How Can I Create A Fresh New "IconCache.db" File?

[superstar]

I was reading "CPU" magazine and there was an article in it about windows tweaks. Basically way's to make your windows xp run faster and more efficiently. I read a specific section in that article and went ahead doing what was written. This was the exact procedure I followed:



Before doing this I copied and pasted the IconCache.db file into a new folder I created on another one of my hard drives the same computer. So basically instead of just going ahead and deleting it from y "C" drive I pasted the file in my "H" drive just in case anything bad happened. Well after doing so I went ahead and deleted the file as written in the above article. But the file was not automatically recreated by win xp. So I restarted my computer in order to see if it would be recreated. When I logged in my password and my pc loaded I noticed the desktop icons were super slow while filling in [about 10x slower than usual]. I waited for all of the icons to fill in and than went into my "my computer" but I had to wait for the "C" drive to appear because all I saw was the searching flashlight which I don't normally see [it took a while for the drives to show in "my computer"]. I went back into the folder I deleted the file from and the IconCache.db was still not recreated. So I freaked out and just pasted the backup file back into the original folder than deleted the backup and restarted my pc [basically leaving it the way it was before I ever did anything].

My questions are:

1. Why did it not recreate itself as the big selling magazine said it would?

2. Was it the fact that I backed up the icon on another drive within the same computer?

3. Why did my icons take long to appear when I deleted the file and restarted my pc?

4. Is my computer screwed up now even though I pasted the icon back?

5. How can I do what the article says I can do to recreate a new IconCache.db successfully? [Since the article way didn't work]

[InYearsToCome]

read post #6 http://www.softwaretipsandtricks.com...-XP-Icon-Cache

or, to summarize: change the screen color depth to rebuild the iconcache.db file, then you can change back to the better color depth.

I have not tried this, so ymmv.

[superstar]

Very good information... Someone told me to do something like that before... Hmm I dunno if I should try it though. Should I backup my IconCache.db file yet again on another drive within the same pc and give it a shot? If you have a computer to try this on please do so.

[Eezak]

I believe Microsoft's TweakUI tool includes a utility to rebuild your icons. If you want to try it make sure use the version for WinXP. It's part of the MS PowerToys also if you wish to download a bunch of free MS Tools -- again, make sure you get the version intended for use with WinXP. MG has it available for download here (all zipped into one file -- not sure if it's a self-extracting zip or not):

http://www.majorgeeks.com/Microsoft_...Toys_d710.html