Black icons for files

All my files have lost the color for the icon. The icons
are there but they all are black. When I click on "Large
Icons" the color returns. However when I change to "small
icons "they return to black. Anyone have any idea why
this is happening? I have not changed or added anything.

Hi Edith,

1. Restart Windows in Safe mode. To do so, restart your computer,
press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes
the Power On Self Test(POST), and then choose Safe Mode from the
Startup menu.
2. Use Windows Explorer to remove the (hidden) ShellIconCache file
from the Windows folder.
Note: To view hidden files in Windows 98, click Folder Options
on the View menu in Windows Explorer, click the View tab, click
Show All Files, and then click OK.
Also make sure that the "Hide Extensions for Known File Types"
is deselected. this will help you in locating the files in Explorer.
3. Restart your computer a couple of times.
--
Regards,
Bert Kinney [MS-MVP DTS]
http://dts-l.org/
How to Configure Outlook Express for Internet News:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=171164

"edith" wrote
All my files have lost the color for the icon. The icons
are there but they all are black. When I click on "Large
Icons" the color returns. However when I change to "small
icons "they return to black. Anyone have any idea why
this is happening? I have not changed or added anything.

"Bert Kinney" wrote in message
...
Hi Edith,

1. Restart Windows in Safe mode. To do so, restart your computer,
press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes
the Power On Self Test(POST), and then choose Safe Mode from the
Startup menu.
2. Use Windows Explorer to remove the (hidden) ShellIconCache file
from the Windows folder.
[snip]
Hi Bert,
Two questions.
1) Why do you have to do it in Safe Mode instead of just doing it in
Normal (if there really is such a thing in Windows98) mode?
2) When you go to Safe Mode doesn't Windows automatically rebuild the
shelliconcache when you then go back to Normal mode?
Just curious.

While I have never tried it in normal mode (the MS KB article says to do it
in safe mode), I suspect the file may be in use and cannot be deleted from
normal mode--just a guess. Two reboots are required as the file is not
replaced until the second reboot. I think that when you reboot from safe to
normal mode, the duplicate icons are cleaned from the cache. This black
icon problem requires more than a cleaning as the iconcache file is damaged

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98
Tips: http://home.satx.rr.com/badour
Knowledge Base Info:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=kbinfo

"Buffalo" wrote in message
news:cL4Sc.281177$XM6.130653@attbi_s53...

"Bert Kinney" wrote in message
...
Hi Edith,

1. Restart Windows in Safe mode. To do so, restart your computer,
press and hold down the CTRL key after your computer completes
the Power On Self Test(POST), and then choose Safe Mode from the
Startup menu.
2. Use Windows Explorer to remove the (hidden) ShellIconCache file
from the Windows folder.
[snip]
Hi Bert,
Two questions.
1) Why do you have to do it in Safe Mode instead of just doing it in
Normal (if there really is such a thing in Windows98) mode?
2) When you go to Safe Mode doesn't Windows automatically rebuild the
shelliconcache when you then go back to Normal mode?
Just curious.

"Ron Badour" wrote in message
...
While I have never tried it in normal mode (the MS KB article says
to do it
in safe mode), I suspect the file may be in use and cannot be
deleted from
normal mode--just a guess. Two reboots are required as the file is
not
replaced until the second reboot. I think that when you reboot from
safe to
normal mode, the duplicate icons are cleaned from the cache. This
black
icon problem requires more than a cleaning as the iconcache file is
damaged

--
Regards

Ron Badour, MS MVP for W98

The ShellIconCache file seems to delete just fine in Normal
Windows98SE.
It also seems to rebuild just after one reboot from Normal Windows.
Of course when I did it, maybe the reboot alone fixed the icon
problem, I don't know.
Thanks for the info.