was insulted, and rather upset because i have a problem that i don't know how to fix and no one seems to understand that. i know there are newbies and its good that you try to help them but i am not a newbie, i have a lot of experiance and again i am sorry if i appeared rude as it was not intened i asure you.

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OK fine, then I'm happy to forget about it, we all have our moments I suppose. Back to the problem. I've had a look at this again and most of the ideas have already been suggested (I appreciate you don't want to go back to Office 4.3). You have obviously not got a copy of hidden file shelliconcache (no extension) in c:\windows\system but without this you will definitely get the kind of symptoms you described. Windows "should" rebuild or restore the file on boot up but for some unknown reason it sometimes becomes reluctant to do so. Eventually it may suddenly come back all on it's own (don't ask me why) but otherwise the only thing left is to try to force the issue by signalling some noticeable change to the icon arrangements seen by the system. This is why I suggested binning those desktop shortcuts temporarilly then rebooting. Often this is enough to do the trick. Have you tried it? If not then changing to massive/small desktop icons and/or spacings and/or moving between "arrange icons" & "line up" might kick it into reacting. You have to keep rebooting each time you change things and I know it's a bit of a pain. If the file arrives back I feel sure your problem will be solved. I don't think changing the icon cache size will help until you get that file back but it might help prevent it happening again after that. We can chat further about this angle if we get that far. Sorry, out of any other ideas on this, and I doubt anyone else will pass by because this post is way off the first page. You could try reposting it (mentioning all that you've tried) and hope someone else has some new ideas. STOP PRESS. Just remembered this one I spotted way back. Never tried it, but if you've done my binning trick and that doesn't fix it then maybe this will: http://www.webattack.com/get/iconcache.html Let me know how you get on. Derek

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This ~should~ work in 95, BUT, I can't guarantee it. (Of course I'm watching Derek. ;>) )Copy the data (between the lines below) and save it (from Notepad or other plain text editor you may use) as Iconcache.reg. Then open Explorer, Tools, Folder Options, then View. This will give you varying options for the icon cache size for the system. You ~may~ have to reboot between settings. This may kick start things for you. BACKUP the registry before merging this into it just in case. I hope this helps you, and Good Luck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ REGEDIT4 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache] "Text"="Icon Cache Size" "Type"="group" "Bitmap"="SHDOC401.DLL,6" "HelpID"="update.hlp#51140" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Small] "RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer" "Text"="1024 Icons" "Type"="radio" "CheckedValue"="1024" "ValueName"="Max Cached Icons" "DefaultValue"="2048" "HKeyRoot"=dword:80000002 "HelpID"="update.hlp#51140" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Medium] "RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer" "Text"="2048 Icons" "Type"="radio" "CheckedValue"="2048" "ValueName"="Max Cached Icons" "DefaultValue"="2048" "HKeyRoot"=dword:80000002 "HelpID"="update.hlp#51140" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Large] "RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer" "Text"="4096 Icons" "Type"="radio" "CheckedValue"="4096" "ValueName"="Max Cached Icons" "DefaultValue"="2048" "HKeyRoot"=dword:80000002 "HelpID"="update.hlp#51140" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Advanced\IconCache\Huge] "RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer" "Text"="8192 Icons" "Type"="radio" "CheckedValue"="8192" "ValueName"="Max Cached Icons" "DefaultValue"="2048" "HKeyRoot"=dword:80000002 "HelpID"="update.hlp#51140" [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer] "Max Cached Icons"="2048" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Just checked your link Derek, it says 98 & up. So kev87, what I posted may not work. I guess 95(a) didn't have the iconcache elements. But then again, with the registry backed up, what the heck, I'd try it. ;>) You'll have to be the judge.

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... ooops, thanks Dan. Kev87 If you're still around around, apologies for the bum link - a bit too fast.... Dan Well I suppose your registry post might kick start it but I tend to regard increasing the cache size as something more likely to help prevent getting into the problem in the first place (or next time). Whatever, I'm game for anything that might get that shelliconcache file to appear. Until it happens I'll remain firmly convinced that it is the reason for the problem. Derek

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I'm with you there Derek. I think that's why it appeared in 98 & up. Good Luck kev87. (We'll be watching.....)

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well i thank you for all your help, binning the icons did not work and i will try the icon rebiulder (just for kicks) and i'm reluctant to do anything to the regestry but i might try it. thank you for working so hard to help me, but i have another problem thats been getting my attention more i will post it tonight.

