Why is my Firefox Start menu icon changed to a blank blue?
I use W8.1. My Firefox icon on the Start screen used to be a medium-sized icon picture of the normal orange Firefox. Now it has changed to a blank blue icon just like the color IE uses. When I click on it, Firefox launches normally. It was positioned next to the IE icon, because I group my browsers together. On a hunch, I 'unpinned' the IE icon from the Start screen. It disappeared, and so did the blank blue Firefox icon. The correctly-colored Firefox icon remains on the "desktop" toolbar. This happened after I installed the latest version of FF, that is, it appeared normally for many weeks before changing.
All Replies (7)
Did you try if it is possible to change the icon via the right-click context menu in the Properties?
Modified by cor-el
The icon that is on the start screen is a blank blue, just like the color of the IE icon background. When I right-click on it, I have a choice to go to the file location. There, the icon is the normal FF one.
What is odd behavior to me, is that when I saw this first appear, in the browsers group that I created on the Start Screen, the blank FF icon and the normal IE icon were side-by-side, as I has originally set this group up.
Just on a hunch, I unpinned the normal IE icon from the Start screen; both it and the false FF one disappeared at the same time.
When I went to the Apps screen, the Firefox and Mozilla group is gone altogether, yet when I search for the FF executable, it is where it is supposed to be.
I was able to re-pin it to the Start screen, but it is still flawed. Using right-click on the FF executable, I get no choice to change icon.
It is almost as if Microsoft is sabotaging the FF setup...I know, it seems fanciful, but they are now linked somehow.
Can you take a screenshot of that?
Once you've done this, attach the saved screenshot file to your forum post by clicking the Browse... button below the Post your reply box.
Sometimes a problem with Firefox may be a result of malware installed on your computer, that you may not be aware of.
You can try these free programs to scan for malware, which work with your existing antivirus software:
- Microsoft Safety Scanner
- MalwareBytes' Anti-Malware
- TDSSKiller - AntiRootkit Utility
- Hitman Pro
- ESET Online Scanner
Microsoft Security Essentials is a good permanent antivirus for Windows 7/Vista/XP if you don't already have one.
Further information can be found in the Troubleshoot Firefox issues caused by malware article.
The icon that represents FF is the blue, blank one in the third group from the left of the screen, just to the right of the TOR browser icon. When clicked, FF loads normally.
It is the same color as the background of the IE icon (which is not present here; I do not use IE).
You're using Firefox 29 which is the beta version of Firefox. Just to let you know, 28 is the current release to the public. Did you mean to jump over the beta channel?
You could try to right click that icon, then at the bottom, click Open file location and follow cor-el's response
Yes, I am aware that this is a beta version, but this does not seem to be a beta FF problem; this issue occurred many days after I updated to 29, it only started a few days ago, and I have not made any system changes since the the icon shifted to a blank one.
Well, I say that, but I did upgrade Malwarebytes Pro to version two about the same time. I just can't say, with certainty, that it is a coincident change.
Windows may have done an update in the meantime, though. That is what I suspect has caused the problem. I am on automatic updates.
Many of the system changes that occur are invisible to the user, or unknowable.
I have this problem also is there not a fix for it