How to preserve favicon when dragging URL to desktop?

[Sandy Santra]

I use both Firefox and Safari and often want to save a URL to my desktop to go back to the site later on to read it.

Problem is: when I drag the favicon next to the URL in either browser down to my desktop, the icon on my desktop reverts to a generic "@" icon. I'm left with dozens of these identical icons--not so easy to browse.

How do I get Leopard to preserve the favicon of a URL when I drag it from my URL window to my desktop from either Safari or Firefox?

Thanks for any tips!

 

[Peace]

This goes way back to the origins of a browser. The icon you see is actually an image file called favicon.ico. It is located at the root of the web server. Since almost all websites have different "favicon" files it would be hard for OSX to store the .ico file. The @ icon you see is representative of the favicon.ico file.

The only way you could get the actual favicon.ico file is by looking in your cache for it or going into the root of the website via directory browsing. Something that most websites don't allow as it could be a security hole.

 

[MacNewbie07]

Awww, say it ain't so.

Man, this is a pet peeve of mine.

I didn't know what they were called (favicons), and just went through an extensive web search trying to describe them every other way :|

Does anybody think that - in theory - a browser plug-in could be built to save the favicon to your desktop with the URL??

I don't know how to program or anything, just wanting to remain optimistic.

 

[DoFoT9]

would be nice if apple built this feature into safari! i wonder if a request would work.

 

[MacNewbie07]

would be nice if apple built this feature into safari! i wonder if a request would work.

How does one do that?


Also, can anyone tell me how you go about changing the default icon it saves as on your desktop? Just getting tired of looking at the same dumb one all the time.

I take it then that this issue exists in Snow Leopard too?

 

[DoFoT9]

How does one do that?

i have not done it myself, so im not sure - but i have heard of other people doing it.

Also, can anyone tell me how you go about changing the default icon it saves as on your desktop? Just getting tired of looking at the same dumb one all the time.

I take it then that this issue exists in Snow Leopard too?

yes exists in SL, i wouldnt call it an issue though more a "lacking feature"

you can change the icon,
1. copy a picture/icon/whatever into the clipboard that you would like to use as the icon.
2. "Get Info" on the file
3. click on the icon in Get Info so that it highlights blue
4. hit + V

wala!

 

[larkost]

would be nice if apple built this feature into safari! i wonder if a request would work.

How does one do that?

To file a bug or, as in this case, an enhansement request you just go to http://bugreport.apple.com, and log in with your developer account (free registration). There are a few other ways of doing it, but this is a good general way.

But please try and keep the messages on-point, and don't flood this channel. Apple already has a bunch of people filtering this, and they really need time to handle well-written bugs. Flooding things with random "this doesn't work" requests is just going to drown out the well-reported bugs.