How to Re-Associate file extesions and Rebuild icon cache

[Newbie Comp user]

Hey guys!

This tutorial is basically here to teach you how to fix file association problems, and rebuild the icon cache.
What is icon cache?
Icon cache is basically a 'file' that manages your program's icons. (correct me if I'm wrong...). If anything goes wrong with your icons or if they go blank, the icon cache is responsible for it.

Well anyways... for the tutorial!

Difficulty: 2/5

How to re-associate, disassociated extensions?
Go here: http://www.mydigitallife.info/2008/0...windows-vista/
This method only works on Vista and Windows 7.

Rebuilding the icon cache
Rebuilding the icon cache will allow your program's icons to restore back to default.
Go here: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/ho...windows-vista/

Hope this helps you!
-NCU

[ginzon]

Those who Don't want to do things manually for Rebuilding the icon cache, here's a batch file for it from sevenforums.com

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/94820d1283393671-icon-cache-rebuild-rebuild_icon_cache.bat

Don't worry its safe, if you still have a doubt just open it in notepad...

[Boyfriend]

Two simple methods to do same thing:

1. Simply go to "C:\Users\user name\AppData\Local" and delete "IconCache.db". After restart, it will be recreated by Windows. There is no need to kill explorer/force reboot.
2. With CCleaner Enhancer rules, there is an option "Icon Cache" in CCleaner (unchecked by default), which do the above job and Windows automatically recreate the file after enumerating all valid icons/links.

The purpose of IconCache.db is to display icons quickly on every start/restart without checking their source. Therefore, you may sometimes see a beautiful icon of an uninstalled program.

[Student26]

Good info guys. Appreciated
In windows 7 it always seems that I'm missing an icon or two for my shortcuts. Maybe this will fix it. In the past, it wasn't important enough to research and fix.

[ginzon]

yup me too had to wen i saw few of mine icons went missing from shortcuts..

[noaccount]

2. With CCleaner Enhancer rules, there is an option "Icon Cache" in CCleaner (unchecked by default), which do the above job and Windows automatically recreate the file after enumerating all valid icons/links.

If it's re-associate you're after than i do all that with Ccleaner. I use option above mentioned by Boyfriend. Than i do a registry scan, search for broken association, locate key, jump to regedit and tweak from there. But my setups actually prevents me from doing this very often

[Boyfriend]

@noaccount: Clearing/deleting "Icon Cache” has nothing to do with link broken association. It is just a cache file to display "icons" quickly, just like "Thumbs.db" to cache picture in a folder to display them quickly. It you get broken association that is something else associated with uninstall/modified programs or corruption of program/HDD.

[noaccount]

Bad me, i just read OP title But reading it all over again, seems to me he is asking / suggesting a tutorial for both problems

[sujay]

Nice tuts guys...