My Pictures folder problem

I did a clean install of 2000 W/ SP4. Have a little problem with My Documents > My Pictures folder. Instead of a folder it shows a window icon (windows flag). When I click on icon it will bring up my photos. The thing is if you click on a .gif file and it brings it up in the lower left corner box it does not have any movement. When I had ME installed it did have movement. If I bring the .gif file up in Internet Explorer or IrfanView it has the movement. Is there a way to fix My Pictures so that it shows as a folder and .gif files will work when clicked on in the My Pictures folder?

 

The thing is if you click on a .gif file and it brings it up in the lower left corner box it does not have any movement.

Sorry Russ but this one has me confused. Typical behavior I can recall (and what happens on my XP-Pro system) is that you get a displayed listing of files in whatever form you've chosen (list, details, thumbnails, whatever) with thumbnails not showing any animation. A 'preview' will show animation on gif files that have it but not sure what your 'lower left corner box' refers to or if you even meant you were selecting preview.

I get the feeling that I'm missing something here though - maybe the settings you use are some I've never tried.

The icon part - first thing I'd try is deleting the shelliconcache file and letting the system re-create it. Note that it's a hidden file so you'll need to set to show the hidden stuff to see it. Also note that I've seen internet discussions that indicate some 2K systems appear to have the Iconcache.db file that is standard on XP rather than the shelliconcache file that was standard on early 2K versions. But you should have one or the other.

TweakUI is known to damage the icon cache on occasion and other times it just seems to get corrupted without any help.

 

Newt,
Thank you for your reply. I went and found the shelliconcache file and deleted it. Then did a reboot. Went back and checked My Pictures still had the file show with the windows flag. I have My Pictures setup under view as thumbnails. I understand what you are saying how XP works as I have that on another computer and my .gif file do have movement. The box I am talking about is on the lower left side (image preview box). Just under the information it has about the photo you clicked on. When you click on a thumbnail the photo is shows up in the image preview box. Once the photo shows up in that box you can then zoom in or out, print it and bring it up full screen. Even if I click on it to bring it up full screen there is no movement. To do a test I even made a folder on the desktop and put some .gif files in it. Then customized the folder to add image preview to it. That didn’t work either. It’s like image preview is not treating it as a .gif file. Is there some way to get image preview to show movement in .gif files as it did when I was using Win ME? I can live with the My Pictures not showing as a folder. I even found a work around for the other problem if there is no fix. I just right click and have the .gif file open in I.E. and then to see another I can drag into I.E

 

Russ - I was finally able to get to a 2K machine and I see what you meant. Very different behavior for My Pictures than with XP. Wonder how I'd missed that when I was running 2K at home and at work. Hmmmm.

I did some searching and found that the 2K preview pane will only display the first frame of an animated .gif file so no motion. No idea why they limited it that way but what you are seeing (or not seeing) is 'normal' behavior.

 

Newt ,
Thanks again. I guess MS improved on image preview when they came out later with ME & XP to let it run the whole a animated .gif file instead of just the first frame.