Folder Icons and the $OEM$ folder

[cumminbk]

For my unatteded install i have a folder that is copied from my cd to my C:\ drive. This folder contains setup .exes for a bunch of progams that i install after windows installation is complete. I changed the folder icons to a different one other that the default (though the icon i change to is in the shell32.dll icon list). However after install the icons that i have changed are reverted back to the default folder icons.

The folders have the Desktop.ini file in them with this info which is created when the icon is changed.

[.ShellClassInfo]

IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll

IconIndex=212

Why does the icon revert back to the default folder icon. Also during 1 trial run with virtual pc 1 of my folders it keep the folder icon settings i had changed but the other didn't. I found this very confusing.

Please help me with any sugestions.

PS. I would also like to create a folder called My Papers in the My Documents directory. I would like this folder to have the icon of the folder with the papers sticking out of it. (Like the My Documents folder)

Thank you for any help you can provide.

[markg85]

hmm.. i don`t know if this helps you much but well.. this is how i should do it:

on the installation cd make a $OEM$ structure like this:

$OEM$\$$\System32

or

$OEM$

|-$$

|--System32

and place the file SHELL32.dll (the one you edited ofcause!! not the default one) in System32. it should just work fine.

good luck

[cumminbk]

acctually i am useing the dafault shell32.dll file to get my icons from. I am not using any custom or hacked file. That is why it is confusing me cuz the file is already copied to the system32 directory. All i want is the ablility to create a desktop.ini file (which is a hidden system file) and copy that into any folder and that will cause the folders icon to change to the one i have specified in my desktop.ini file. If i use the desktop.ini file that is created automaticly when i change a folder icon's pic by right clicking the folder going to properties -> custimize -> change icon. and i copy that created desktop.ini file out of the folder then the folder icon goes to default. If i place it back into the folder that icon changes to what i want. However if i make the icon myself (with the extact same settings as the desktop.ini file automaticly created had, rather than rightclicking the file my 'handmade" desktop.ini file had no effect!! WHY?

[Yzöwl]

No idea either, I've had very similar results myself!

So far the only working solution I have found is to create the folder, properties => customize => change icon, then rar the folder. Unrar to your desired location worked every time!

Just as a test, unrar this, and see if it works.

My_Papers.rar

[Justin-Credible]

To get a folder icon to work I've always had to:

Make the desktop.ini with the information you posted

Make it a hidden + system file

Make the folder itself a system file

You can make the folder a system file by using the attrib command in a command prompt:

attrib "My Folder" +s

I've found that if the folder does not have the system attribute it will not show the icon specified in the desktop.ini file. Hope this helps.

[cumminbk]

Yes the ATTRIB +S command worked!!! I called it with a batch file at the 9min stage of setup. i just did:

ATTRIB +S "%systemdrive%\...path of folder"

However i have noticed a side effect. all the icons on the desktop now are highlighted (the text under the icon: ie My Computer, Recycle Bin ect.) Very annoying i will have to tinker with this to see if i can prevent this from happening again. Even after i restart my computer the icon names are still highlighted. Still...

Thanks for all your help!!!

[Yzöwl]

Using the attrib command does seem to work too.

The rarred folder I used has 'read only' and 'folder' status, whereas your method gives it 'system' and 'folder' status.

Any of you customization guys willing to explain a proper method?

[cumminbk]

Yes i have looked into the ATTRIB command more and if we had +H and +R it will be hidden and read only.

FIRST

ATTRIB +S "%systemdrive%\...folder path"

THEN

ATTRIB +H +R "%systemdrive%\...desktop.ini path"

I test this and it gave me what i wanted. before the desktop.ini file was not hidden or read only.

Let me know if it works for you too.