error in desktop shortcuts

Hello,
I have a system running Win98SE. I recently encountered a problem where, quite randomly (generally after doing work in any program, or sometimes, after installing something-I am not sure what triggers it), I get an additional little fragment of another icon, like a little box, attatched to the lower left corner of my desktop icons. It does not obscure the original icons, which work fine-but it is more of an annoyance. It can be attatched to program shortcuts, or to other shortcuts on the desktop pointing to to a particular folder, a drive, or a device such as a scanner. Default Windows icons, such as Exporer, Network or, MyComputer, etc. do not have the problem.
For example, I have a shortcut say to AOL. I also have a shortcut to TurboTax on my desktop. To the lower left of the AOL icon, there will be the fragment of the TTax icon, attached like a little square fragment of the larger TTax icon. It appears as a small square of the lower left hand corner of the larger icon being attached to the shortcut. IN FACT, IN REPLACES THE LITTLE BOX WITH THE SHORTCUT ARROW IN IT, WITH THE FRAGMENT FROM THE OTHER ICON. When it appears, it appears on all the icons, except, as I said, the default Win98 icons. It will be a sample of the same icon, attached to all the correct ones, and it varies which shortcut it represents.
Restarting the computer refreshes the desktop apppropritely, and, as I said, there is no problem with activating the shortcuts, even when this appers. I did a search, and this is not the same problem that has been reported with duplicate shortcuts to the same program appearing. There are no mulitple users on this system.
I make whole disc images of my systems, as I build and change them. I always try to keep them squeaky clean between images, so I do not have to go back and reinstall Windows and original software to create a base image again. This problem found its way into my system about two images back, and I would like to clean it up so it does not carry forth as I make some new additions to the system. I do not know what triggered it. It does not appear to be a virus.
Two caveats. I did noticed the program icon for Microsoft Outlook (not Express, but the from MSPro), incorrectly was addressing an old dialup shortuct that does not exist. I deleted this a created a new shortcut to that program. Also, there was one folder on my desktop that actually referenced shortcuts to other programs of a similar nature. This folder was created on the desktop, and consequently resided in C:\Windows\desktop.
I moved this folder to another drive, and created a shortcut to the folder itself on the desktop. I do not know if these things will have any effect.
Is there any merit in just periodlically deleting all shortcuts on the desktop, and recreating them?
One last option, I have a couple of shortcuts to multiple drives. The drive letters these point to get shuffled when I insert or remove a removable drive in a installed IDE removable drive bay I have in the system. This would seem normal, but I wonder if it could cause this anamaly with the shortcuts?

Anybody come accross this?

AMMENDMENT: I just logged off, did some work in changing my password to this board, and then noticed the problem reappeared. Two important observations:
1.) The fragment of the misplaced shortcut covers the 'arrow' (is about the same size), of the shortcuts, and it appears in this case, it is not from another icon on the desktop. IN FACT, AFTER REFRESHING THE DESKTOP AFTER A RESTART, I SEE IT EXACTLY REPLACES THE LITTLE BOX WITH THE SHORTCUT ARROW!
2.) When this occurs, it affects all shortcuts in the system-even if on other drives, with the same duplication of the fragment.

Milt

 

Search the drive for a file named shelliconcache and delete. Reboot.

 

I did the search, found the file, and deleted it. Will wait to see if that resolves it. Thanks.

BTW, I did a search for the file again, after rebooting. Does it not recreate itself? If not, is it not a necessary file? It is evidently somekind of cache for icons?

 

Yes it will rebuild itself.

 

Dave,
I deleted the shelliconcache file, rebooted, and have not seen any of the problems. After searching more on this sight, I downloaded the Tweakui utility and ran that. Only problem is, after rebooting several times, I still do not find the shelliconcache file in a file search. Is it not being recreated, or what? I have all files to be shown option enabled-and have checked my typing several times. No shelliconcache?
Question: If I restored a previous disk image, which contained the old shellicone cache file, and ran the Tweakui-would that utility just rebuild the cache, or does it still need to be recreated?
Can the cache just be expanded in the registry, if that is the problem.

Milt

 

Nevermind guys,
The Shelliconcache file is back. It came back after I deleted it permanently from the recycle bin? But could it have been related to using the Tweakui utility. Anyway, I am experimenting at this point, when I restore a previous image and fix this permanently,
should I delete the file, just run the Tweakui utility, or do both.

Milt

 

No need to do either after image restore unless you have a similar problem. If you're going to use tweakui anyway, I see no need to delete the file also. Not for sure but using tweakui probably does basically the same thing and only saves you searching for it.

 

Actually, it was my awareness that the problem went back a couple of images before that prompted this. Soooo, when I restore the image, it will be there, and I will fix it. Thanks for all your help. I see this is a common problem.
Milt

 

Glad I could help.