Dear... Every so often my quick launch and windows explorer icons disappear. The quick launch can still be used, because the outline of the icon box, and the pop up descriptions show up when you pass the mouse pointer over them; but the icons are no longer visible. Also the icon boxes usually become very small, about one quarter their normal size. Reboot and everything reappears. It's the oddest thing. John

It sounds like your shelliconcache file (hidden) is not coping too well. You can give it a much better chance if you increase the cache size. If you are happy in the registry do this: Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer If there is no entry "Max Cached cons" (without quotes) then add it. Make its "string" value 4096 which is MS's current stated max. In fact I run mine at twice this with no problem. Without this modification it is stuck at the default of 500. Derek.W

.... should have said, if you don't fancy doing this I can send a .reg file to you. You just put it any old place, double click it and it does the modification. Derek.W

Hi Derek, Well, for my system, maxcachedicons is set at "1024". I'm assuming that this is too small. (By the way - I presume that this is a kb setting?) Where is this shelliconcache file? I did a search and found nothing. And can I see what's in it, or what size it is? John

The file shelliconcache (no extension) is in c:\windows There are two reasons you might not be seeing it. You could be set not to show hidden files (Start/Settings/Folder Options/View). Under Hidden Files you need "Show all files" checked. I would unhide the extensions too, if applicable. MS love to hide things! It might have vanished. Usually when it is not there you get a very slow icon build (going slowly from default icons to the proper ones). If this is not the case then I feel sure the file is still there in some shape or form. I have my own method for shaking the file back into being created, so I'll let you know if it comes to it. The size of the cache in the registry does not bear an exact relationship to the size of the shelliconcache file. In your shoes I would set the registry for 4096 otherwise you are sure to get annoying problems sooner or later, irrespective of your present problem. Derek.W

... err sorry, I have a sticky key. In my first post it should have read: Max Cached Icons (with spaces and upper case where shown). Seems you sussed it. Derek.W

Hi Derek, Before I went to bed last night I changed the Max Cached Icons to 4096, and rebuilt the icons using Tweak UI. This brought the shelliconcache file into being, which was not there before that, but was there this morning, reading 81.6 kbs. So we're getting there. But shortly after I booted the icons disappeared again, right afer I clicked on the Phoenix quick launch icon. So, at this moment there not there. Is it possible that 4096 is not enough? Is there any way of knowing how much space my shell icons are actually taking up? Thanks, John