From: Simon H. <sho...@co...> - 2003-06-26 08:04:00
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Stuart Gall wrote: > > The .AppleDesktop directory will be populated whith application *mappings* > > and icons (to display generic icons for files that do not have the 'custom >> icon' flag set). >On a mac if you hold down option (or is it apple + option ?) while >it is booting it will rebuild the "desktop file" >I am not sure if it can be persuaded to do this on a share, or >indeed if the Apple Desktop File is the same as the .AppleDesktop. > >So I figured the mac could reconstruct the file. Only to a point. If you copy an application to a volume, it's type/creator and icon information will be added to the desktop database. I also suspect that if you copy a document then it's associated info will be copied if it doesn't already exist. So over a period of time, the desktop database builds up a library of application/type/creator/icon data. If you force a desktop db rebuild this is thrown away, and the Mac then searches it's disks for applications (or more precisely files with the right bundle resources) and copies the application/type/creator/icon info to the new desktop db. If you now longer have an application on your machine, then any documents created by it will lose their icons and appear as generic document icons because you have thrown away the information needed to display the correct icon. As an aside, and for correctness. At one time, finder comments (the comments field you can see when you 'get info' on a file) were also stored in the desktop file and thrown away with a desktop rebuild. Some time ago this was fixed, I think they are still stored in the desktop db, but they are retained by a rebuild (but not if you delete the files). Simon -- Simon Hobson, Technology Specialist Colony Gift Corporation Limited Lindal in Furness, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0LD Tel 01229 461100, Fax 01229 461101 Registered in England No. 1499611 Regd. Office : 100 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6JA. |