ActiveDwg Fix Icons Page
This article reviews a method to fix the pesky problem of custom toolbar icons not showing up in AutoCAD. The precise method may vary in earlier versions, but the ideas will be similar.
First, be sure you take the obvious measures:
1) AutoCAD should NOT be running as you proceed:
2) Verify that the migration tool has brought along the icons from your earlier version. We keep our toolbar icons in their own folder. In our case (Vista) it is: C:\Users\ActiveDwg\AppData\Roaming\AutoCAD 20xx\R1x.x\enu\Support\Icons -- Your path may vary. In Windows XP it may be C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\AutoCAD 20xx\R1x.x\enu\Support\Icons. By default Windows hides these folders, so if you do not see them, go into Windows Explorer and select 'Tools>Folder Options>View' and select the radio control next to 'Show hidden files and folders'. In Vista you will need to hit the 'Alt' key to show the menu,
3) If the path is there, go to step '4'. If it is not there, create the folder by copying the folder from the previous installation (just drag and drop it into place). Now go back to 'Tools>Options' and rehide the hidden files and folders,
4) Start AutoCAD. If the icons are still Clouded Question Marks (CQM's) verify the path to the icons is set correctly. Go to 'Tools > Options' (or 'A>Options' in 2009) and click on the 'Files' tab. Click on the plus (+) sign next to 'Customization Files'. Finally, click on the plus (+) sign next to 'Custom Icon Location'. The path should match the path from step '2' or '3'. If it does not, you can remove or add a path by clicking on the 'Remove' or 'Add' button in the dialog and browse to the correct path. If you have made changes, click the 'Apply' button,
5) Ideally, the toolbar icons should be redrawn and your custon icons should appear. In our case, we needed to go further and force AutoCAD to reconstruct the toolbars rather than simply redraw them,
6) Click 'OK' to exit the 'Options' dialog. Right click on any toolbar and select 'Customize'. Select ANY command with an icon from the 'Command List' and drag and drop it onto ANY toolbar. Click 'Apply' and AutoCAD will rebuild the toolbars and should do away with the dreaded CQM's. Click 'OK' to exit the dialog.
Hopefully, this will cure your icon ills, or at least set you on the right path to correcting them.