Does anyone know why I (and daughter) are suddenly having blue squares with 2 white arrows on them half covering picture icons. I can only suppose it is the fault of an update of some sort. Thanks Zante.

Can you post a screenshot showing the problem?

Hi Mike - I have just discovered I also have green squares! The pictures/photos open OK - these are the little icons. I have Vista Home Premium and Firefox. I use Irfan View and both coloured squared pictures open in Irfan View. It's just a nuisance when I am trying to see what the picture actually is before opening it Thanks, Zante.

Does this fix it?


* Click the Start orb, type folder options in the Start Search box, and press the Enter key
* Select the View tab
* In the Advanced settings window, underneath Files and Folders, make sure that Always show icons, never thumbnails is not checked. If there is a check in the box next to it, uncheck it by clicking on the check mark.
* Press OK

Looks to me like some sort of other program has become the default for viewing/playing images ?

Have you installed a new program recently for making slide shows or for managing or editing imges?

* Click the Start orb, type folder options in the Start Search box, and press the Enter key
* Select the View tab
* In the Advanced settings window, underneath Files and Folders, make sure that Always show icons, never thumbnails is not checked. If there is a check in the box next to it, uncheck it by clicking on the check mark.
* Press OK

That was done Dave (although I had to go through control panel and files and folders).

Looks to me like some sort of other program has become the default for viewing/playing images ?

Have you installed a new program recently for making slide shows or for managing or editing imges?

The only changes that we have both made that I know of is to upgrade Norton 360 to its suggested new 360 3 I think it is.

I have discovered that the ones with the green squares on them are photos and the ones with the blue squares are pictures from online, email etc. Don't know if that gives any clues. I don't do a lot of downloading pictures from offline and haven't just lately.

The pictures and photos open up OK it's just a nuisance when you are trying to see from the little icon what the picture is and if it is the one you want to open without actually doing it because the squars covers half of the icon.

and Irfan View is set as the default and it opens everything it is supposed to. I have used Irfan View for yonks.

Don't know if any of the above is of a hlep to you. Zante.

Can you tell me where you are veiwing these images with the blue or green icons on them?

Example, although your default image editor/viewer is Irfanview, is the screenshot above taken from within Irfanview or is that taken from within windows explorer (when we click start/pictures and we just look at the thumbnails from within their folders .... when we double click them it is then they open in their default program)

If this is a view within Irfanview then I would go through Irfanviews options and settings and see if there is anything that sorts files in this way, or lets you view them like this.
Perhaps swap some settings around and see what results you get (make a note of how it was set if you want to revert back and leave it as it was).

If this shot is taken from Windows Explorer then at the moment I am stumped ... I've checked through Windows Gallery and don't see anything .... unless Windows Live Gallery is installed and somebody can confirm this as a possible link

We have had Live Essentials update recently which was an Optional update I think (I've not installed it) ... ?

I was wondering if you have inadvertantly selected the files for a slideshow from within Irfanview or something along those lines .... I shall investigate further tomorrow lol as I like a challenge

It's what I would call an "icon overlay" if you want to have a google ... vista displaying icon overlays on image files ..... something along those lines.

I think I have found the answer!!

Do you use the Norton 360 feature of being able to backup files?

I think the overlay is from that ... kind of an indicator to what has been backed up or awaiting backup.


<BLOCKQUOTE>
A check in a green box means the file’s backup is current, while a chevron (») character in a blue box indicates a file that’s been changed since its last backup. Files excluded from the backup set display a slash in a gray box.</BLOCKQUOTE>
If you don’t need the backup indicators feature you can turn it off by clicking Settings in the Norton 360 main window, disabling the Backup Status Indicators check box and clicking Close.



Have a read of this:

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/green-tick-or-blue-arrows-icon-overlay-displayed-for-files-in-windows-explorer/

Nice bit of detective work there Anne. I had given up on searching for a cause, none of the search terms I used came up with anything. I even tried searching on images.

I was searching only images to begin with Dave and then my first go using the terms I recommended to Zante brought up the result .

To be honest I didn't think I was going to find something that easy!

I was side tracked by the overlay being present on image files only, but it must be that Zante has chosen to back up those particular file types.

Hi, been very busy the last couple of days! Tired now but will try all of the above tomorrow and get back to you. Thanks so much for all the work you have been doing on my behalf. Zante

You're welcome Zante

Anne - you are a genius! I have disabled backup status indicator in Norton and - Hey presto or words to that effect! that has fixed the problem.

I wouldn't have thought to look into my security program to fix an image problem. Although now I come to think of it I did mention that that was the only thing I could think of that daughter and I had done - that is do the upgrade for Norton! Which brings me to think that when asking for help on forums one must give all the clues they can even if they don't seem to have any relevance!

It always amazes me how many things that one is able to learn in the world of computing - not just with the computer itself - but the problems/puzzles all the different programs give as well!


Well it doesn't amaze me how much I learn because I don't know all that much to begin with

Anyway Anne you are my hero guru! That is the closest I can get to bowing down to a star, Zante

A hero guru eh ... lol

I'm far from a guru me Zante ..... there's plenty to do with computing that I don't have a clue about.

Your post here, I'm sure, will help loads of others who are wondering about these green and blue box overlay icons .
I am a Norton 360 user myself but don't use its backup feature. The option to have these overlays was brought in with version 2 but it's possible that when you upgraded to version 3 this setting to display the overlay indicators was checked by default ... or perhaps you checked the box this time and hadn't in version 2.

Anyway ... alls well that ends well ! ..... strange saying that, my Mum always used to say it