# favicon does not appear in IE 8, Chrome, Safari



## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

favicon appears in firefox and opera, but not in IE8, chrome, and safari; all latest browser versions installed as of feb 2013.

favicon is in web help and included in an app installer. The web help is not uploaded to a website. I've cleared cookies, emptied the cache, seen/tried lots of different code with the same result (see title). I've tried on different PCs, waited a week and no change. Please help!

ico file favicon.ico is generated with a favicon generator, is 16x16px, and is in same location as index file.

Running win XP.

here is the code - what am I missing?:


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

I have had this before and they eventually turn up. It seems to be JOOTT. Give it a few days and they usually suddenly appear.

This is the code that I usually use for favicon's


```
<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href=" images/favicon.ico">
```
I store all my site images in the images directory. (No space between the " and images it is needed to display the code correctly on this forum)


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks for responding Colinsp

I'll add another favicon line of code with the line you supplied. I have included that 'type' before, but maybe did not give it enough time for the favicon to show up. I wish I knew whether the favicon will indeed appear; it is strange that "eventually" the favicons will show up on IE8, Chrome, and Safari.


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

Try deleting your browser cache after you've uploaded the amendment just before displaying your site...


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

I got the favicon to apepar in Chrome - I had to convert the ico file to an embedded base65 string and add the string in the reference. I don't understand it but it works.

IE and Safari (PC) still do not show the favicon. The icon is posted at http://www.mccdaq.com/images/daqami.ico and the browsers both display the file from that link, but not from the htm page reference

Deleting Cache: I've done iver and over:
Safari: Edit>Empty cache. I've also deleted WebpageIcons.db and Cache.db from ...\Local Settings\Application Data\Apple Computer\Safari

IE: Delete browsing history dialog - temporary internet files. Is there a location on the local drive to check as well? I don't see anything icon-related in ...\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer

Any ideas?


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

Try creating the icon at Dynamic Drive here and try again.


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

No change. The original icon was generated with a favicon generator as well.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

Now clear your cache and make sure you use the code from Dynamic drive. Also read the notes on their page.


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

Nope.
I kept the favicon.ico name in case IE requires that specific name. 
I cleared the cache again; uploaded the icon to my site and verified that it is appears in IE and Safari (http://www.mccdaq.com/images/favicon.ico). The code on the Dynamic Drive site is the same as in my htm file.

The icon does not appear in the tab when the htm file is viewed in IE and Safari.

The site said, and I have read in other posts, that it may take a couple days for IE to show the icon, though i am still waiting 3 weeks for my previous icon (daqami.ico) to appear. Now both icons are uploaded. I have tested code for both. No icon appears.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

Check on another PC is the last thing to suggest.

I have just checked your home page in Safari, IE and Firefox. Safari and FF show a Favicon even though it isn't defined in your page source but it is not the icon on your link. IE doesn't show one.


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

colinsp said:


> I have had this before and they eventually turn up. It seems to be JOOTT. Give it a few days and they usually suddenly appear.
> 
> This is the code that I usually use for favicon's
> 
> ...


It may not be the problem and forgive me Colin, but there is an erroneous space in the beginning of your favicon URL
and maybe it's not finding your images folder - also, I vaguely remember reading that a favicon should be placed in the root folder of the site.
Suggest you change your link rel to this...

```
<link rel="shortcut icon" type="image/x-icon" href="favicon.ico">
```
and move it to the root folder
That format has always worked for me in all browsers in short order (certainly not 3 weeks!!)


> i am still waiting 3 weeks for my previous icon (daqami.ico) to appear.


Incidentally. I assume that you renamed daqami.ico to favicon.ico??


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

yes. 
I am now maintaining two versions of the htm test file - one that references daqami.ico and one that references favicon.ico.
The icons don't show on the browser tabs in IE or Safari.


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

Could we have another look at your link rel's?


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)




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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

> Just upload the favicon.ico file to the root folder of your web server. You shouldn't need to add any code for the favicon to get used; most browsers now search for one automatically (as long as you name it favicon.ico).


 - this from a reliable internet source.
Drop the link rel's completely and upload your favicon.ico to your root folder and call it favicon.ico... and let's see


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

I put a request in; will let you know. Thanks


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

In hind-sight, I'm not 100% sure that all browsers will automatically look for favicon.ico in the root folder, so it may still be necessary to leave in the link rel pointing to favicon.ico.


> I put a request in; will let you know. Thanks


Do you not have control of your site?


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

I am not able to upload favicon.ico to our web server, as there is already another icon with that name there, and it takes precedence over my help icon.

If IE (and Safari?) automatically poll http://www.<host>.com/favicon, and I can't name my icon favicon.ico then I'm not sure there is a solution to this.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

It needs to be called favicon.ico but it should work in a sub-directory BUT it is recommended as Jim says to be in the root directory.


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

> Do you not have control of your site?


Excuse my question if it sounds condescending (it's not meant that way), but what kind of a web hosting situation are you in - do you need someone else to do your uploads? If so it's a bit of a catch-22 situation if you can't overwrite the existing favicon. But if you are in a sub-folder of the main site then you should be able to specify your favicon without messing with the main one...


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

I don't have control of the website (company site, not mine personally). Storing favicon.ico is not allowed. I requested the ico be stored in a subfolder and that's what I'm waiting for. Fingers are crossed.


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## JiminSA (Dec 15, 2011)

Cool! Now I'm in the picture. The link rel will work in your sub-folder if they allow the favicon upload - just make sure you name it favicon.ico...


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

Test failed! 
I have a 32x32 favicon.ico stored in a subfolder at http://www.mccdaq.com/ICO/favicon.ico.
It doesn't appear in the tab when I open my htm file. [I still have a reference to the subfolder favicon in my htm file ]

I can open it in IE and Safari, but it doesn't show in the tab. The tab in Safari shows the icon that is stored in the root folder, not the subfolder. The tab in IE shows a generic icon (our favicon in the root is 16x16; I was told that IE requires a 32x32 icon which is why the favicon in the subfolder is 32x32)

[The favicon I want to see is for web help created for a s/w app. It is not the favicon of the company which is stored in the website root.]

Thanks for your help!!! but I may have to be content for the icon to only appear in the tab of Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

Looks like you have an invalid path specified above. I can still access the icon fine from your earlier post but this one comes up page not found so check your path.


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## Ent (Apr 11, 2009)

Could you point to a page that should have your favicon and doesn't?


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

Since the test failed I asked for its removal (forgetting that the posting might generate a response). The file is restored and the link works again.


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

There are no pages posted that should have the favicon. It appears when a webhelp htm file is opened. I don't see how to attach an htm file.


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## colinsp (Sep 5, 2007)

What do you mean by 


> It appears when a webhelp htm file is opened.


You post your code between code tags like [ code ] and [ /code ] (remove the spaces).


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

individual htm files that open in a browser, as opposed to htm files compiled into a chm file. The favicon in the subfolder of our web site is referenced in the htm files. When the file is opened, the favicon should display in the browser tab. The icon displays for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, but a generic icon is shown in IE and Safari.


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## techwriter65 (Feb 13, 2013)

zip attached of htm code


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