Excel: 2.20 File Icons Turning into Generic Document Icons

SUMMARY

When installing Excel version 2.20 to a hard-disk volume, the existing icons of the version 2.20 worksheets, macro files, and charts may turn into "generic" document icons instead of a normal Excel icons.

This problem occurs because Excel 2.20 has the same application bundle ID as earlier versions. This is required for the later version of Excel to load files created in earlier versions by double-clicking the documents. Excel has no way to tell the desktop which version to use in drawing document icons. Because the new icons are not contained in the resources for the earlier versions, all Excel 2.20 documents are drawn as blank icons if the system uses the earlier version in building the desktop.

The following steps ensure the proper display of the file icons:

1. Remove any older version of Excel from the volume containing the Excel files.

2. Restart the Macintosh while holding down the COMMAND and OPTION keys to rebuild the Desktop file. When a dialog box appears asking for confirmation to rebuild the Desktop file, release the two keys and click OK.

1. Boot the computer under Finder (not MultiFinder).

2. Hold down the COMMAND and OPTION keys.

3. Insert the disk and continue to hold down the keys.

4. When the message appears asking to rebuild the desktop, release the two keys and click OK.