How To: Fixing (broken) Application Shortcut Icons [written using OSX ML]

[Lore]

There are times I have created a shortcut for a Steam application only to witness it appear on the desktop with the default Steam icon. When the shortcut is subsequently placed in the Applications folder it looks rather unappealing while using Launchpad. This is a guide to fix it so that the icon that ships with the game is used for the shortcut instead. Hopefully it proves useful (sticky?) but admittedly would be entirely unnecessary if Steam took a look into the issue and corrected it on that side.

Step 1

Go to your Steam Library and right click on the game related to the offending shortcut. Click on Properties and select the Local Files tab, then click on Browse Local Files… You might have to dig around the folders presented to find the game application file but you will notice it clearly because it will have the proper game icon depicted. Proceeding further there are two methods, quick or in-depth.

Quick Method

After locating the game application with the correct icon, right click on it and then on Get Info. Find the shortcut (probably on the desktop) that needs fixed, right click on it and then on Get Info. Click on the large representation of the correct game icon, located under the Preview subheading of the Get Info window, and drag it over the small Steam icon represented at the top of the Get Info window for the shortcut. It will now be corrected and the shortcut can be placed in the Application folder for it to appear in Launchpad.

In-depth

Once located right click on game application file with the correct icon and then on Show Package Contents (known here after as window A). Do this also with the shortcut that needs fixed (known here after as window B). Set up the two windows to appear side by side.

In window A, double click on the Contents folder, then on the Resources folder. Inside you will find a file with the correct game icon, right click on it and click Copy. In window B, navigate to the Resources folder like above. Once inside delete the file found there and then paste the item previously copied to the clipboard. Note the file name of the pasted item. Still in window B, backtrack to the parent folder (Contents) and then double click on the Info.plist file found there. If you have Xcode installed a plist editor will launch but if not you can open it like a text file. Read the appropriate section below and then the concluding paragraph.

Xcode
Find the entry for Icon file on the window that appears. As you see the name entered points to something like shortcut.icns. Change this to the name of the icon file you recently pasted into the Resources folder above. Save and quit.

Text file
Locate the line <key>CFBundleIconFile</key> it should be near the top. The line the comes after it needs altered but only alter the text between the tags <string> and </string>. Change this to the name of the icon file you recently pasted into the Resources folder above. Save and quit.

Right click on the shortcut file and then on Get Info. In window B navigate to the Resources folder and then drag the file found there to the icon space adjacent to the name of the game (it is just above Spotlight Comments but below the title bar of the window). You will now see the correct game icon displayed and with the shortcut fixed it can be place into the Applications folder for use in Launchpad.

[Lore]

+1

[cloudpine]

thank you so much!

[Agent AA1]

great post!
Deserves more love

[Lektoren]

Thanks for the tip!

[Rednax]

Thanks!

[Swiss Army Wolf]

I cant find the "get info" option when i rightclick. what do you mean by "get info?"

[76561198160635718]

++++++++++++

[Nephrite Harmony]

I have an easier way, once you get to "Local Files", type in the search bar ".ico", it should be way easier that way.

[Leenker]

It's hard to understand at the In-Depth method...

[Clow]

I found another way to do this: In Steam Library right-click the game and choose Create Desktop Shortcut. If the old shortcut with the offending image had the original name, it will be replaced with a new shortcut with the correct icon.

[kstelakis]

I have a problem. Steam did this to gmod and ARK I have g mod installed so I did this method and it worked but ARK is not installed so I can't broswe local files do I have to install ARK fix it and then uninstall it again??

[joethelion]

This is a very good and clearly explained method. Thank you for that! On the other hand why does Steam install some games like this and others with their own icon?

[CaptainL<lagCity>]

The User Story:



I have now run into this problem multiple times. When trying to edit steam icons as well as custom app icons on my os. I tried the usual methods. that is the



1. Copy the icon you want to use to the Clipboard.

2. Select the file or folder whose icon you want to replace, then choose File > Get Info.

3. At the top of the Info window, click the picture of the icon, then choose Edit > Paste.



But, as I am sure many of you that have found this forum have found this either does not work at all or only works

some of the time.



Anecdote as the why:

So what gives?

This is conjecture, but I assume that since the new Apple devices require a range of sizes for a given image formatted to Apple's specs. They no longer accept images/icons that do not match said specs. I hoped on the developer docs to see if I could easily find so docs for y'all but I couldn't find anything easily. Sorry, I'm lazy.



So without further a due. This is the simple hacky solution that I have now used multiple times.



The Solution:

1. Sang you favorite icon image

2. navigate to an icon converter site. I have been using. https://iconverticons.com/online/

3. Download the .icns file package.

4. rename the gnarly numeric name to something cool like smite.icns

5. Now do the tried and true.

6. Go to app/file/folder (Whatever)

7. choose File > Get Info.

8. At the top of the Info window, click the picture of the icon, then choose Edit > Paste.

or, drag and drop or keyboard shortcuts ctrl+c the ctrl+v



Closing Thoughts:

I personally would prefer to not have to use some site to convert the icons to the proper format. I am sure there is a way to do it either through some app in the app store. But if someone knows how to convert and package the icons locally like iconverticons.com does please reply or link me so I can learn.



Hope this helps. Since I am normally the one scouring for solutions. Maybe I can give back this time.

[chopper]

Thanks a lot!

[N!#Owl]

Oh