What would cause the file extension icon to come up empty?

[Captain Satellite]

Yes, I've gone into Tools> Folder Options > Files Types, etc. Not only that. the HTML file still opens. Why is it displaying as it is? I had Opera installed but uninstalled it. I accidenatlly made it my default browser, I think that's what happened.

Like I said, it still opens with Internet Explorer...

[Ai Haibara]

Does Opera make HTML files (stored locally) appear with a different icon? If so, that's the cause - Windows still has the icon reference, but it's now pointing to an icon/dll that's no longer there. All you have to do is change the icon again.

[IKnowNothing]

It's possible that your iconcache is corrupted.
The simplest fix for this would be to delete the cache, logoff, logon again and letwindows rebuild it

* at a command prompt, change to the %SystemRoot% folder
type cd%SystemRoot% and press ENTER
* remove the hidden attribute from the file:
type attrib -h shelliconcache and press ENTER.
* delete the file:
type del shelliconcache and press ENTER.
* logoff and backon and the default icons should be restored.

M

[Captain Satellite]

IKnowNothing, I know less than nothing! Where do I type this?

[Captain Satellite]

Ai Haibara, No, I uninstalled it.

[IKnowNothing]

at a command prompt!

Various ways to get there

Try pressing Start then Run and type cmb and then press RETURN

You should then get a window appear with which writing on a black background which looks like an old style DOS screen (for those with long memories).

You might also have a command prompt option in Start?Programs/Accessories

[IKnowNothing]

I'm an idiot - as well as knowing nothing!!!

it's Start/Run then cmd and press return

[Captain Satellite]

I'm at the black screen. Now what? I have no "return", I have enter. What do I type?

[IKnowNothing]

Sorry - Enter and Return are the same!

[Ai Haibara]

Ai Haibara, No, I uninstalled it.

That's what I meant.
Opera changed the icon... then once you uninstalled Opera, Windows has a pointer to an icon that no longer exists.

If flushing the icon cache doesn't help, try right-clicking on an HTML file, Properties and (even if the association says it's set to open with Internet Explorer or whatever your primary browser is (yes, I saw in the image above that it's set to open with IE)), choose to change what the file opens in, pick the browser you want to use, and press OK.

There's ways of changing the HTML file icon directly, but I'm trying to remember the methods I used to do it in XP. :/

Edit: Okay, here's one way to do it (probably the primary way to do it in XP):

In Explorer, open the Tools menu, and pick Folder Options. In the window that opens, pick the File Types tab.
Scroll down the list until you find the .htm and .html extensions (HTM and HTML, in this case, in caps.)
Highlight HTM, and click the Advanced button near the bottom of the window. This should open a window with the title "Edit File Type", and there should be a Change Icon button at the top of that window.

If you want to reset the icon to the original IE document icon, point it to C:\Windows\System32\url.dll and pick the icon from the set.

Repeat for the HTML extension.

Also note that if you want an easier way of flushing the icon cache, if you have TweakUI handy, go to the Repair section. There should be an option to refresh the icon cache there.

[Captain Satellite]

Damn, nothing works.

[Ai Haibara]

Have you tried making the changes I mentioned, then logging off and on/rebooting? It also can't hurt to flush/rebuild the icon cache before logging off or rebooting.

[Captain Satellite]

I really appreciate your help but I don't know how to do that.

[Ai Haibara]

Let's try this, first. Are you the only user on your system?

If you've made the changes I mentioned above (don't worry about the icon cache just yet), go to an Explorer window with an .htm/.html file in it. Either click anywhere on the window and press F5, or right-click within the window and select Refresh. If the icon still doesn't change, try rebooting the system.

If that doesn't work, we'll go back to talking about rebuilding/refreshing the icon cache as well.

[Captain Satellite]

I haven't tried anything you mentioned above because I don't understand what you're saying.

[Ai Haibara]

And I gave step-by-step instructions, too. :/

Well, how about this? (I apologize if this sounds condescending - I wanted to simplify the whole process, but of course, it's a lot of steps to take. I'll see if I can find the simpler utilities I use to change icons (at least in XP and earlier) and refresh/repair the icon cache.)

Double-click the My Computer icon. That should bring up a window (which is actually Explorer). In that window, look in the menu bar (the gray bar with the words "File," Edit," "View," "Favorites," "Tools" and "Help"). Click on "Tools", then in the menu that opens, click on "Folder Options".

The Folder Options window should pop up. There are three tabs at the top of that window: "General", "View" and "File Types". Click on the "File Types" tab.

There should be a "Registered File Types:" list near the top of the tab. Scroll down that list until you see "HTM" and "HTML" in the left column (labeled "Extensions").
Click on HTM to select it, then click the "Advanced" button near the bottom of the tab.

A window named "Edit File Type" should open. Click on the "Change Icon" button near the top of the "Edit File Type" window. If you want to reset the icon back to the IE HTML file icon, in the "Change Icon" window, click the "Browse" button and look for the file url.dll in your \windows\system32\ directory. Or just copy this, without the quotes: "C:\Windows\System32\url.dll" into the box to the left of the "Browse" button. The default HTML file icon should be the first icon, so double-click on it to pick it, and click OK.

You should be back at the "File Types" tab, in the "Folder Options" window. In the "Registered File Types:" list, click on the HTML line (should be directly below HTM) to select it, and repeat the above steps to change the icon.

Once that's done, close all the windows by clicking on OK, until you're back at the My Computer window. Find an .htm/.html file, anywhere on your computer. Has the icon changed? If not, click on the My Computer window, and press F5. That might cause the icon to start displaying correctly after you've changed it.

You might, however, need to restart Windows after changing the icon to get it to display correctly.

[Ai Haibara]

Another thing to try, that I keep forgetting...

You're using Internet Explorer as your primary browser, right? If so, try going into Internet Explorer's options (Tools > Internet Options, from within Internet Explorer, or right-click on the Internet Explorer icon on the Desktop and select Internet Options.)

In the Programs tab, you should find the option to make Internet Explorer the 'default browser.' Click on the button to do that ("Make default"), if it isn't disabled. That might also reset the file icons.

[Captain Satellite]

That's pretty basic stuff that I've already tried. My system32 folder doesn't show.

[Captain Satellite]

I appreciate your patience but I'm convinced I'm never going to be able to fix this.

[Ai Haibara]

That's pretty basic stuff that I've already tried. My system32 folder doesn't show.

That's why I mentioned cutting and pasting the location into the box. However, you can always use a different icon, even one from Windows' default set (in shell32.dll)

(Note: Your Computer Details say you're using XP, so that's what I've been assuming you're using. If this is on a different version of Windows, let me know.)

I appreciate your patience but I'm convinced I'm never going to be able to fix this.

Don't worry, we'll keep at it.

Here's something else you might try. On this page: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/htmicon.htm , there's a zip file at the bottom with a utility that might be able to help. The direct link is: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/utils/htmliconfix.zip
(If you use the direct link, here's a note about the utility from the page: "Note that this fix sets Internet Explorer as the default handler for .HTM and other file types. This utility has been tested under Internet Explorer versions 6 and 7.")

[Captain Satellite]

I wanted to make sure that you understood that it is showing up in file types but not anywhere else.

[Captain Satellite]

The zip file fixed it. Thanks, it was real cool of you to help me with this.

How sweet it is...

[Ai Haibara]

Glad to hear it.