Desktop icon of moved or deleted file reappears after scale change

Farvatten · 15 Aug 2020

I'm seeing this on both 2004 machines.

Easy to replicate:

1. Move or Copy a file onto the Desktop
2. Move or Delete the file from the Desktop
3. Change Display scale
4. Zombie file icon appears
5. Change Display scale back
6. Zombie file icon remains

Easily removed with a screen refresh, or after a few minutes of activity, either before or after the scale change, it eventually cleans itself up.

And as the red Display Setting warning states, "Some apps won't respond to scaling changes until you close and reopen them", which apparently also means Explorer.exe.

Harmless bug really, one I won't loose any sleep over, but I know other members here challenged by sight issues will bump up the Display % at times from what's 'Recommended' and might run into this. I don't remember seeing it in older builds.

dalchina · 15 Aug 2020

Hmm.. 2 different PCs - doesn't happen on my 1903.

Tried CTRL scroll too - still no ill-effect (1903).

So perhaps a 2004 issue...?

Farvatten · 01 Oct 2020

Changing the desktop Icon size with Ctrl- Mouse Wheel also creates the desktop Zombie file
Easy to replicate:

1. Move or Copy a file onto the Desktop
2. Move or Delete the file from the Desktop
3. Change Icon size with Ctrl-Mouse Wheel
4. Zombie file icon appears
5. Change Icon size back
6. Zombie file icon remains

Easily removed with a screen refresh.

hepme · 27 Oct 2020

Ok, i see now. Just tried that and it did happen and disappear with refresh. But i never change icon size so something else causes it. I get that u r saying that just as a test, but i wonder what is causing it other then changing icon size. Anyways no big deal. For now on i can just refresh and it's gone. Thanks.

Farvatten · 27 Oct 2020

hepme said:

Ok, i see now. Just tried that and it did happen and disappear with refresh. But i never change icon size so something else causes it. I get that u r saying that just as a test, but i wonder what is causing it other then changing icon size. Anyways no big deal. For now on i can just refresh and it's gone. Thanks.

I'm not a gamer.. but I've always suspected that it happens when games change screen scaling.

I think this started with the 2004 release.

And there appears to be a Windows cleanup process that does it eventually. So it depends on how long it's been since you deleted or moved the file. Seems like there's a ten minute widow when it can happen that I'd noticed when I first was looking into this issue for confirmation between my two different platforms

Yea, it's more weird then troublesome once you realize it's just a 'refresh' issue.

And these refresh issues have been around for a while now, but I swear I've been seeing more of these desktop and explorer stale image issues that require a 'bounce' of explorer.exe recently.

It's gotten to the point I've installed a shortcut to 'restart explorer.exe' on my start menu.