Firefox is not creating desktop favicons [SOLVED]

[ComputerJunkie]

Hi Boggin and Shane,

I am still having the same problem with favicons not showing up on my desktop.

I checked out the links Boggin gave me:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html
http://www.anvisoft.com/browser-repair-tool.html

Anvi said there were 17 issues with IE10 and 7 issues with Firefox but after it ran, the problem was not fixed. All Anvisoft really did, was to reset the browsers, which I can do on my own-I had to go back in and change everything all over again after it screwed everything up.

But this problem occurred while trying to fix the Flash and Java issues-which seem fine now.

I will show you the bookmarks for the fun of it.

I still think a folder got deleted or a registry key is messed up or something is going on. Everything was fine until I was messing with getting Java and Flash running properly...

I really don't want to do another System Image Restore since I finally have it so Flash and Java don't keep crashing...sighhh

What really gets me is everything was running like a top for a couple years and then after certain updates, things got hairy. And none of those companies want to admit it was their software...even when the problem started directly after the install. And the only reason I messed with Flash and Java is because I got tired of crashing all the time, but that came with a price (this new problem).

Thanks for any help, guys.

P.S. I am having a hard time finding the board, but someone (somewhere lol) was suggesting your video card software could cause this problem. If so, how could that be? And I am not sure what to do for that as I re-installed the vga software from ibuypower's website for my laptop...

UPDATE: Forgot to add the image. Left is IE10 and Right is Firefox 37

[jraju]

Hi, please see this link and do as suggested in the link and let me know
http://www.heerengandhi.com/2009/07/29/firefox-icon-went-missing-in-windows-7-heres-a-fix/

[ComputerJunkie]

Hi jraju,

Thanks so much for that site; I jumped on it but to no avail. It got me to change my search criteria to the icon database and cache and so on and I found other things:

I even tried some other commands found on the net like /a=s, -h and using "" around the userprofile command-but none of those were recognized in my cmd prompt. Even did the pin/unpin from taskbar in the midst of all of this.

I also tried:  a "fix tool", Ent added to the thread: http://forums.techguy.org/windows-7/965667-iconcache-db-missing-rebuild-did.html

I looked for the Firefox shellex IconHandler in Registry, which doesn't exist.

I even decided to change the name of the IconCache.db to IconCache2.db and it didn't even notice I did that.

I also tried to drag a bookmark from favorites, that's showing an favicon, to the desktop and the favicon will not transfer over. Even tried a URL from IE to FF and so on-doesn't matter-something will not allow FF to put favicons on desktop at all.

I also read to change from 32-bit to 16-bit color in screen resolution and then go back-didn't work.

I did a sfc /scannow because some said it would work (tried again) and no errors to be fixed.

Even read on another site to go to Default programs and select my programs there as default-didn't fix it.

What really gets me is that out of all the websites I have looked at the last few hours, these things, especially your suggestion, have worked for many but there are some, like me who are still trying to find a fix. And the ones who are in my boat, I noticed the boards just end there...no more suggestions and no solution. Hard to believe.

And I keep going back to the fact all was okay until I worked to get Java and Flash working properly-instead of crashing all the time. (Which has been a good thing. lol)

I keep thinking it has to be very simple too...a reg value, a missing file, an altered file...I don't know...

I was thinking I could run Shane's All-in-one repair tool again, but not sure it will find/touch this problem?

Is there anything else you can think of, that I can try? If not, I understand.

[Shane]

Explorer.exe determines what icon to use based on a couple of things.

1. For a default files extension the icon to use is normally stored in the registry.

2. Once an icon has been loaded it will get stored in the icon database, Windows uses this to pull from, its basically an icon cache. When that cache becomes corrupt you end up with messed up icons, or all white or all black icons.

3. Windows will remember what icon file to use for a shortcut, so if you go and change the icon of a shortcut windows will remember it, but if the file it points to is gone you end up with a white icon.

Now, when I right click on the desktop and go to new and then short cut, and then put in "http://www.tweaking.com/forums/" and then save the shortcut, explorer.exe itself goes and grabs the icon and sets it, so I get the same tweaking icon that you do.

Firefox keeps all its icons in a database file, this link is old but still works as they havent changed the icon stuff much since then
http://www.pcmech.com/article/clearing-all-favicons-from-firefox-3-cache-how-to/

So it might be all that is needed is to empty or remove that firefox cache database file and let it build a new one.

Shane

[ComputerJunkie]

Hi Shane,

I went to the site you pointed out and tried their method and I even tried methods mentioned in the replies lower down on the page. Nothing was fixing this.

