Get full quality 16 x 16 icon using Icon.ExtractAssociatedIcon and ImageList

Following the directions at this question, I have some code running to extract icons from files and display them in a ListView set to details mode. I want to icons to display at 16 x 16, but when I have the ImageList size set to that the icons that come out look very weird (not sure how to describe it - see attached screenshot).

I've tried changing the size to 32 x 32 and they come out fine, but surely there must be a way to get good quality 16 x 16 icons mustn't there?

From stackoverflow

• You have to use 2 imagelists, one for smallimages and one for largeimages to get the best result I think. (The listview has two properties, LargeImageList and SmallImageList)

  Edit (found new information that worked when I tried):

  This version are using interpolation to get the smaller thumb, should be better.

      Dim BigIcon As Icon = Nothing
      BigIcon = Icon.ExtractAssociatedIcon("c:\zebra.zip")
      Dim largeimages As New ImageList
      Dim smallimages As New ImageList
  
      largeimages.Images.Add("1", BigIcon)
  
      'Fix a smaller version with interpolation
      Dim bm As New Bitmap(BigIcon.ToBitmap)
      Dim thumb As New Bitmap(16, 16)
      Dim g As Graphics = Graphics.FromImage(thumb)
      g.InterpolationMode = Drawing2D.InterpolationMode.HighQualityBicubic
      g.DrawImage(bm, New Rectangle(0, 0, 16, 16), New Rectangle(0, 0, bm.Width, bm.Height), GraphicsUnit.Pixel)
      g.Dispose()
      bm.Dispose()
      smallimages.Images.Add("1", thumb)
      ListView1.SmallImageList = smallimages
      ListView1.LargeImageList = largeimages
      thumb.Dispose()
      ListView1.Items.Add("Test", "Test", "1")
  

  robintw : Sadly that doesn't seem to work - they're still displaying badly. Any other ideas?

  Stefan : Im working on it.. ;)

  robintw : Thanks. I've tried what you suggested in your edit, using the DrawImage method and that doesn't seem to work either - gives exactly the same results. I can post the code I'm using with the DrawImage method if that would help.

  Stefan : Edited my answer. I think this will do it. If not Im out of ideas.

  robintw : Yup - that worked fine. Thanks for your hard work :-)

  Stefan : Anything that draws the attention from the actual work I have to do is allways nice! ;)

• With this Code Project Article and the Demo of ExtractIconEx from PInvoke (http://www.pinvoke.net/default.aspx/shell32/ExtractIconEx.html) you can write the following:

  FileAssociationInfo info = new FileAssociationInfo(".docx");
  
  ProgramAssociationInfo pai = new ProgramAssociationInfo(info.ProgID);
  ProgramIcon ico = pai.DefaultIcon;
  Icon icoLarge = Martin.Hyldahl.Examples.ExtractIconEx.ExtractIconExample.ExtractIconFromExe(ico.Path, ico.Index, false);
  

  you have to change the signature of ExtractIconFromExe to

  public static Icon ExtractIconFromExe(string file, int nIconIndex, bool large)
  

  and change the code a few lines down to

  if (large)
     readIconCount = ExtractIconEx(file, nIconIndex, hIconEx, hDummy, 1);
  else
     readIconCount = ExtractIconEx(file, nIconIndex, hDummy, hIconEx, 1);