Solved Some desktop icons show a border...how do I get rid of it?

trotskyicepick

New Member
I have arranged my desktop with an icon "dock" at the bottom of the screen, showing large icons with the text removed. However, 2out of 10 icons are showing a border. This only shows when the icons are displayed as large or custom size. Is there any way to get rid of this annoying border? I'm almost certain it's not a registry or icon property as it only affects 2 icons. Possibly could it be something to do with the particular .ico files?

Anyways, due to the way I like my desktop to look I need at least custom sized icons, and this border is really irritating...I need rid of it.

Please any help appreciated.

TIA
Andrew

PS. Running Vista HP SP2
 
Last edited:

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I am having the same problem. In fact icons that once displed fine (like my wow icon) now are smaller and have a border around it now. I think there is a way to rebuild the icon cache or something like that but not sure how right off hand and not even sure if it would solve the problem.
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Toshiba Laptop A505 S6965
    CPU
    Intel Core2 Duo P7350 2.0Ghz
    Memory
    4Gb DDR2
    Graphics Card(s)
    ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 (512MB)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    16in.
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500gig
    Internet Speed
    10Mb/896Kb
Download and install CCleaner:

http://www.pirifrorm.com/ccleaner

Then run the cleaner, make sure that you don't change the options in the cleaner, and this should delete your icon cache.

Let me know how this goes

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
LOL Darkside it was my WoW icon that I noticed first ;? The only other icon out of the 10 on my desktop that displays this problem is Gimp.

Thanks Tom, I'm afraid that made no difference, and there doesn't appear to be an option to clear the icon cache?

I have tried extracting and editing the icons to remove the borders but to now avail, as when open in Gimp no border is shown.

Thanks
Andrew

PS. I thought it might be due to me using a custom theme, but no, I have tried both the standard Aero theme and the Vista Basic theme with no change.
 

My Computer

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Sorry Tom, tried each of the options several times, and although the icon cache is rebuilt (reduced from approx 6Mb to approx 1.5Mb) the problem still remains.

Another thing I have noticed, when you mouseover an icon not displaying the problem it is highlighted as a box for eg. of 72x72 px. An icon displaying the problem is also highlighted as a box of 72x72px, but this time with an inner border surrounding what I guess is the actual size of the icon.
moz-screenshot.png


Right, I think I found the problem. If you use IconsExtract IconsExtract - Extract icon/cursor stored in EXE, DLL, OCX, CPL files to scan for icons where we have a problem, the scan finds icons only upto 48x48 in the executable, whereas, those icons where the problem doesn't exist, the executables they come from show in a scan as containing icons upto 256*256.

So, I'm guessing we need to extract the problem icons and edit them to be say 256x256 and save them as .ico files. Then change the desktop shortcuts to point to these new icons.

Let you know how I get on.
 

My Computer

Yup, it's the available sizes of the icons in the .exe or .dll files. To display large icons properly they need ideally to be 256x256.

Since I can find no way of increasing a 48x48 icon to this size whilst retaining quality, I have downloaded (for WoW at least) a suitable 256x256 replacement.

Darkside, check this link for an assortment of WoW icons World Of Warcraft Icons: Warcraft 2 Icon.

Hope you find this useful.

Regards
Andrew
 

My Computer

Sorry Tom, tried each of the options several times, and although the icon cache is rebuilt (reduced from approx 6Mb to approx 1.5Mb) the problem still remains.

Another thing I have noticed, when you mouseover an icon not displaying the problem it is highlighted as a box for eg. of 72x72 px. An icon displaying the problem is also highlighted as a box of 72x72px, but this time with an inner border surrounding what I guess is the actual size of the icon.
moz-screenshot.png


Right, I think I found the problem. If you use IconsExtract IconsExtract - Extract icon/cursor stored in EXE, DLL, OCX, CPL files to scan for icons where we have a problem, the scan finds icons only upto 48x48 in the executable, whereas, those icons where the problem doesn't exist, the executables they come from show in a scan as containing icons upto 256*256.

