Favicon-ico - Make your own Icon bookmark for Internet Explorer

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Favicon.ico - Make your OWN Icon bookmark for Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer 5+ has the facility to let you include an icon to represent your site that is retrieved every time visitors bookmark your site. When the user looks at their Favourites they will see your icon. If they go to that bookmarked page they will also see your icon at the left end of the Address window in the toolbar. It also appears in Windows Explorer thumbnails.

If you want the icon to appear you must upload a file named favicon.ico into the Root directory (you might want to insert the ico file into individual folders and sub-webs just to make sure) or (if you do NOT have access to the server - i.e. you are with a free host) EVERY directory and subdirectory or every location that might be book marked by your visitors. - It is best to do this anyway as other browsers other an internet explorer would probably use this as the standard. Besides which this means you can use different ico files for different sections of your site, but if you just want to use a universal ico call it favicon.ico.

This is how I DID it. Below are excerpts from various sources...take your pick!!!

If my site was on Tripod.com (Free host). I would have no access to the root directory nor would I have a domain name which would allow me access. So I would have to put a link on the pages that I want the icon to show up on. i.e. Notably the Homepage (index.htm) of my site and the major portal pages as well.

1 Make a graphic (just a simple one) in your graphic's editor.

The format used must be:

16 colours in the palette
16x16 pixels in size

Save the graphic as .gif or .bmp file on your hard drive, you could make a file just for icons to serve as back up. For instance I saved mine in. <c:\mydocuments.graphicfile.icons>.

2 First Convert your .bmp or .gif file in LionTech to the .ico file extension.

You do this in IconShop by looking up the graphic you just made for instance I saved my .bmp graphic in <c:\mydocuments.graphicfile.icons> so in the document tree on the left hand pane that is where I looked for my graphic. In the right hand pane the graphics show up.

Select the one you want press:

'file'
'Export As'
'Icon'

The graphic will then be saved as an .ico file.

3 You must save the .ico file in the Directory where the page is, that (in this instance the index.htm page) you want the icon to appear, by using IconShop you cannot save an .ico file using FrontPage within your web as it does not support the format.

a You can save the .ico file in IconShop in your FP file by clicking:

'File'
'Save as'

and scrolling to the directory where the page is (ie index.htm) in your web. You must call the ico file favicon.ico.

Note: Don't save it in your Images folder like you should do with all other graphics in your web.

These instructions are for IconShop which is Freeware if you use another Icon builder just look in the help file for how to use it.

4 Enter the code in your index.htm file. (or whatever page you want the ico to appear in).

You enter the code above your Head tag.

Just substitute your site address (ie http://accessfp.net) and name your ico file name favicon.ico.

NOTE: This will also work for https (secure http)

5 Save the page as normal in FrontPage. Close all pages and go to Tools on the menu bar and Recalculate Hyperlinks and upload it.

6 Save the page in your favourites (even if you have it already saved, you must do it again) View the page in your browser - don't forget to refresh the page.

NOTE: Don't forget the favicon will ONLY show up with this method, in the pages you have inserted the code. (Don't forget to insert the favicon.ico into the directory where the page is that you want the icon to appear.) You can insert the code in FP2k/02 using 'Find' and 'Replace' in HTML view. So if you want your favicon showing up in all your pages, you have to insert the code in ALL of them. Also for new pages you can configure your new page template with the code. See this tutorial

7 If you want your visitors to bookmark your pages it's best to encourage them with a Bookmark link. Insert this code where you want the link to appear

For Netscape users you will have to mention Control + D will bring up the Bookmark box (It's called Favourites in Internet Explorer)

Other sites with Favicon Information

Favicon
Free Icon Generator
The Dastardly "favicon.ico not found" Error by Linda Cole

Icon Builders

Icon Edit
View application galore, you will be in favicon heaven here!

LionTech FreeWare
This app is THE one to get, just make your icon in your image editor then open up IconShop click on Open look for the image you just saved (i.e. as a GIF) on your hard drive, (as well as your usual storage place, you should save it in the root directory of FrontPage), the image pops up in the IconShop browser...then click on export and icon the image is saved as a ico file in the place where you last accessed the graphic.

Icon Forge - ShareWare
ICL Builder - ShareWare
IconFactory - ShareWare
Microangelo - ShareWare

Microsoft articles

How to specify 32x32 and 16x16 Icons for Win95 Logo Compliance
How to Use a Bitmap Image as a 16-Color Icon in Windows
Scroll down to "Brand Your Favourites"
How to Add a Shortcut Icon to a Web Page
"Malformed Favorites Icon" Vulnerability Patch for IE4/5

"Microsoft has released a single patch that eliminates two security vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 4.0 and 5. The first potentially could allow arbitrary code to be run on a user's computer. The second potentially could allow the local hard drive to be read."