Stopping my image viewer from taking over my icons

Pipe Dreamer

I installed Irfanview recently based on the recommendations of my friends, and soon realized that the software had replaced all my image file icons with its own (hideous) icon.

I figured it was no biggie and went to change the icons back... only to find out that the functionality was somehow disabled. I am able to change the icon for .jpg files only if I change the file association back to Windows's default viewer, but once I change the association to Irfanview the icon automatically jumps back to its own icon. And then I can't change it.

Is there any way to change those icons back without doing some sort of direct registry edit? I'm on Windows XP. I mean, I like the software from what I've used of it, but that... thing is just a dealbreaker.

I find it rather ironic that a piece of software everybody suggests for making .ico files will actually prevent you from actually customizing your icons o_O

rfalias

direct registry edit

Is the exact way you change the icons for it.


If you get inclined to do it...
Start, Run, CMD
Type:
Assoc .jpg

Remember the name it gives, I don't use irfanview so I'm not sure what it's called in the registry. Something like irfanview.something.something
We will use .doc as an example:
assoc outputs "Word.Document.8"

Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.8

Expand the tree, and there should be another key that says "DefaultIcon".

The value "(Default)" Will have the path for the icon. Replace it with your own icon.
Mine currently says "C:\WINDOWS\Installer\{90110409-6000-11D3-8CFE-0150048383C9}\wordicon.exe,1"
You could just replace it with an ICO file, or an existing EXE file or what ever.

SkyCaptain

Or you could try holding down shift and right clicking on an image file, select Open With and then select the windows viewer as the default program to use.

rfalias

SkyCaptain wrote: »

Or you could try holding down shift and right clicking on an image file, select Open With and then select the windows viewer as the default program to use.

Was under the impression he still wanted irfanview to be default