Solved Custom icons require two applications of "Change Icon ... Apply, OK."

Wisewiz · Oct 24, 2021

In the last two versions of 11 (and maybe earlier ones, I'm not sure), if I create a shortcut on the desktop either (1) by using the context menu New or (2) by choosing a location in File Explorer and clicking Send To Desktop as Shortcut, and I want to change the icon on that shortcut, I have to go through the operation TWICE.

Go to the shortcut's Properties, Change Icon, select icon, OK, Apply, OK ... nothing happens. Back to Properties, Change Icon, (now it's already there in the selection window), OK, Apply, and the icon changes on the shortcut.

Is this a new glitch?

Have you made any shortcuts and changed their icons and had the same experience?

DigitalGoat · Oct 24, 2021

Same build of Win11 Pro as you, not seeing that issue, have made about 25 custom icons and applied them to change various MS and 3rd party apps, including the drive icons and put drive shortcuts on the desktop, all works fine for me.

Edwin · Oct 24, 2021

No such glitch here!

Josey Wales · Oct 24, 2021

Edwin said:
No such glitch here!

Not here either

Epsilons · Oct 24, 2021

When you apply a custom icon, all you have to do is hit "F5" to refresh the files/folder you are in. You will see the change immediatly. Their is no need to do this twice at all. This is a non-issue.

Wisewiz · Oct 25, 2021

Thank you, one and all. Now I know.

Funny, I don't remember ever having to refresh the screen after an icon change before, and I'm an icon-changing fanatic with a huge library of icons in .ico, .png, and .svg formats, and many, many custom icons on my W10 computers. It's only in W11 that this little glitch has shown up (on both my W11 PCs, one fully compliant; one not), and although it does work to refresh the screen after Apply and OK leave the old icon apparently in place still, I shouldn't need to refresh. That step should be automatic and instant, and it was in W10.

clam1952 · Oct 25, 2021

Strangely enough I had the same issue in Win10, rebuilding the icon cache fixed it, 11 is presumably the same as in Win10 Rebuild Icon Cache in Windows 10

Wisewiz · Oct 25, 2021

@clam1952

I'll try rebuilding the cache and see whether that does the trick. Sounds like a likely candidate, and I just hadn't thought of it (yet).

Thanks.

[UPDATE]

No luck on either of the desktops. Ran the bat, tried again, no dice without refreshing the screen. Ran it again, still no dice. I really shouldn't have to refresh the screen to see a changed icon. Maybe something about the onboard graphics? I should check the drivers.

[second UPDATE]

No driver updates available for Intel graphics 630 (onboard). Dang.

clam1952 · Oct 25, 2021

A longshot but wonder if it's related to allowing Themes to change icons?

Wisewiz · Oct 25, 2021

I'll check.

Nope. Same glitch either way.

I discovered sthg I didn't know about this until just now: If I Create Shortcut (in a File Explorer window) for, say. an executable, and change its icon, the change takes place immediately after I hit Apply, as it should.

But shortcuts on the desktops of these two PCs don't show the changed icon until I hit Refresh.

Weird, eh?

DigitalGoat · Oct 25, 2021

Well the desktop is just a folder after all, but this is an odd situation, I have just changed a few desktop icons again today as I am in the process of designing a custom set for my own use, each one (5 in total) changed as soon as I hit apply, no need to refresh the view.
In case it helps to sort out why, I am only using an Intel i5-8400 and RTX2060 with latest drivers (496.13 I believe), so not exactly highest performance hardware and other than desktop icons, background picture and installing a few apps, I haven't made any changes to the base Win install.

Anibor_11 · Oct 25, 2021

This is not a Windows 11 new problem, but a very old one. It has happened to me for years in 10, and I think even in 7. Not important, I do it twice.

Wisewiz · Oct 25, 2021

Anibor_11 said:
This is not a Windows 11 new problem, but a very old one. It has happened to me for years in 10, and I think even in 7. Not important, I do it twice.

Thanks for that note. I don't particularly mind "doing it twice," and I won't anymore, since Epsilons pointed out that Refresh would do the trick after one round of Apply, OK.

It's still a strange glitch, and I think either the next update or a repair install will cure it. (I think, therefore I'm an optimist.)

The-Hive · Oct 25, 2021

No problem here but if I rename a shortcut in explorer, it stays with the original name until I move it or go to a different folder and back again then it has changed.

Wisewiz · Oct 25, 2021

The two glitches must not have a common system-basis, 'cuz I just tried creating and renaming a shortcut in FE, and it worked exactly as it's supposed to.

Edwin · Oct 25, 2021

On the Desktop, mine applies immediately...

Wisewiz · Oct 25, 2021

Mine doesn't. But you knew that. Really nice video, though.

Solved Custom icons require two applications of "Change Icon ... Apply, OK."

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