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OK. When you get back to this I have another thought "that I've never tried". You could Open Notepad then "Save" without typing anything. Save it in c:\windows as Shelliconcache Then go to c:\windows and knock off the .txt extension. Set it to "hidden". You will now have a shelliconcache file, even though it has 0 bytes and is totally useless. No worse than not having one though... Try rebooting a few times and see if the presence of a useless shelliconcache file will coax Windows into replacing it with a "real one". The first sign that we are getting somewhere will be if shelliconcache grows to 1M or so (it's size depends on how many icons you have in your system). It's one heck of a long shot but worth a bash because nothing else seems to have provoked its restoration. You can always delete it if it doesn't do any good. Derek

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.... more I thought I ought to try #18. Mine is one of the "reluctant to rebuild" systems (not as bad as yours it seems). Well, it didn't rebuild it on one reboot, so you might prefer to not bother. I put my old file back and it's fine again. The only other thing I can suggest is a simplified version of what Dan suggested (without the options). Go to the registry as follows: HKEY LOCAL MACHINE Software Microsoft Windows Current Version explorer Under explorer, insert this string entry (if not already there):- Max Cached Icons Set its value to 4096 This is the max that MS suggest (default is 500). Its kept things sweet on my machine and a friends, although I whacked mine up to 8192. You might still have do the binning trick to get the file to arrive but perhaps it will have a better chance with the larger icon cache. I think I've about done it to death now and have no more ideas, sorry. Derek

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well dispite what the website say the icon cache rebiulder works on 95! but it did not fix the problem i am having, if this problem was there when i first used the icons (cool.dll from XP) the colors looked good enough but then they started to mess up, my pc has a 256 color display but that isn't the prob cause i have seen the icons show correctly on 16 colors! so i am clueless.

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I assume from what you say that shelliconcache file is now present. If the binning trick doesn't work now then I'm clueless too. The only other thing I've experienced which sound a bit like what you are having is sometimes when I've tried to change resolution without rebooting. Not sure about the effect of using cool.dll (or other files) from XP. Have you tried putting the W95a version back in? Otherwise all I can suggest is a repost saying what you've tried and hope that someone passes by who has some other/better ideas. Derek

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i haven't looked for the shelliconcache file but i still doubt it was in 95a it might have been added later due to problems but i don't know. .............hmmmm its a thinker

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I have an old 486 upstairs and it has the very first edition of W95 on it. I've just checked and there it is, nicely hidden in c:\windows. I also have it on my Win98SE so it's been around quite a while, and I'm certain it should be there on W95a. If you've got the thing then fair enough. If it's not there, then until it arrives I remain firmly convinced that it is the reason for your problems, so go back over the "kicking it" routines I've suggested. It may just suddenly arrive back on a re-boot but that's a bit hopeful. Upping the cache size might help towards this too. Derek

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i feel like such a dunce! i just checked on a pc running the exact same versoin of windows mine is and sure enough there it was, so when i get home tonight i will check on that, so when i find i should delete it right?

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You're confusing me, I thought you said it wasn't on your own machine, which is the basis of all I've said. Assuming you find it after all, or it's arrived since:- I wouldn't delete it, or if you propose to do so take a copy of it first, because if it won't come back a dud shelliconcache file might be better than none. Take a note of it's date/time first. This is what MS say: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q132668 My only comment is to bang the cache right up to 4096 (mine's at 8192). Then repeat my binning trick and/or, the MS ideas, or the others I suggested in my#12. Reboot after every try. The only other thing I've heard is about deleting it in Safe Mode to make it update, but it never worked for me - the file wouldn't return. If you find the date/time of the shelliconcache file in c:\windows changes then it is probably updating fine. This is what we are trying to prove, before anything else. If it changes then your problem is probably nothing to do with shelliconcache. If the file is missing then it's pointless delving further until it arrives, not that I've many other ideas. Derek

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Regseeker has an Icon Cache Rebuilder under the tweaks section. Can't hurt to try as it saves backups of everything it does.

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ok this is why i feel like a dunce, i had been looking for a folder named shelliconcache and since i obviouosly never found it i.... well basicly thought you were thinking of 98 and didn't know or... whatever its not important but the thing is i finally relized what you meant by its a file with no extention, i don't know why but suddenly it sprang on me while i was working late on another computer. anyways i used the find files thing and typed in "shelliconcache" no quotes and as luck would have it there it was! so when i got home i did the same thing on my computer and wouldn't know it there it was so i deleted it then rebooted and it didn't solve a d*** thing! and the icon cache was still there and the problem persisted so i'm thinking its not the icon cache and the problem with the link is that my icons aren't changeing like the my computer icon is now the recycle bin icon, no its just the coloring on the icon before it was color now its gray scaled! sorry if this confusing, anyways i thought maybe its corrupted... so i copied it and set it as the icon on another computer and it looked just fine! in the back of my mind i'm thinking maybe its because my 486 (the computer with the problem) is in 256 colors and the other computer is in high color but it doesn't explain why it showed up fine before, i may be able to get my friend to host a screen shot of whats going on it might help explain it better because i know i'm rambling and not making that much sense but bare with me, and i will repost this prob tonight

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Re; Response #6, Tufenuf; "kev87, The ShellIconCache (no extension) file is a hidden file" ;>) Done it myself kev87, ~quite~ a few times. I couldn't see the forest because of the trees in the way. I've stated in this forum that I would go sit in the corner now for ten minutes, a number of times. " i may be able to get my friend to host a screen shot of whats going on it might help explain it better" That would help. ;>) A picture is worth a thousand words....... Keep at it, we're watching.

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Yep, a pic would be a great idea. Before we can totally get shelliconcache out of our heads (or mine anyway): 1. Did it come back again when you rebooted it after deleting it? 2. If not did you copy back the one I asked you to save if for some reason you wanted to delete it? 3. Are you keeping an eye on it to see if it changes date/time (or size for that matter) after reboots? This would confirm that it is doing its stuff. D

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