After installing Office 2003 I found that Outlook does not have an icon like
it used to on the desktop. The one I have on there now is strictly a
shortcut. Is there a way to make a functional icon like it had in previous
versions?
Hmm, when I installed OF11 the OL icon on the Desktop was just as you
request. I subsequently deleted it. I found it can be restored with good
old TweakUI (<
http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp>)
on its Desktop tab, albeit with an unfamiliar icon.
Investigation in the registry showed this key had been created:
(1) HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
with a default value of the name of the shortcut and a subkey
(2) HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\DefaultIcon
with the default value of C:\Program Files\Outlook Express\msimn.exe,0
probably because the key
(3) HKCR\CLSID\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}\DefaultIcon
contained that as a default value, too, or because the equivalent key
of (2) in (4) HKLM contained that default value.
Anyway, changing the default value of (2) to
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\OUTLOOK.EXE,0
and hitting F5 on the Desktop produced the familiar Outlook icon.
I didn't bother to change the default values of (3) or (4).
I think the whole things pivots around
(5) HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace\{00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Interestingly, deleting that just created OL icon from the desktop
created an entry
(6) HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu
with the name of {00020D75-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
and a value of DWORD:0. That's (6) how the shell remembers these things.
Summary: it seems that in addition to LNK shortcuts there are shortcuts
without any representation in the filesystem, but generated by the shell
(Explorer) from a NameSpace (see (5)); the Recycle Bin icon behaves similarly.
But, as the name of (5) suggests, they can only exist on the Desktop.
What I would like to know is what kind of shortcuts are those where the
Target box is greyed out. These appear as LNK files, but can be a bit pesky.
E.g. how do you recreate them if you lose one?
Anyway, I hope that answers your question
