Change icon for url shortcut.

[Peter Kinross]

I used to have my own icons for my desktop web shortcuts. They have gone! Now there is just the Firefox icon for all of them with no way of changing it.

[Rudi]

I could be wrong, but its possible that an update occurred for FF/Windows and all your icons have been updated with the default browser icon again.
You could try to restore your system to an earlier time, but it will probably just overwrite again when the update reoccurs.
Barring a restore, I doubt you'd be able to reverse the issue without manually reassigning images to the icons.

It can happen from time to time in Windows Explorer too where custom settings get lost with windows updates.

[Argus]

Yes updates, or reinstallation of software, might change things. But then since (Windows) Explorer is everywhere, i.e. responsible for what we see on the Desktop, it could be that the icon cache, IconCache.db. (in localappdata) is "out of date".

Then, since icons are cached in the database and shuffled back and forth to RAM, it could simply be a minor glitch solved by logging off and on.

Finaly, since there is a max value, a deafult size of the cache (I think), it could also be a case of "First in - first out". It should be possible to tweak this.

The key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer
might have a key: "Max Cached Icons" with a value, size in kB; if not it is possible to create one.

See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2396571" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I wouldn't use system restore for minor things, since it usually involves several changes, it changes something else as well; but it might work, and one can go back.

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks guys.
I have recently done an in place re install of Win 7. This icon prob was one (there were others) of the reasons for doing so. Thus a system restore is just not on.
But surely there must be a way of replacing the default icon. I mean, I can do it for any other desktop shortcut, why not a url ones?

[Rudi]

That is strange.
I tested with Chrome and I can access the properties of the shortcut and have a Change Icon button.
Can you not access properties, or do you not have a Change Icon button?
If you can do both...try browsing for any *.ico file (or image file) to test.

1.jpg

[Peter Kinross]

Thanks Rudi. Sadly no change icon button. All my other desktop shortcuts have this but not the url ones. Hence the request for help fro m the Lounge.

[HansV]

Apparently, there are 2 types of internet shortcut:

S037.png

The one on the left was created by dragging the Lounge's Favicon from the address bar of Internet Explorer to the desktop.
The one on the right was created by right-clicking the desktop and selecting New > Shortcut from the context menu.

The Properties dialog for the one on the left does not have a Change Icon button. Nor can I edit the actual URL:

S038.png

The Properties dialog for the one on the right has a Change Icon button, and the URL can be edited:

S040.png

[Leif]

....
The one on the left was created by dragging the Lounge's Favicon from the address bar of Internet Explorer to the desktop.
...
The Properties dialog for the one on the left does not have a Change Icon button. Nor can I edit the actual URL:

Interesting. If I drag the URL from the address bar in Firefox, I get an editable shortcut, complete with Icon.

x.jpg

[HansV]

Chrome behaves the same way as Firefox.

[Peter Kinross]

Boy this gets frustrating.
I get the same shortcut if I either r click desktop or drag the favicon to the desktop. Neither can have the icon shanged.

Lounge.jpg

If I drag the favicon from IE, then I get the Lounge icon. Great - not so great. With the IE shortcut I cannot change it so that it opens using FireFox - it always opens in IE.

[HansV]

Try the following:
- Right-click an empty part of the Windows Desktop.
- Select New > Shortcut from the context menu.
- Enter the following in the box:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe" "http://www.eileenslounge.com"

- Modify the path of Firefox if necessary (the above is for 64-bit Windows), and the URL of the website you want to open.
- Click Next.
- Enter a name for the shortcut.
- Click Finish.

The shortcut will have the default Firefox icon, but you can right-click it and select Properties from the context menu. There should be a Change Icon... button in the Shortcut tab.

S0322.png

[Peter Kinross]

HansThanksStamp.gif

Yay that worked. What a convoluted way to accomplish something so simple!

[Rudi]

Hans describes the most manual way of doing this in the effort to get you some kind of resolution. It provides all the options and customization upfront which does make it seem the "long" way around. I find it strange though that the methods mentioned above did not work for you. At the end of the day, it is just a matter of dragging the address to the desktop from whichever browser you use. If you do have energy to revisit these faster ways, refer to these webpages that provide methods to create customizable desktop icons of URL's.

-- How do I set a custom icon for a desktop URL shortcut?
-- How to Create an Internet Website Shortcut in Windows
-- How to change icon for pinned websites

[Peter Kinross]

Oh Rudi, if only it were so!
Try, try and try again. Nope; no way to do it on my setup. This is despite doing an in-place reinstall of Win 7 a few days ago. but at least Hans has given a back handed solution.
But heaps of thanks for your input - REALLY APPRECIATED.