After install task bar items have dissapeared

Question

Since updating Firefox to Version 8, as the updated version loaded my task ber icons have lost the associations and now appear as a whie unknown file typr icon.

Answer 1

Understand the problem is your Windows 7 icons are messed up at least for MS Office, view is from selecting "All programs" from the Windows Start. It seems a bit far-fetched that Firefox would have changed icons on other applications, and to have dropped all of them in Office at once. If I understand correctly the Office applications all work and show up separately on the Windows Task Bar, but they have a generic application icon. Does it affect more than Office. Does this loss of the correct icon affect programs directly on the Start Menu and/or desk top and/or the Quick Launch.
It's been 4 days since you first posted. If you haven't rebooted your system since you had the problem, would you try that.
Looks like a solution here:
:Rebuild icon cache in Windows 7
:http://www.trishtech.com/win7/rebuild_icons_cache_in_windows_7.php
If the problem recurs:
:Icons randomly change to different icons:
:http://support.microsoft.com/kb/132668
Separate problem, looks to me like you are pinning tasks to Windows Task Bar, because Windows 7 hid the Quick Launch. You can still use Quick Launch and have folders within it.
See item #12 in my page on [http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/win7.htm#steps Windows 7 Home Premium] within (#steps)
* item #12 -- Restore <b>Quick Launch</b> to Win7 [[http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/888-quick-launch-enable-disable.html Quick Launch - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Forums]] [[http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/w7.html W7 links]], and get rid of Quick Launch Title, move things around -- right-click on empty area in Quick Launch -&gt; (uncheck) "Show Title" and (uncheck) "Show Text" then in properties on Taskbar (tab) "Show small icons".
**http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/win7.htm
**http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/windows-7/win7.htm#restorequicklaunch
**http://dmcritchie.mvps.org/icons/win7_quicklaunch_large.png
If you don't like the order applications open up on the Windows Task Bar you can drag to rearrange the order. Items within the Quick Launch can be sorted via context menu.