My desktop icons for My Documents, Network Neighborhood and Recycle Bin have all changed to the default windows icon. I went into the control panel to change them back and there are no icons to change them to in the display properties...the box is blank where you choose which one to change. I've deleted the ShellIconCache and restarted and the file did rebuild, but not with the icons I lost... it rebuilt with the default icons again and still no icons in the display properties. I've used TweakUI's "restore icons" feature, but that didn't fix them. Any help would be appreciated.

Lorene, Follow the instructions under "Using Registry Editor, add the Max Cached Icons string value with a value data of 2000 to the following registry key, and then restart your computer:" at the link below.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q132668

HTH
Tufenuf

Well.... I went to that link you posted and read what it said. I tried a few things there, but not the registry thing and none of those suggestions worked. I guess the registry change is the thing I need to try. I know how to work with the registry and how to restore if it doesn't work. That's not a problem. My problem is I don't understand how to create the Max Cache Icons value string in order to add it. Can you help me with that?

I do not know where I originally got the below but it works just fine on my Win98FE machine.

This hack will also increase the icon cache size - but this time it is selectable from the Explorer > View > Folder Options > View tab where you will be offered 4 choices: 1024, 2048, 4096 and 8192.

________copy below___________________

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"

------Copy above this line----------
Paste it into NotePad and save the file as "MaxCachedIcon.reg" with the quotation marks and to your desktop (for ease).
Then right click on it and select "Merge".
Choose Yes it is Okay to merge it into the registry.

Bryan

I have to get to work right now, but I will try this later on. Hopefully it works. I've been working on this a while now (grrrr lol) Thanks again.... I'll check back later :)

Lorene, If you want to download a fix which basically is the same as Bryan's instructions go to the link below and download and run the "Increase Icon Cache" file. After you download it just double click it to merge it into your registry. This will give you 4 icon cache size options (1024, 2048, 4096, & 8192) under the view tab in Folder Options. I'd choose the 2048 option. I'm fairly certain this will solve your icon problem. Here's the link.

http://www.gareth-and-jane-saunders.co.uk/pc_registry.htm

HTH
Tufenuf

If the above doesn't fix it, try my method posted here on mesich's website:

http://www.mesich.com/slowicons.html

It always seems to result in a good rebuild and cures the default icons problem. Very easy to try too.

Derek

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