Solved Desktop icons still won't increase in size

Hello again,

Recently, I wanted to know how to transfer an old favorite icon to a new link website and put it on the desktop. Thanks to everyones help, I was able to do this.

Now I have another related problem.

I am trying to increase the size of the desktop icons. I am not talking about the traditional method of holding the Crtl key and moving the mouse wheel or going to a certain place and selecting small, medium, or large icons. These methods increase the size of all of your icons.

Rather, I have found a way to increase the size of icons individually using a program I bought (Image Icon Converter) which allows you to select different sizes and then using Windows Photo Gallery to paste the new icon to the desktop.

Having done this, I wish to create desktop links to websites for these larger icons. Unfortunately, I cannot get the old link to transfer to the new, larger icon. Everytime I try, it will not show me anything in the Properties box of the larger icon for changing icons. This does not surprise me because the new, larger icon is simply a larger image of an icon created from Windows Photo Gallery. My problem here would be to find a way to manipulate this icon.

And when I try to create a new desktop website link and switch icons to what I prefer, it keeps reverting back to the same old, small icon.

So I have these two avenues to try and change icons and neither one of them is working. Can someone help me solve these problems or find a new way to do what I want to do?

Thanks.

What is the filetype of the new larger icons? If it isn't .ico, try saving it as an .ico file and then attempt the second method of selecting it as the icon for the created shortcut and see if that works. If it does, then you would want to find a special place to save these icons (not the desktop) and reference that location and choose the appropriate icon when you create desktop shortcuts to internet sites (or any other type of shortcut for that matter).

From the following http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/88519-shortcut-folder-file-icon-change.html it seems that created icons only work right in Medium View (though that is admittedly a different way of creating the icons and not a special program designed for that purpose or even close to the method you are using). This article talks about converting to .ico files using the simple Paint program (but I see from the web site that your program supports .ico).

Another thing to consider is I just visited convert Image to Icon, bmp to ico, gif to ico, jpg to ico which is what I think you got and I note that Vista is NOT included in the list of supported operating systems - and that may have something to do with why you're having problems. The process seems simple enough convert gif to Icon, picture to icon, gif to icon, jpg to icon but again on that page as well, it does NOT include Vista as being suported. I checked the Vista Compatibility Center and the program isn't listed (which just means it wasn't tested but that often also means it isn't compatible). I do not know why it isn't compatible or how that problem might manifest itself - perhaps by causing the situation you're experiencing (or it could be for a totally different reason - no explanation is provided).

It seems unfortunate that the only support option is e-mail AVI to DVD Creator, PowerPoint to Video, Image Icon Converter, Pretty Icon Maker -- JOSESSOFT SHAREWARE so maybe you can write them and see if they have an update that works with Vista (I very much doubt it or they'd be advertising it) or if they have a solution to your problem (just copy what you wrote here and paste it to the email for starters and then edit it as appropriate given you're talking to them and not to us). I suspect you may hear that it isn't compatible, but maybe they have some kind of workaround or trick that sometimes works but not often enough or well enough to consider adding Vista to the list (maybe by using yet another program or add-on to overcome whatever the problem is.

One option you might try is running the program in Compatibility Mode to see if that helps (sometimes it does when something isn't compatible with Vista). Here's how: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/75909-compatibility-mode.html.

I hope this helps.

Good luck!

Hi,

Thanks Lorien, for the response. I was hoping you would answer.

Yes, they are .ico files-these icons. And I tried to do the switch just as you had me do for the Newegg problem (if you remember, I wanted to keep the old Newegg icon but replace it to the new Newegg icon and establish the web page link from my desktop). All that worked just fine.

I sought to do the same thing with these new larger icons. First I would create a desktop shortcut of the website I want, then I would try to link it to the large icon in the same way you taught me.

It didn't work. Everything went well throughout the entire procedure but when you hit the final button, the icon reverted back to the same one I already had-the small one that's already there.

It did not mate with the larger icon.

When I right click and select Properties on the new icon, there is no Change Icon box anywhere to be found. I see also that this icon Opens With: Windows Photo Gallery. I am wondering if that is the reason I have no function with this icon-it is because this icon is just a hollow image pasted onto my desktop from a photo gallery. Does that make any sense?

