A number of reports have appeared, concerning changing icons under GS/OS. For example, in the case of MultiScribe GS, instead of the pens and paper icon, the user sees the generic, diamond-shaped, system-defined application icon. The problem may be quite simple: one or more corrupted icon files.
GS/OS (System Disk version 4.0) stores Finder icons in a file called FINDER.ICONS. Application/document icons are stored in files that typically end with .ICONS.
The Finder can match files to icons by any combination of three file identification fields. The icon can match by file type, AUX type, and
filename. The Finder keeps a list of icon files. The first list the Finder reads is FINDER.ICONS from the start-up disk's ICON folder. Next,
the Finder adds any other icon files it finds in the ICONS directory of inserted disks. Additional files are added to the front of the list so that FINDER.ICONS is always the last in the list.
When the Finder needs to match a file to an icon, it starts with the first icon in the list. A match can be made by an exact match or by use of a
wild card. If all three fields in the icon match the file, the file is given that icon. If even one field does not match, the Finder tries again with the next icon in the list. The Finder continues to try to match icons with files until it reaches the last icon in the FINDER.ICONS file. This is the generic document icon. It will always match all three fields.
The loss of icons is probably due to a missing or corrupted .ICONS file. For MultiScribe, locate the .ICONS on the original MultiScribe disk. Copy the MultiScribe .ICONS file to the ICONS folder on the hard disk. On restart, the application should take on its proper icon. Once the icons are reattached to the application and the document, you should be able to double-click the document.
Locating and transferring the .ICON file for other applications, documents, and NDAs should also reattach the missing icons.
The icon representing the application ProDOS should appear as the generic application (paper and hand) icon. The icon of a 3.5-inch disk is assigned to represent disks inserted in 3.5-inch drives. Apple-distributed New Desk Accessories (NDAs) have the generic document (paper with folded corner) icon.