This short post will discuss the Browser Cache and how it can affect the display of a favicon. The favicon not properly displaying is a common issue that can easily be fixed. Actually there is really nothing to fix, we just need to discuss the Browser Cache.
These are the most common statements I get from users. Faviconblog provides Tools and Tutorials to help you deploy your own FavIcon. Even though the instructions are followed very closely sometimes people doubt their success.
In the end they usually find out that there was no problem with their implementation of the favicon. It is the fault of the browser. The code that browsers use to display the favicon is dodgy to say the least. This leads to many fears and doubts among webmasters and bloggers.
The Browser Cache is a folder or directory on your computer that your Browser Software uses to store information that it has previously downloaded. If the information is requested again, the browser will check to see if the information resides in the cache. If the data is there, it can be retrieved much more quickly and downloading will not be necessary. This routine will speed up your web browsing. The cache can contain many things, picture files are very often stored in the cache. The favicon.ico picture file is one of the pieces of data that is often stored in the cache.
Generally the information in the cache is updated when new data is observed on the website. For some strange reason the favicon.ico file is not always updated (at least not immediately).
The fastest way to "force" the update of information in the cache is to clear it. The process of clearing the browser cache deletes all the data stored locally. This is not a bad thing. It may slow your browsing a tiny bit, but sometimes the browser cache becomes full and possibly even corrupted. This corruption can cause strange behavior.
The mechanics of clearing the browser cache is the same, but how to do it varies by browser type, and even by operating system (Mac OS, Windows or Linux).
- Windows
- Mac OS and Mac OS X
I like University Helpdesk Systems, because they cater to a diversity of computer systems.
[...] Clear The Browser Cache to Display Your Favicon | FavIconBlog …Jul 27, 2009 … This short post will discuss the Browser Cache and how it can affect the display of a favicon. The favicon not properly displaying is a … [...]