So, I'm guessing we need to extract the problem icons and edit them to be say 256x256 and save them as .ico files. Then change the desktop shortcuts to point to these new icons.

Let you know how I get on.

There should be an easier way, but let me know how that goes first :)

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Well I downloaded a 256x256 .ico for my WoW icon and that's now fine. Can't find anything other than .png's at that size for Gimp.

Just to frustrate me when I'm so near solving the issue, Gim doesn't seem to want to convert between png and ico.....Ahhhhh......the search for an ico goes on.

Andrew

P.S. Off topic, is it possible to change the font-size for the minimized apps on the taskbar? I've tried editing my .theme but can't find anything that works.
 

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My Computer

Well I downloaded a 256x256 .ico for my WoW icon and that's now fine. Can't find anything other than .png's at that size for Gimp.

Just to frustrate me when I'm so near solving the issue, Gim doesn't seem to want to convert between png and ico.....Ahhhhh......the search for an ico goes on.

Andrew

P.S. Off topic, is it possible to change the font-size for the minimized apps on the taskbar? I've tried editing my .theme but can't find anything that works.

I don't know of a method to do this but I'll do some research for you.

Well finally done it.

If all you can find by way of images are not .ico files, follow the instructions here How To Make An Icon From A Picture | Gimp-tutorials.net - Gimp , tutorials , brushes , downloads, forum..

It works just as well for .png files as the jpegs the tutorial describes. Obviously, if your chosen image already has transparency you can skip all the masking stuff.

Just to prove it works, I've attached a partial screenshot

Good to hear that the problem has been solved and I'm sorry that I couldn't do more to help you.

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Just the simple fact you responded was a great help, and very heartening, so thankyou.

TBH, I'm pretty much a Ubuntu Linux devotee due to a. It's free, b. It works extremely reliably/well, c. Most apps are also free and some of the developer tools are very high quality, d. the desktop is massively customizable and you can achieve some quite stunningly beautiful effects. On the downside, most effective managment is done from command prompt, which is quite daunting for non-linux users.

Now I've found that (with some hacking/tweaking) Windows can be customised with custom themes, icons and sidebar gadgets, I'm much happier staying in Windows for more of the time.

Regards
Andrew
 

My Computer

Just the simple fact you responded was a great help, and very heartening, so thankyou.

TBH, I'm pretty much a Ubuntu Linux devotee due to a. It's free, b. It works extremely reliably/well, c. Most apps are also free and some of the developer tools are very high quality, d. the desktop is massively customizable and you can achieve some quite stunningly beautiful effects. On the downside, most effective managment is done from command prompt, which is quite daunting for non-linux users.

Now I've found that (with some hacking/tweaking) Windows can be customised with custom themes, icons and sidebar gadgets, I'm much happier staying in Windows for more of the time.

Regards
Andrew

Yes, I will be dual booting my laptop with Windows 7 and Ubuntu over the summer for those reasons.

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
Oh, I have 9.1 so I guess I need to update it :(

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
You won't regret it I assure You.

Wow... this forum is Android native ;-)

Good, I'll be downloading it soon then :)

Well I never knew that, I take it you have an android phone then?

Tom
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    Build #1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 3770K @4.4GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS P8Z77-V PRO
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz Low Profile (White)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 (2GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Integrated on motherboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" LG LCD/LED IPS
    Screen Resolution
    1920*1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung EVO 128GB SSD
    Seagate Barracuda 2TB 7200rpm
    2x500GB Seagate FreeAgent 5400rpm
    PSU
    Corsair TX650W V2 (80+ Bronze)
    Case
    NZXT Phantom 410
    Cooling
    Corsair H100 Water Cooler, 1x140mm and 1x120mm stock fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Desktop 2000 Wireless Mouse
    Internet Speed
    95 Mb/s Download 70 Mb/s Upload
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