Nearly all of my desktop icons change to Irfanview Icon when I install Irfanview

[pygymy]

Nearly all of my desktop icons change to the Irfanview Icon when I install Irfanview and some programs don't run. I have Windows 7. I have installed and uninstalled Irfanview several times to try fix this problem. When I uninstall Irfanview the desktop Icons change back to their original appearance or become blank icons but my programs run correctly. What am I doing wrong?

[Frank]

See IrfanView program menu: \Options\Properties/Settings...\Extensions\
Undo the associations with formats you don't want associate with IrfanView!
That's your problem!

[pygymy]

Dear Frank,
Thanks for the suggestion. Your post made me realize my .LNk (link files) are probably associated with Irfanview. I went to \Options\Properties/Settings...\Extensions\ but could not see how how to break this association since .lnk files are not listed there. i would appreciate any tips on how to do this.
Thanks,
pygymy

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

As Frank said. You change the associations in IrfanView, Properties dialogue, Extensions.

[Frank]

choose between:

• Select all
• Images only
• Clear all

pygymy - it's your selection!

additional you must select the option:
- "Load only associated types while moving through directory"
- or "Load custom file types" in order to exclude some of them

If you select "Clear all" and "Load only associated types while moving through directory" then no format is associated with IrfanView! And you must not be angry!

[pygymy]

Frank, I would like to thank you and Bhikku Pesala for your suggestions. The problem is that just installing Irfanview causes my desktop shortcut icons to change to the irfanview icon. Even after selecting "Images only" and "Load only associated types while moving through directory" and hitting "ok" my desktop icons do not change back to their original form. They change back instantly, however, when I uninstall Irfanview.

[Frank]

Please consider:

• "Select all" and "Load only associated types while moving through directory"
  = all supported formats change to the IrfanView icon
  = only associated types will be loaded while moving through directory with IrfanView
• "Select all" and "Load custom file types"
  = all supported formats change to the IrfanView icon
  = only "custom file types" will be loaded while moving through directory with IrfanView
• "Images only" and "Load only associated types while moving through directory"
  = only all supported image formats change to the IrfanView icon
  = only associated types will be loaded while moving through directory with IrfanView
• "Images only" and "Load custom file types"
  = only all supported image formats change to the IrfanView icon
  = only "custom file types" will be loaded while moving through directory with IrfanView
• "Clear all" and "Load only associated types while moving through directory"
  = nothing change to the IrfanView icon
  = only associated types will be loaded while moving through directory with IrfanView
• "Clear all" and "Load custom file types"
  = nothing change to the IrfanView icon
  = only "custom file types" will be loaded while moving through directory with IrfanView

That's normal!
The question is: Which of these possibilities do you want? (There are only these possibilities!)

Please consider:
If you want to open image files with IrfanView then you must associate image formats with IrfanView!

If you don't like the IrfanView icon see also:
- "Road Kill Cat Icon"
- "icons austauschen"

If you have a problem with the thumbnail preview see also:
- "Can no Longer see Picture icon in Explore (Windows 7)"

See also "Frequently Asked Questions" in the Help in program menu of IrfanView!

[Mij]

Frank, I would like to thank you and Bhikku Pesala for your suggestions. The problem is that just installing Irfanview causes my desktop shortcut icons to change to the irfanview icon. Even after selecting "Images only" and "Load only associated types while moving through directory" and hitting "ok" my desktop icons do not change back to their original form. They change back instantly, however, when I uninstall Irfanview.

What are these desktop shortcuts you are talking about. What program are they shortcuts to?
If you are talking about thumbnails of the image files themselves (jpg, png, gif files etc.) these are not shortcuts and you do not have to have the icon of the associated program. In Windows Explorer just go to Tools, folder options and uncheck "Always show icons never thumbnails".

[orbik]

What are these desktop shortcuts you are talking about. What program are they shortcuts to?
If you are talking about thumbnails of the image files themselves (jpg, png, gif files etc.) these are not shortcuts and you do not have to have the icon of the associated program. In Windows Explorer just go to Tools, folder options and uncheck "Always show icons never thumbnails".

