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Firefox is not creating desktop favicons [SOLVED]

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ComputerJunkie:
Hi Boggin and Shane,

I am still having the same problem with favicons not showing up on my desktop.

I checked out the links Boggin gave me:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html
http://www.anvisoft.com/browser-repair-tool.html

Anvi said there were 17 issues with IE10 and 7 issues with Firefox but after it ran, the problem was not fixed. All Anvisoft really did, was to reset the browsers, which I can do on my own-I had to go back in and change everything all over again after it screwed everything up.

But this problem occurred while trying to fix the Flash and Java issues-which seem fine now.

I will show you the bookmarks for the fun of it.

I still think a folder got deleted or a registry key is messed up or something is going on. Everything was fine until I was messing with getting Java and Flash running properly...

I really don't want to do another System Image Restore since I finally have it so Flash and Java don't keep crashing...sighhh

What really gets me is everything was running like a top for a couple years and then after certain updates, things got hairy. And none of those companies want to admit it was their software...even when the problem started directly after the install. And the only reason I messed with Flash and Java is because I got tired of crashing all the time, but that came with a price (this new problem).

Thanks for any help, guys.

P.S. I am having a hard time finding the board, but someone (somewhere lol) was suggesting your video card software could cause this problem. If so, how could that be? And I am not sure what to do for that as I re-installed the vga software from ibuypower's website for my laptop...

UPDATE: Forgot to add the image. Left is IE10 and Right is Firefox 37

jraju:
Hi, please see this link and do as suggested in the link and let me know
http://www.heerengandhi.com/2009/07/29/firefox-icon-went-missing-in-windows-7-heres-a-fix/

ComputerJunkie:
Hi jraju,

Thanks so much for that site; I jumped on it but to no avail. It got me to change my search criteria to the icon database and cache and so on and I found other things:

I even tried some other commands found on the net like /a=s, -h and using "" around the userprofile command-but none of those were recognized in my cmd prompt. Even did the pin/unpin from taskbar in the midst of all of this.

I also tried:  a "fix tool", Ent added to the thread: http://forums.techguy.org/windows-7/965667-iconcache-db-missing-rebuild-did.html

I looked for the Firefox shellex IconHandler in Registry, which doesn't exist.

I even decided to change the name of the IconCache.db to IconCache2.db and it didn't even notice I did that.

I also tried to drag a bookmark from favorites, that's showing an favicon, to the desktop and the favicon will not transfer over. Even tried a URL from IE to FF and so on-doesn't matter-something will not allow FF to put favicons on desktop at all.

I also read to change from 32-bit to 16-bit color in screen resolution and then go back-didn't work.

I did a sfc /scannow because some said it would work (tried again) and no errors to be fixed.

Even read on another site to go to Default programs and select my programs there as default-didn't fix it.

What really gets me is that out of all the websites I have looked at the last few hours, these things, especially your suggestion, have worked for many but there are some, like me who are still trying to find a fix. And the ones who are in my boat, I noticed the boards just end there...no more suggestions and no solution. Hard to believe.

And I keep going back to the fact all was okay until I worked to get Java and Flash working properly-instead of crashing all the time. (Which has been a good thing. lol)

I keep thinking it has to be very simple too...a reg value, a missing file, an altered file...I don't know...

I was thinking I could run Shane's All-in-one repair tool again, but not sure it will find/touch this problem?

Is there anything else you can think of, that I can try? If not, I understand.

Shane:
Explorer.exe determines what icon to use based on a couple of things.

1. For a default files extension the icon to use is normally stored in the registry.

2. Once an icon has been loaded it will get stored in the icon database, Windows uses this to pull from, its basically an icon cache. When that cache becomes corrupt you end up with messed up icons, or all white or all black icons.

3. Windows will remember what icon file to use for a shortcut, so if you go and change the icon of a shortcut windows will remember it, but if the file it points to is gone you end up with a white icon.

Now, when I right click on the desktop and go to new and then short cut, and then put in "http://www.tweaking.com/forums/" and then save the shortcut, explorer.exe itself goes and grabs the icon and sets it, so I get the same tweaking icon that you do.

Firefox keeps all its icons in a database file, this link is old but still works as they havent changed the icon stuff much since then
http://www.pcmech.com/article/clearing-all-favicons-from-firefox-3-cache-how-to/

So it might be all that is needed is to empty or remove that firefox cache database file and let it build a new one.

Shane

ComputerJunkie:
Hi Shane,

I went to the site you pointed out and tried their method and I even tried methods mentioned in the replies lower down on the page. Nothing was fixing this.

I even went so far as to do a System Image Restore late Monday night and got everything updated yesterday. I started testing Firefox by using it and playing some Java and Flash games.
The favicon problem is here again, the Java is acting up and Flash "seems" to be okay so far.

Has it got to be something to do with the newest FF, Java or Flash?

I ignored this in the past but not I am wondering: My System Image Restore says -8:00 (forget GMT or UTC), but I am in -6:00. And then after the restore I have to set the clock from -6:00 Central America to -6:00 US and Canada time. I do not understand what is going on there...I checked BIOS and it says my time and date. Is there ANY chance that could be messing with things?

I have NO clue where the -8:00 OR the Central American time zone is coming from??? I find this especially strange because my original System Image had those times. Then after the successful install of Adobe CS5.5 Master Collection, I deleted my old System Image to make the new one (as mentioned in another post) and yet the time problem was there too. This 2nd System Image is the one I have used at least twice because of the FF problem and the same one I used Monday night. Back when, I was able to make favicons. And like I mentioned this has been a newer problem so how can my System Image not correct this?

I do not accept that it's user error-I am not a programmer, hacker, and so on but I have been avidly using computers since 1995 with Win 3.1, Win 95b, Win XP, and now Win7 and a little bit before that on the old Tandy and Macintosh builds.  I have been the one who people call and I can walk them through all kinds of fixes just from memory and what they tell me is going on, over the phone...

But then something I am totally unfamiliar with, will go wrong on my computer and I don't have anyone to call! hahaha But something is just really flipping out on this computer and causing a instability issue.

I suppose I can do another reformat, reinstall EVERYTHING fresh again, but MAN!!! I should be SO past this it's not even funny. And if it is something that's on my computer from software or updates, I will be in the SAME pickle ALL over again...What also gets me, is that I bought this computer in Oct 2012 and everything has been really good until a couple months before I joined your forums-something just isn't stable anymore and I really want to point fingers at MS updates first, then all the other stuff...

I look forward to what you have to say about this...in the meantime, I am going to take the time to do a power reset and try running your tools again and see if it does anything at all to help this.

UPDATE: I ran Windows Repair per your instructions and then I restarted and also did the Tweaks. Now the few FF desktop icons that were from the past, which still had their favicons, are now all blank white like the new ones I make.

Even the IE favicons were missing but after opening the links, for instance, the Tweaking.com favicon for IE was just an E but when I opened the link, it came back.

Anyway, at a loss here.

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