OS X screwing up icons

Dradts

Official Mac User
Since I updated to OS X 10.1.1, the system often screws up document and folder icons, especially the classic system folder.
It doesn't change the icons, but when I look at them in the finder, some of them are crossed by black lines. Everythings ok again when I restart, but some hours later, the black lined icons reappear. Now I wonder whut the hell this is?!?

Check out my screenshot!
 

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I have seen this problem as well. I just experienced it this afternoon. When I restarted the computer, everything was fine. There appears to be no explanation for this - but it perhaps is not anything serious since restarting corrects it. I'm curious if there is anything more on this.

I am also having a strange issue with my test drive of Microsoft Word X. The Icons for documents appear to be tattered and messed up - while the actual application's icon has turned blackish. That change has also occurred with Microsoft Word '98 on my computer. The icons are not as they should appear, it seems. I have downloaded lots of software recently, including tools for learning Applescript - though I also run Norton's Anti-virus beta. No sign of a virus, though there appears to be an invisible file on my desktop called "Icon?" I can't tell what kind of file it is, though I have tried in Terminal.

Anyway, I'm concerned now about the issue of viruses and software like I wasn't previously. Also, because OS X has invisible files of importance, and there is no ready resource on this - it becomes a bit troublesome to know whether I can delete files such as "Icon?" above. Any thoughts or suggestions? It seems we now have a large number of issues managing our computers that we didn't have previously. OS X is great - but there is a serious lack of information to resolve some of these issues for novice users of a Unix based system. With invisible files, the challenge becomes knowing what is integral to OS X and what is not supposed to be there.
 
Seems to me like its M$' fault that the icons get messed up. The first time i saw the black striped icons wuz after having installed Office v. X.

I found out that theres an easy way to get the "not messed up icons" (nmui) back: Open the Info-Box, select the file with the messed up icon, copy it, paste it, and then cut it out again. After this procedure, the nmui should be back :D
 
Funny you should include a image of LimeWire along with the messed up folder. I heard there was a virus floating around on the Gnutella network however I believe it only messed with windows....
 
I would not be surprised if it were a virus. However, I've run the beta version of Norton's anti-virus software - which should be up-to-date you'd think. I've found no sign of a virus. And the Word test drive was downloaded from Microsoft directly. I think that the tattered word document icons are actually caused by Microsoft's test drive - when you go back to the a previous version - which I had to do to print. I think it's their way of trying to make you upgrade. Likewise, when I tried to convert all the documents that had somehow been converted to open only with the NEW word (which expired Dec 31) - I found that somehow M$ had made it seem that it was not possible to select the old version or change all documents to open in the old version (in the Get Info box). However, the appearance was deceptive - as after deleting the test drive Word and what appeared to be a strangely unsuccessful attempt to change the default application on one document - my word documents are being opened by the old version. I'm going to upgrade eventually - but it's stuff like that that really irritates me with M$.
 
I don't think that its a virus. Im always logged in as user without any permissions. So how should a virus get the permission to change my icons? Some days ago, even my OS X HD icon got messed up by the black stripes. N as far as I know, changing the HD Icon is only possible for root/admin users. So how should a virus do this?
 
That happened to me, but only after I had edited the HIToolbox.rsrc file to change my default icons.... only happened on a few folders and on a CD icon when you insert a CD. To fix it, I got iconographer and regenerated the masks on the affected icons and it went away, dunno if that'll help or not - but it worked for me. :)
 
This isn't an MS problem - I get this occasionally and I don't have Word Test Drive or Office X installed.

It also isn't a virus - on the remote possibility that it was, I scanned my drive. Nothing found.

Finally, I have in the past changed my default icons, but this problem doesn't always show up. Sometimes when I create a new window the Library folder has lines through it, other times it doesn't.

The answer seems to be this is a bug in OS X. I am running 10.1.2.
 
Actually, the tattered icons representing Word documents that were opened in Word test drive, and then subsequently worked on in a previous version of Word (Word '98) appears to be by design. It's not a "problem" - it's just an ugly reminder from Microsoft that you haven't updated. It does not happen with old documents never opened in Word test drive - only with documents that were worked on in test drive and then were subsequently opened in Word '98. I'm sure this is by design - it's not a virus - though it makes one feel like there is a virus on the machine - given the ugly icons suddenly on the desktop - courtesy of M$.

This issue is separate and distinct from the issue regarding the striped folders. I have only ever run 10.1 and it's updates on my computer. I haven't experienced this problem in a for a few weeks now. I'm not sure what caused it or what may have repaired it.
 
its just a bug...it isnt a virus and it isnt caused by any microsoft product...you guys need to stop with the conspiracy theories...

I think it should be fixed by or with 10.2...it has happened to me, and yes it is pretty annoying
 
:eek: They better should fix it! Otherwise I will regard OS X as being a sucking system and will move over to Microsoft Windows, where everything is just as colorful as in OS X and where the Icons don't get messed up by Microsoft products. ;) jk!!!!
 
WordTDIconComp.jpg


If you can't see the icons, scroll right. (FN1)

I hate it when thread participants throw around that phrase "conspiracy theory". You need to read what people write carefully. They may have something to say that is actually not within your experience or knowledge.

As you can see from the attached .jpg, depending upon how it shows up on this board, the difference in the icons is both provided by design and is different. There is a clear difference between documents that were never opened in Word Test Drive and those that have only ever been opened in Word '98. In addition, the torn edges of the icon on the Word Test Drive icons only appear after you've opened them in Word '98. If you stay entirely in the up-to-date word or in Word test drive, the edges are smooth - not tattered. (I didn't have an example of this icon anymore.) I typically have an image on my desktop with lots of black in it - and the tattered edges are very very ugly in that context. It is annoying that M$ decided on this means to goad people into updating the softwware. As I said above - I intend to. But this kind of tactic just pisses me off and slows down my resolve to do so.

FN1: Yahoo seems unreliable about letting images link this way. It works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. Reload the image if it doesn't load. It does load sometimes. You can also download the image to your desktop if Yahoo won't display it. I'd post the link to the image directly, but Yahoo seems not to let that work either - for some reason. Yahoo would lose ad revenue if people could upload their images and do this, apparently.
 
This graphical glitch Maximus has just posted is different from the one that started this thread (as seen by the first screen shot). Mine matches that of the first. I'd have to agree with him though that these are separate issues, just seems that the two are being confused into one thread.
 
Originally posted by Dradts
Since I updated to OS X 10.1.1, the system often screws up document and folder icons, especially the classic system folder.
It doesn't change the icons, but when I look at them in the finder, some of them are crossed by black lines. Everythings ok again when I restart, but some hours later, the black lined icons reappear. Now I wonder whut the hell this is?!?

Check out my screenshot!

Happens to me too!
 
I deleted my custom harddisk icons this week, and now the problem with the black lined icons seems to be gone...
 
People have been spreading the word that microsofts products were messing up icons, and as evidenced by your screenie, that is true. In addition, I must say that the gui bug that that this thread is discussing is not caused by a) the same problem as yours, and b) that it was not a virus. Its just a bug. Hopefully it will soon be resolved. I would suggest to you Maximus, that you send your picture to Microsoft Mac Support, and to you Dradts, that you report this problem to Apple support.
 
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