Yes, I use the Image Icon Converter you have found. It is the one I purchased. I did not see that it was not tested for Vista. Shame on me. However, I have not used it much but it seems to be working fine-at least up front-it seems to do what it says for whatever button you press. Underneath, there may be problems like what I am having. I don't suspect it as being the problem but I don't know.




OK, I don't understand what just happened....but while I was trying to look at the Properties of other of my desktop icons (in order to compose the second previous paragraph), and when I clicked off the Properties boxes by selecting OK rather than Cancel, something just happened.
All my icons quickly, one by one, just reset and one of my problem icons I had open at the same time just took. It did what I wanted it to. It now has the larger icon associated with its web link.
I don't think having Properties boxes open had anything to do with it, but I can't explain what just happened.




Meanwhile, back to the problem....I just tried to go through the process of switching icons with the second troublesome icon and it took this time. The larger icon is now in place and has its' shortcut link.

Upon thinking about the problem now, I wonder if my using CCleaner this morning cleaned out my computer of something that may have been preventing the icons from working?

Thanks for your help. Unless these icons revert, I will consider this problem solved. Not sure how it started working though.

When I right click and select Properties on the new icon, there is no Change Icon box anywhere to be found. I see also that this icon Opens With: Windows Photo Gallery. I am wondering if that is the reason I have no function with this icon-it is because this icon is just a hollow image pasted onto my desktop from a photo gallery. Does that make any sense?

Click to expand...

Yes, it makes perfect sense. You really just have pictures there - not shortcuts. These are .ico files, not .lnk files (which is what a shortcut file is). The properties for these .ico files are going to apply essentially to picture files and not to shortcut files (which is why the target location and choose icon and other features don't appear there since those only occur with .lnk files (and also sometimes with some program files)).

Yes, I use the Image Icon Converter you have found. It is the one I purchased. I did not see that it was not tested for Vista. Shame on me. However, I have not used it much but it seems to be working fine-at least up front-it seems to do what it says for whatever button you press. Underneath, there may be problems like what I am having. I don't suspect it as being the problem but I don't know.

Click to expand...

With it not being listed as compatible with Vista, there's no telling how it might work or not work (or how it might interfere with the system or any of your other programs). If it worked fine with Vista, you can be sure they would list it as being compatible since that's good for marketing and for sales. Perhaps it had something to do with the delayed reaction to working as you wanted. Then again, it may now work fine and we'll never know the reason for the initial problem. There's really no way to know because they do not reveal the reason it isn't listed as compatible (and have no clue why it suddenly started working for no apparent reason). Let's just be thankful it finally worked and hope it continues to do so and without that inexplicable delay.

Upon thinking about the problem now, I wonder if my using CCleaner this morning cleaned out my computer of something that may have been preventing the icons from working?

Click to expand...

This is certainly possible, though I'm not sure exactly what it could have cleaned that would have caused that type of problem (and I never personally use it on the registry because the risk is greater than the benefit IMHO). CCleaner is a very good product and used properly can be quite helpful and a good system utility, but be careful using it - if you make the wrong selections you can accidentally delete something very important and cause yourself a major problem (even to the point where only a clean install can repair it).

Thanks for your help. Unless these icons revert, I will consider this problem solved. Not sure how it started working though.

Click to expand...

I'd give it a few days or a week or so before marking it solved. To mark it solved, click on the red triangle in the upper right of your post and just type "solved" in the box and submit it. When moderators notice, the thread will be marked with a green check to indicate it has been solved. This helps so others don't come here trying to help only to find it resolved and it helps viewers find problems with solutions (though in this case, we don't really have a solution per se - just that it started working).

We may never know why it had the initial problem, why it started working, or it if will continue to work without any further issues. I don't expect the icons you've converted successfully now will revert in any case (unless you ever restore the icon cache - then I don't know what might happen) - I'm more concerned that that initial problem will return. For now, we can only hope it continues to work without problems and that the issue is truly solved.

Personally, I'm overjoyed to hear it is working - not only because your problem is solved but because I really had no ideas about how to fix the problem beyond what I'd already posted. Now I don't need to worry about researching it any further :D.

Good luck and best wishes.