Alias icons

Alias icons can no longer be customized, in Mavericks -- a feature that has long been possible.  Is this an overlooked feature that has not yet been seen and carried over, or is it an intentional action that consequently further cripples the user?
For years I have place aliases in my dock that point to a couple specific Numbers files for making price estimates and figuring up material sizes for projects.  I gave these two files unique custom icons but every time I edited the files, the icons were automatically given the default generic Numbers icons.  Rather then having to change the icons of the files back to the custom icons everytime I update them, I made aliases for them with custom icons, which aliases could remain in my dock without the icons changing.  Sounds reasonable, eh?  Apparently not to Apple software engineers...
Can't do it anymore.  Alias icons will not change using the Get Info box.
Curiously, alias files that were created in Mt. Lion, and have custom icons, remain customized.  But who is going to load up a previous version of OS X, and create custom icons for the alias files?  Well, apparently I am if that's the only way!  Good thing I have Snow Leopard on a separate partition.
C'mon Apple!

Well this looks promising...
Out of curiosity I made an alias of a folder.  Then I assigned that alias a custom icon using the Get Info feature in Finder.  While the file icon did not did not appear to have changed, it actually did.  Assuming it did, I wondered how I might be able to see a refreshed alias file.  So I right-clicked on the alias and selected the Compress command.  The following zip was created.  I double-click on the new zip file, and wa-lah!  There is the alias with the custom icon.
At least now I don't have to go into  Snow Leopard in  order to give an alias a custom icon!
Guess I'll report this new find to Apple too...Thanks for the link Anamusic.  I sent them  feedback yesterday regarding this, but wanted to contact them again tonight, but I couldn't find the link again.

Similar Messages

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    Hello everybody I am a recent switcher and I can't express how much I love the switch. The widgets, Expose, ease of iPhoto, Garageband, iTunes, et cetera.
    But until recently, just this morning, I deleted an Icon on my desktop (the World of Warcraft) and I the alias Icon, shortcut, in my dock no longer runs.
    So after traveling the Macintosh HD/Users/Shared/Blizzard - I cannot find anything that resembles a .exe or boot up file!
    I am new to the Mac and I know it isnt that unfamiliar to a PC, Windows. But I have got to ask ... What on earth do I DO?! Where do I go!?
    Do I have to reinstall the game? There has got to be an easier way to fix this.
    Thanks!
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    Mitzki,
    Congratulations upon making the switch!
    If your dock icon no longer works, it most likely means that you deleted the application itself, not just an icon. [In that case you will need to dispose of the dock icon by simply pulling it out of the dock. Insert a new icon after reinstalling the application.] This means that you originally installed the WOW application to your desktop rather than to your Applications folder. In the Applications folder it would be less likely to be accidentally deleted (as you may have apparently done). It is ok, in the future, to install applications to your desktop - you can then simply move them into the Applications folder, just that simple.
    However, you can further safeguard from repeating this mistake - after you now install WOW into your Applications folder (or move it after installing to your desktop), select (highlight) the new WOW application icon in that Applications folder, open the "File" pull-down to "Get Info," expand the "General" section so that you can see the "Locked" box, and check off that "Locked" box, which will prevent any further movement of the WOW application without the system's first requesting your password. As a general principle, any time your system's password is requested, you should be able to understand why before you enter it. Your system password is not a nuisance, but your system's lifeguard.
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    [Oh, gosh, I'm sooo slow! I'll let it stand in case there's something that might be useful to someone]
    Message was edited by: myhighway

  • Alias icon Yosemite

    Dear All,
    I upgraded Maverick to Yosemite last week but I have some problem with icons. I created new icon for my folders and I changed the icons in the info panel of the folders. If I create an alias of the folders on the desktop it is impossible to change the icon of the alias folder by copy and paste new icon in the info panel. If I connect again the alias to the original folder, icon change but with a white square backgroud.
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    I have been having the same problem, and have made my own post about it. (Interesting that your post did not come up initially when I searched regarding the problem - the title is sensible.)  I don't yet have a full solution, but I am making progress. I connected to my iMac (where Yosemite is installed) from my MacBook Pro, which is still running Mavericks. Using the MacBook Pro, I was able to select "Get Info" for the folders and aliases on the iMac that apparently have lost their custom icons, and was pleased to see that Mavericks will still display the desired custom icon. From there, I was able to do "Get Info", copy the icon from the Get Info panel, and then launch Preview and select "New from Clipboard", which then created a file in ICNS format with all my custom icon information still in it. I did that for each of my various custom folder and alias icons, saving an ICNS file for each one.
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  • Alias icons in disk images - not showing correctly

    Hi,
    I already posted about this problem on Macworld Forums, so far no answers. Maybe here I'll get some.
    The problem is:
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    Hi Sanjin
    So it is more than only disk images but a system wide problem, in that case, a general approach is needed.
    I suggest you run Repair Disk on your start up drive, from your install DVD.
    The startup drive can only be repaired from another drive. Simply loading the install disk is not sufficient. You have to boot from the install disk.
    To do this: Insert the Install Disk 1 into the drive and then select Restart, then continue to hold down the C key until the Apple logo appears.
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    After these repairs, quit the application, and restart normally.
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  • My Macintosh HD volumn icon is on my desktop, not the HD alias icon. Where should the volumn icon be put.

    Tonight I saw that I had 2 HD icons on my desktop.  When I went to info, I found out that one is the actual volumn icon and the other is an alias.  Where should my Macintosh HD volumn icon be stored on my computer.  I worry that if it is on the desktop, it might be deleted or put in the trash, if this is even possible.

