SOLUTION: User Folders Showing Default Folder Icon in Windows Vista

Lots of Vista users are facing a strange problem, where the folder icons in User folder change from special glass icons to simple folder icons. Look at the following screenshot:

*img80.imageshack.us/img80/7664/defaultvistafoldershf0.jpg

This is how the icons look in User folder which can be accessed using “%userprofile%” command or just select your username in Startmenu (just below the user pic).

But sometimes these icons (all or some) become simple default folder icons as shown in following screenshot:

*img292.imageshack.us/img292/4189/corruptvistafoldersuh6.jpg

It happens when “Desktop.ini” file becomes corrupted. Actually all these special glass icons are displayed using “desktop.ini” file which is present in each folder (hidden). Sometimes a few software make this file corrupt and these folders start showing simple folder icon.

The solution is very simple. Just replace “desktop.ini” file present in the corrupt folder with default one. I have uploaded the default “desktop.ini” file for each folder at following link:

Fix User Folder Icons in Windows Vista

Just download the desired desktop.ini file and paste in the folder which is showing corrupt icon.Windows will ask to overwrite the existing file, select “Copy & Replace“.

NOTE: Log off or End Task of “explorer.exe” from Task Manager to see the changes.

Ya, it happens sometimes when you move your folders manually, i mean without using the Location tab in properties window. It happened with me too, i just copied the desktop.ini from default user's account. Anyways, thanks for posting it.

BTW, do you know any good tool which can edit File Extensions just like the explorer's good old folder options dialog in Windows 98-XP? I am in very much need of it and all the ones i can find are paid ones. i need a freeware. :-|

^^ Do you want to change the programs associations of file types? If yes, then it can be done as following:

Start -> Default Programs -> Associate a file type or protocol with a program

Yes, i know that. i need a higher degree of control on that process, like in Windows XP. For example, i usually add a register and unregister command to dll and ocx file with command regsvr32.exe "%1" and regsvr32.exe /u "%1" respectively. But i cant do that in Vista. Thats why i neeed a 3rd party tool. I hope MS provide this functionality in next version of TweakUI.

Yeah. That can't be done by default. Following tutorial might help you in doing the task manually:

How to Add / Remove Entries in Context Menus

Ya thats what i had started doing since the first day i used Vista. But is there no freeware gui tool available to do it?

Thanks for the trik