icon not displaying, but only for certain files...

Florio · 29 Mar 2016

I doubt that anyone will be able to help me, but thought I'd ask anyway...

My problem involves the music notation software Finale, version 2012. When using Windows Explorer, the standard Finale icon displays for .bak files (backup copies) but not for the proper notation files (.mus, or Finale auto-saved files), all of which have an empty, white icon.

I've tried rebuilding the icon cache, but there is no change. Finale is the default (and only) program on my PC for notating music.

This problem must have sprung up over the past few days (didn't notice immediately), but I have not installed new software etc.

All suggestions enthusiastically received!

dalchina · 02 Apr 2016

Hi, basic question.. if you double click .mus files do they open in Finale?
If not, set the default via Settings, Open With (making sure you tick the box!) or Control Panel, Default Programs.

If they do, and no icon as you say, try (e.g.) this freeware program.

Double clicking on an extension allows you to change the icon, so you can extract the icon from Finale using Resource Hacker, for example, or choose something you'll recognise, browse to the icon from Filetypesman and see if that works.

Florio · 02 Apr 2016

Thanks for your reply, dalchina. Your solution (and using Filetypesman) solved the problem.
I've since discovered that this is somehow related to permission issues; clicking on the .mus files did in fact open them, but an annoying upgrade reminder appeared on screen (I'd recently managed to get rid of this message by asking Finale to always be run with administrator privileges). The icons seemed to have disappeared after that, but at the time I didn't associate the two issues.
Anyway, for the moment the icons are back, and the upgrade reminder hasn't come up again.

dalchina · 02 Apr 2016

Great- sometimes things work out ok.