CODEWITHSUNDEEP
iconsdownloadshortcutico
Urbycoz
Urbycoz

Reputation: 7421

Can I use a custom logo for downloaded url files?

My site has an option to download a shortcut (.url) file onto the user's PC by clicking a link. The idea is that users then can save this to their desktop, and use it a shortcut to the site for future visits. (I know it's wacky, but it's what my client wanted.)

I have an icon(.ico) file that I wish to use, but whenever the user downloads the file the icon is not shown.

I've tried opening the URL file in notepad and editing the IconFile value to point to the icon file on the server itself.

[{000214A0-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}]
Prop3=19,2
[InternetShortcut]
URL=http://example.com/
IDList=
HotKey=0
IconFile=http://example.com/favicon.ico
IconIndex=0

However this does not seem to work. Can anyone suggest what might be wrong, or how I can fix it.

Upvotes: 4

Views: 2339

Answers (1)

Wolfgang Kuehn
Wolfgang Kuehn

Reputation: 12936

MS Windows does not load icon files specified with ´IconFile´ from the internet (for security reasons, I guess).

Rather it only loads the ´IconFile´ from

  • local file if the path is a file path, or
  • local web cache if the protocol is http:

You can verify this by navigating Internet Explorer to http://example.com/favicon.ico (now file is in cache) and then refreshing your *.url file (by right-clicking -> Edit -> [Make a fake change])

Now the icon should be displayed. Now clear your IE-cache, refresh *.url file, and the icon is gone (replaced by the icon of the default browser)

So,

  • either your client can tolerate that the default icon is displayed if icon is not cached, or
  • you have to provide a local copy.

Upvotes: 5

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