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Can anyone tell me what happened to my desktop icons?

Posted on 12/21/2006 11:40:47 PM PST by GB

When I left for work this afternoon, the desktop on my Dell computer, running Windows XP Media Center, everything updated as far as security stuff from Microsoft, was as it usually is, with all the icons for my various programs showing little art elements representing said programs.

When I got in from work tonight, the icons are still there and they still work, but all of the little art elements are gone. In their place are a bunch of little blue and white windows, like dialog boxes, with arrows down in the left-hand corner.

The icons in my start menu have also been replaced by the same blue and white windows.

Can anyone tell me what might have gone wrong or defaulted here ... my wife and kids probably used the computer in my absence, the Lord only knows what somebody might have done to it, especially the kids ... and how I can get things back to the way they were on my desktop? FYI, I tried doing a System Restore to a point earlier in the day, and it did not fix the problem.

Thanks in advance for any help.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS: troubleshooting; windowsxp

1 posted on 12/21/2006 11:40:49 PM PST by GB
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To: GB
I have them.

Freepmail me with your most generous offer for their safe return.....

L

2 posted on 12/21/2006 11:41:53 PM PST by Lurker (History's most dangerous force is government and the crime syndicates that grow with it.)
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To: GB

They need a break


3 posted on 12/21/2006 11:42:44 PM PST by woofie (For some people self hatred may be justified)
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To: Lurker

I bet you also have that resume of mine that disappeared


4 posted on 12/21/2006 11:44:17 PM PST by woofie (For some people self hatred may be justified)
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To: GB

did you reboot? run a scan, everyone in awhile it happens to me but when i reboot they are normal again.


5 posted on 12/21/2006 11:44:50 PM PST by pandoraou812 ( zero tolerance and dilligaf?)
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To: pandoraou812

Yeah, I rebooted, as I said I also ran a System Restore to take it back to this afternoon. I'll try some things in the a.m., maybe see if anybody else has any suggestions overnight.


6 posted on 12/21/2006 11:46:50 PM PST by GB
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To: GB

Your beeber has been stuned!

Really, darned if I know, my icons switch back and forth all the time.


7 posted on 12/22/2006 12:21:37 AM PST by SWAMPSNIPER ( LET ME DIE ON MY FEET IN MY SWAMP)
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To: GB
"Can anyone tell me what happened to my desktop icons? "

They are being held hostage by a militant (and hungry) group of Greek Orthodox Artistic Extremists. They will be returned unharmed with payment of a large quantity of Souvlaki and Taramousalata.
8 posted on 12/22/2006 12:32:10 AM PST by shibumi (".....panta en pasin....." - Origen)
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To: shibumi
Can anyone tell me what happened to my desktop icons?

Right click on desktop screen/properties/desktop tab/customize desktop/restore default

yitbos

9 posted on 12/22/2006 1:15:25 AM PST by bruinbirdman ("Those who control language control minds." -- Ayn Rand)
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To: GB

Bush lied. Icons died.


10 posted on 12/22/2006 1:24:33 AM PST by Yaelle
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To: GB
Your icons have gone home for the holidays. They will return on Tuesday, January 2nd.

My icons left me Wednesday night and they reported back to me that the traffic was "terrific."

11 posted on 12/22/2006 2:18:34 AM PST by SamAdams76 (I'm 88 days from outliving Steve Irwin)
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To: GB

A group of iconoclasts broke in and smashed them.


12 posted on 12/22/2006 2:44:29 AM PST by Larry Lucido
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To: GB

Illegal alien icons have been employed in their place as cheaper replacements.

It's time to get another monitor...


13 posted on 12/22/2006 3:16:59 AM PST by azhenfud (The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.)
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To: GB

Windows keeps the most used icons in a file called iconcache.db

This speeds thinks up a bit, but it sometimes gets corrupt.

One way to force it to rebuild is just to change your color depth.

Right click on the desktop, select "Properties", then the "settings tab".

Change the value in the "colors" combo to something else, click OK, then change it back to what it was.

You can get more tips by googling "XP Iconcache"


14 posted on 12/22/2006 4:02:22 AM PST by dinasour (Pajamahadeen, SnowFlake, and Eeevil Doer.)
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To: GB
One thing that produces this behavior is that the path to the program or shortcut represented by the icon is invalid.
Meaning, the file being pointed to is not there or has been moved.

Do you get normal behavior when you double click on any of these new looking icons? Does the program load and run? If so, then the normal icon may return after doing this. If it does not return...then right click on one of them and select properties and look at what is listed in the "Target" box and make sure the path is correct or rather, make sure that the target listed is actually at that location. You can verify by browsing down into that path using Windows Explorer (right click on start and select "explore").

Other than that...try doing a restore to an even earlier time...like a day or two before.

One last thing...go to Computing.net and do a search for this type of problem/question. I'll bet someone has seen this before and will have gotten an answer. Some pretty good Winders folks lurk there. Good luck.

15 posted on 12/22/2006 5:04:19 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (This is my tagline. There are many like it but this one is mine.)
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To: GB

I ate them.


16 posted on 12/22/2006 5:04:40 AM PST by Silly (http://tinyurl.com/wgn5o)
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To: GB

Look in your recycle bin. You never know what kids will delete...


17 posted on 12/22/2006 5:08:05 AM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
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To: GB

Just reboot. Problem solved. Seriously.


18 posted on 12/22/2006 6:08:41 AM PST by RightOnline
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To: GB
I did some more research and found the fix. I'm having to click on each icon, go into properties, click "change icon" and each of the regular icons is actually there, I'm just having to manually change them back one by one.

And all you fraudulent people who were trying to rook me out of my hard-earned cash by telling me that you'd kidnapped my beloved, sainted icons ... probably to yell "alihu akbar" and send the money to some terrorist group, or either to make a covert donation to the DNC or DU ... be gone with you! :):):)

19 posted on 12/22/2006 6:49:15 AM PST by GB
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To: GB

Dear Sir or Madam,
Greetings and blessings to you. I am Dixie Abacha, son of the former President of Nigeria, Moses Abacha, who was killed in a recent revolution by the traitorous general Moosachi. I am bein held in detention, but before my father died, he put away 12 icons in the central Bank of Nigeria. I will be glad to let you have 33% pecent of said icons, if you help me get them out of the country of Nigeria, in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Please send me your bank account number, so I can transfer the icons to your accoutn. When I make it out of Nigeria, we'll split the icons.

God Bless you...

Josephus Abacha
Nigeria


20 posted on 12/22/2006 10:30:17 AM PST by JRios1968 (Tagline wanted...inquire within)
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