I even went so far as to do a System Image Restore late Monday night and got everything updated yesterday. I started testing Firefox by using it and playing some Java and Flash games.
The favicon problem is here again, the Java is acting up and Flash "seems" to be okay so far.

Has it got to be something to do with the newest FF, Java or Flash?

I ignored this in the past but not I am wondering: My System Image Restore says -8:00 (forget GMT or UTC), but I am in -6:00. And then after the restore I have to set the clock from -6:00 Central America to -6:00 US and Canada time. I do not understand what is going on there...I checked BIOS and it says my time and date. Is there ANY chance that could be messing with things?

I have NO clue where the -8:00 OR the Central American time zone is coming from??? I find this especially strange because my original System Image had those times. Then after the successful install of Adobe CS5.5 Master Collection, I deleted my old System Image to make the new one (as mentioned in another post) and yet the time problem was there too. This 2nd System Image is the one I have used at least twice because of the FF problem and the same one I used Monday night. Back when, I was able to make favicons. And like I mentioned this has been a newer problem so how can my System Image not correct this?

I do not accept that it's user error-I am not a programmer, hacker, and so on but I have been avidly using computers since 1995 with Win 3.1, Win 95b, Win XP, and now Win7 and a little bit before that on the old Tandy and Macintosh builds.  I have been the one who people call and I can walk them through all kinds of fixes just from memory and what they tell me is going on, over the phone...

But then something I am totally unfamiliar with, will go wrong on my computer and I don't have anyone to call! hahaha But something is just really flipping out on this computer and causing a instability issue.

I suppose I can do another reformat, reinstall EVERYTHING fresh again, but MAN!!! I should be SO past this it's not even funny. And if it is something that's on my computer from software or updates, I will be in the SAME pickle ALL over again...What also gets me, is that I bought this computer in Oct 2012 and everything has been really good until a couple months before I joined your forums-something just isn't stable anymore and I really want to point fingers at MS updates first, then all the other stuff...

I look forward to what you have to say about this...in the meantime, I am going to take the time to do a power reset and try running your tools again and see if it does anything at all to help this.

UPDATE: I ran Windows Repair per your instructions and then I restarted and also did the Tweaks. Now the few FF desktop icons that were from the past, which still had their favicons, are now all blank white like the new ones I make.

Even the IE favicons were missing but after opening the links, for instance, the Tweaking.com favicon for IE was just an E but when I opened the link, it came back.

Anyway, at a loss here.

[Boggin]

It's possible your Region could have changed, so check that http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/change-country-region-setting#1TC=windows-7

[jraju]

HI, Boggin ,  I do not think  that it is connected with region. But it is firefox cache that is doing this. Shane has already advised him to clean the ff cache. I mean he just need to clean the cache and cookies which may be the cause of the issue. He has to go the profile and then remove the cookies in that folder that contains sqlite.I had this problem before, just uninstalling and reinstalling firefox would not fix this. He has to completely delete the sqlite cookies  in the firefox profile  folder. If he does that then there will be no funny behaviour of icons at desktop. I remember deleting the cookies and the problem solved. He could safely delete and restart firefox

[Boggin]

And would that stop his clock time zone from changing to Central America from US and Canada ?

[ComputerJunkie]

Hi Boggins and jraju,

Thanks for all the feedback, at least I have some people on my side!!! 

Boggin, the MS site for changing time zones-I know ho w to do that and even went into BIOS to check clock. jraju, I DID try everything  all 3 of you suggested-it's just none of them worked.  :-(

I am willing to try each and every suggestion- this includes but not limited to all the sites that talk about manually doing things, as well as, installing and running some registry edit program from Windowsseven forums, SQLite Manager, and something else, which I cannot even remember now.

The worst part, as you see, I ALL ready did another System Image Restore, tonight. Technically, this by itself, should have fixed the entire problem, no matter what. It didn't.

After I did the System Image Restore, and had to update FF, Java and Flash, Windows, I STILL had the white favicons when trying to save a FF bookmark to the desktop...AFTER the System Image Restore-how is that??? Has to be something in updates? No? Or did MS lie and it really doesn't completely wipe and replace the the drive??

Then, I went ahead and did the Windows Repair All-in-One and tweaks and restarted to normal windows, just to find the IE desktop favicons and 6 old FF favicons that have always been on my desktop have also now changed to white-they did have their favicons until tonight's attempts...The good news is that when clicking the IE icons, they restored the favicons. But now I do not have a single FF favicon, old or new -all white.