He already said it's his program shortcuts (.lnk files), which are clearly not supposed to be associated with an external program. Also, this sounds more like a problem with windows rather than the IV installer. I'm going to assume Win7 is similar enough to XP, and suggest you check the details of the registry key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk in regedit, before and after installing IrfanView. On my system it has the values: (Default) = "lnkfile", NeverShowExt.

[mwulfe]

Changes all my icons to Irfanview

I have been using IrfanView for many years, and I have installed it on many systems including my home computer with Windows 7-64bit. I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Really.

But I have been trying to install it on my HP Pavillion notebook, also with Windows 7-64, and even when I remove ALL of the file extension associations during installation, every desktop icon turns into the IrfanView icon. It also associates every one of the icons with IrfanView, because when i click on those icons, it starts IrfanView instead of the appropriate software. For example, when I click on the MS Excel icon in the task bar, it opens IrfanView displaying the Excel icon!

I checked the registry, and indeed, virtually every file extension is associated with IrfanView, including EXE. After uninstalling IrfanView these associations are removed from the registry, and all the icons revert to the correct ones.

I have never before had any trouble installing IrfanView, and I would like to continue using it. Can anyone help with this?

Thanks!

[Graham Varney]

Irfanview changes all .lnk link files to its own icon

Irfanview changes all .lnk link files to its own icon as of version 4.32

I am using Win 8 dev preview from 1st release and had Irfanview 4.30 installed but when I upgraded to 4.32 all .lnk files changed to Irfan icon - including the 'quick launch bar' and 'start menu'. If I uninstall 4.32 then everything is OK. BUT ~ BUT ~ when 4.30 is reinstalled the problem is the same, even though it was OK before.

With say, Firefox icon showing Irfanview icon if click upon, brings up Irfanview - not Firefox - with the Irfanview icon showing in Irfanview..

I have used Irfanview (every version on many PC's) since about .98 or something. Many, many years. I know how all the options work. This seems like a REG change you may have accidentally done???

The bottom line is that Irfanview changes ALL .lnk files (which are shortcuts) to its own icon. So how to get Irfanview NOT to do this????

[Wal]

I have been using IrfanView for many years, and I have installed it on many systems including my home computer with Windows 7-64bit. I think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Really.

But I have been trying to install it on my HP Pavillion notebook, also with Windows 7-64, and even when I remove ALL of the file extension associations during installation, every desktop icon turns into the IrfanView icon. It also associates every one of the icons with IrfanView, because when i click on those icons, it starts IrfanView instead of the appropriate software. For example, when I click on the MS Excel icon in the task bar, it opens IrfanView displaying the Excel icon!

I checked the registry, and indeed, virtually every file extension is associated with IrfanView, including EXE. After uninstalling IrfanView these associations are removed from the registry, and all the icons revert to the correct ones.

I have never before had any trouble installing IrfanView, and I would like to continue using it. Can anyone help with this?

Thanks!

Hi I have almost the same problem, in that Irfanview installs properly, but then I want to change the icon in options to the cute chick instead of the splat cat, and THEN all the desktop icons, and taskbar icons, and ALL-Programs icons change to irfanview splat cat icons, and thier associations are then ALL set to open IrfanView. Uninstalling it brings everything back to normal. Yes I use win7-64bit-ultimate. Please fix this !!

[Mij]

There are difficulties in both Vista and Windows 7 with adding and removing associations. You can only do it from within the Irfanview program using the Extensions tab of Options> Properties if you Run the program as Administrator.

You can of course remove associations from the Windows Start menu using Default programs > Associate a file type or protocol with a program but that is rather tedious and you have to associate them with some other program in order to remove them from Irfanview.

As you have discovered you can add or remove associations in bulk by running the Irfanview Installer or Uninstaller respectively. One workaround if you want to Uninstall associations yet leave your Irfanview program in place is to install a second copy of Irfanview using the Installer but not in Program files, in your User or Public areas for instance. Set it to install all the file associations again. You can then immediately Uninstall that copy by running the iv_uninstall.exe file from the folder you put it in and that will remove all the associations while still leaving your original copy of Irfanview intact.