    If you've your Finder preferences set to show hard drives, etc., on the Desktop then that's where you'll see them... nohing to worry about.
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  • Removing Arrows from Alias Icons?

    Is it possible in Leopard? I heard you could do it with ease in Tiger. Any thoughts? Suggestions?

    Gumsie has given one of the correct answers but I'll expand. The alias arrow is one a system icon that is automatically merged with any icon that is aliased. This icon can be edited, like any other icon and CandyBar is one of the best icon replacement and catalog programs available.
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  • Can't change alias icon

    I've created an alias to a file on my Yosemite desktop.  I want to change the icon, so I've found a PNG file I want to use.
    When I open the Get Info window for the alias, click the little icon and copy/paste or drag the PNG file there, all I get for an icon is the generic PNG one.
    I've tried opening the PNG in Preview and doing Cmd + A then Cmd + C to copy it that way, same result.
    I've also tried with a JPG file and an ICNS file, same result (generic icon for each)
    I've tried Relaunching Finder and doing killall Finder, didn't fix it,
    Late-2013 rMBP with Yosemite 10.10.2.

    Thanks for the heads up.  Most of my folders are custom icons.  However, I have never changed an "alias folder."  I've always changed the original folder/icon.  If I make an alias of it, the alias is of the custom icon.

  • Remove skype alias icon

    After upgrading to 7.2, each time I login to skype, the original install icon appears on the desktop and can only be ejected after I quit Skype. It appears to be an alias.
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    I've trashed it from the Applications folder as well as from the desktop. Either way, it pops back up when I log in.
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    Did you ever get an answer to this? I have just re-installed Skype onto my Mac (after not having used it for years) -- the icon is in the applications folder and on the desk top.  Any info appreciated!!!!  4 June 2015

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    Every time I try to change the icon of an alias on my desktop, instead of the actual picture I've chosen it shows up as a generic JPEG/TIFF/PNG (whatever format I've used) icon.
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  • How can I remove the arrows from alias icons?

    This is fairly easily done in Windows using TweakUI and 3rd party customization apps, but now that I've migrated to Mac OS I would like to clean up those annoying little arrows.  I could not find anything in the Community listings except one item from 2007.  Anyone have a solution?

    Looking for a solution to this too - and yes I know there are reasons not to hide the arrows... but I want to anyway!
    Was able to set these off in Snow Leopard but the upgrade to Mountain Lion has reset the arrows.... not confident enough to tinker about in terminal without a word or two from the wise so.... can anyone confirm that the following instructions would work before I take the plunge and possibly screw something up i don't know how to put right?
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    3. type sudo mv AliasBadgeIcon.icns AliasBadgeIcon-no.icns -> press enter -> enter password
    4. type killall Finder
    If anyone has the patience I'd appreciate an 'idiots guide' to what each of the operations above does and also how to switch the arrow icons back on in the event i run into problems...
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  • Changing alias icons

    Hey guys
    I've got a couple of folder aliases and I was wondering if it was possible to change their icons, like you can in windows.
    Thanks

    Hi Jon,
    It's pretty easy. There's lots of sites to pick up Mac icons, but a good one is The Icon Factory. I think they're all free, so download as many as you like.
    Then, to change an icon, click once on the icon you want to use and press Command+I (or "File>Get Info" from the Apple menu bar at the top). Click once on the icon in the Get Info box and press Command+C to copy it to the clipboard. Now click once on the folder you want to assign a custom icon to. Press Command+I to call up the Get Info box. Click once on its icon and press Command+V to paste in the icon from the clipboard. Close both Get Info boxes. That's it.

  • Alias for /icons/

    We have a problem where any URL containing "/icons/" points to /usr/share/httpd/icons/. On investigation, we found the following line in /etc/httpd/httpd.conf:
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  • How do I stop my MacBook removing all my icons from the desktop ?

    How do I stop my MacBook removing all my icons from the desktop ?

    Hi Matt
    After I create say a word document, file it on my desktop and then shut down my machine. The next time I open up the MacBook the file icon has been removed from the desktop. I can still retrieve the file in a folder labeled with the month I created it. But why has the OS removed it from the desktop and how can I stop it happening?
    It happens to alias icons as well!
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  • How do I stop my MacBook clearing the icons off the desktop when I switch off

    How do I stop my MacBook clearing the icons off the desktop when I switch off the machine?

    Hi Matt
    After I create say a word document, file it on my desktop and then shut down my machine. The next time I open up the MacBook the file icon has been removed from the desktop. I can still retrieve the file in a folder labeled with the month I created it. But why has the OS removed it from the desktop and how can I stop it happening?
    It happens to alias icons as well!
    Regards

  • How to delete Icon file in Safari folder?

    In Safari v2.0.4 the Icon file contains the Favicons. In v3.0.4 WebepageIcons.db contains the Favicons. My Safari 3.0.4 folder still has an alias Icon file. SafariSpeed will not remove the Favicons. I assume this is because of the alias Icon. If I trash the Icon, it regenerates on startup. A search does not find the original Icon. Using Force Delete File - Home/Library/Safari, the Icon file is grey. I need to manually trash WebepageIcon.db to remove the Favicons. No reply from Scifience to my e-mails for help. How can I delete the Icon?

    The Icons file has been locked, previously, without any help. When it is locked, I can not open the SafariSpeed preferences to select "delete Favicons". You suggest locking the WebpageIcons.db file, as well, but this does not resolve the problem in my hands. Have I made an incorrect move here?

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