OH! I know what else I wanted to ask...why is it then, that FF bookmarks all have the capability of gaining and maintaining favicons? It's just that to me, it would seem normal to grab a bookmark out of my list and drag it to the desktop to make the same favicon, which of course is not happening either...Is it because they are not located or allocated the same way as the FF favicons on my desktop?

I tell you what, since I did the System Image Restore and used Shane's tools tonight, I will try this again-maybe it will work this time and I will post the results:

Installed the sqlite manager add-on and went to %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox
emptied places.sqlite table-did not work.
Also tried as you said to do the cookies.sqlite also-did not work.
I then bypassed the add-on and did it manually:
I deleted places.sqlite completely -it did not work
Went ahead and deleted ALL *.sqlite files in profile-did not work
I had to reinstall FF but I also went a step further and deleted old profile and created a new one-still only white pages when I try to make desktop bookmarks.

As for general maintenance, I always clear: temp, %temp%, Java, Flash, FF cache, and Disk cleanup periodically. And now I do the CleanMem as well.

Another dumb question: Is there any Windows services that should be on but may have been shut off?

I know the other day I found out that Shadow Copy was stopped and manual but I read it was supposed to be started and automatic for System Images. And after doing the Windows Repairs and Tweaks, tonight,  it turned it off again-so I got it back on.

[Boggin]

What did you do that needed doing to get Flash and Java working ?

Is there anything that you can see is related in Event Viewer ?

[Shane]

UPDATE: I ran Windows Repair per your instructions and then I restarted and also did the Tweaks. Now the few FF desktop icons that were from the past, which still had their favicons, are now all blank white like the new ones I make.

Even the IE favicons were missing but after opening the links, for instance, the Tweaking.com favicon for IE was just an E but when I opened the link, it came back.

Anyway, at a loss here.

This is because the icon cache was cleared, which is where the icons where stored. When you opened IE it reloaded the icons, which get store in the cache. Looks like the older versions of firefox did the same thing, so thats why older ones lost their icons, but when you open firefox it isnt reloading them.

So it does look like it is firefox related. One good test would be to try a who new user profile and see how it does.

There is also some helpful info in firefox, go to help and then trouble shooting info and in there it will list every default settings in the about:config that has been changed. We can see if anything about the icons or cache have been changed.

Shane

[Shane]

I found this, looks like firefox does have a setting for it

An option "browser.shell.shortcutFavicons", accessible through about:config, has been added that allows one to choose the old behavior of using generic FF icon (thus without any favicon) for shortcuts created dragging an URL from the address bar to the desktop (or whatever other directory/folder).

Shane

[ComputerJunkie]

Hi Guys,

Hi Boggin,
Well is the flash and java, I had to delete the automated installs and updates, tried the offline installs and that didn't fix it right away. Then there was something about getting junk out of the registry that was still not allowing it to work right. And then I did a another offline install. Took some doing but finally they were working.

Hi Shane,
Unfortunately, that was the thing I said I could not remember what else I had tried-it was going into the about:config and turning both "browser.shell.shortcutFavicons"  and "browser.chrome.favicons" to False and cleaned caches and restarted again.

For this FF problem, I was originally reading all those favicon threats out and unable to get any of their fixes working either. There is one thread that kinda got me because a man was asking the exact same question because he wanted to make a favicon bookmark to stay on his client's desktop and wanted to know what to do. First off, that poor man was continually getting berated saying how he can't be a webmaster if he insists on putting up a desktop bookmark and well a bunch of stuff instead of trying to give him an answer. At some point, they stated it's a bug but in some spots it "look" like they bug was supposedly fixed yet it came back when I just did that most recent Firefox update.
http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1093765
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=110894

[Shane]

I see stuff get broken in firefox all the time, so it wouldnt surprise me lol

So I just tried dragging a bookmark to my desktop and I dont have an icon other than the normal white one either. So it doesnt work for me either when pulled from firefox, so this looks to be something that isnt working in firefox with the current build and not a problem with you

Shane

[ComputerJunkie]

OH!!! THANK YOU SHANE!!! I was going nutz over here. Now I definitely know why it happens once in a while-just that it's been almost 2 years since it happened...but now I know!

So now, I am wondering if my Java on Pogo is acting up because of a glitch/bug/poor programming.

I like to play High Stakes Pool over there and you have to aim, choose any English and then pull the cue back to get the power you want and then release. BUT, it's been releasing prematurely and that's why I was working on it-but I am going to dig a little deeper again, to see if there's any bugs in Java or if it's just a Pogo thing. Pogo tried to tell me, I was the first they heard about this-but you never know.

I have been trying to make sure ALL is working well with the newest software so I can make a new System Image again...I miss the days of Win 3.1! hahaha

Thanks again!