diff --git a/dlls/shell32/folders.c b/dlls/shell32/folders.c
index aed079230a5..dd12bee4396 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/folders.c
+++ b/dlls/shell32/folders.c
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI IExtractIconA_fnGetIconLocation(
 	  }
 	}
 
-	TRACE (shell,"-- %s %x\n", debugstr_a(szIconFile), *piIndex);
+	TRACE (shell,"-- %s %x\n", (ret==NOERROR)?debugstr_a(szIconFile):"[error]", *piIndex);
 	return ret;
 }
 /**************************************************************************
diff --git a/dlls/shell32/iconcache.c b/dlls/shell32/iconcache.c
index 72d071ec971..b7118e63f4c 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/iconcache.c
+++ b/dlls/shell32/iconcache.c
@@ -694,11 +694,13 @@ BOOL PidlToSicIndex (IShellFolder * sh, LPITEMIDLIST pidl, BOOL bBigIcon, UINT *
 	BOOL		ret = FALSE;
 	UINT		dwFlags = 0;
 	
+	TRACE(shell,"sf=%p pidl=%p\n", sh, pidl);
+
 	if (SUCCEEDED (IShellFolder_GetUIObjectOf(sh, 0, 1, &pidl, &IID_IExtractIconA, 0, (void **)&ei)))
 	{
-	  if (SUCCEEDED (IExtractIconA_GetIconLocation(ei, 0, szIconFile, MAX_PATH, &iSourceIndex, &dwFlags)))
-	  {  *pIndex = SIC_GetIconIndex(szIconFile, iSourceIndex);
-	     ret = TRUE;
+	  if (NOERROR==IExtractIconA_GetIconLocation(ei, 0, szIconFile, MAX_PATH, &iSourceIndex, &dwFlags))
+	  { *pIndex = SIC_GetIconIndex(szIconFile, iSourceIndex);
+	    ret = TRUE;
 	  }
 	  IExtractIconA_Release(ei);
 	}
diff --git a/dlls/shell32/pidl.c b/dlls/shell32/pidl.c
index 6a50a7ba0ce..8db0b6034ad 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/pidl.c
+++ b/dlls/shell32/pidl.c
@@ -54,6 +54,45 @@ void pdump (LPCITEMIDLIST pidl)
 	  TRACE(pidl,"empty pidl (Desktop)\n");	
 }
 
+BOOL pcheck (LPCITEMIDLIST pidl)
+{       DWORD type, ret=TRUE;
+
+        LPITEMIDLIST pidltemp = pidl;
+
+        if (pidltemp && pidltemp->mkid.cb)
+        { do
+          { type   = _ILGetDataPointer(pidltemp)->type;
+            switch (type)
+	    { case PT_DESKTOP:
+	      case PT_MYCOMP:
+	      case PT_SPECIAL:
+	      case PT_DRIVE:
+	      case PT_FOLDER:
+	      case PT_VALUE:
+		break;
+	      default:
+	      {
+		char szTemp[100];      /* 3*32 + 3 + 1 */
+		int i;
+		for ( i = 0; i < pidltemp->mkid.cb; i++)
+		{
+		  sprintf (&(szTemp[i*3]),"%02x ", ((LPBYTE)pidltemp)[i]);
+		  if (i>=31)
+		  {
+		    sprintf (&(szTemp[i*3+3]),"...");
+		    break;
+		  }
+		}
+	        ERR (pidl,"unknown IDLIST type size=%u type=%lx\n%s\n",pidltemp->mkid.cb,type, szTemp);
+	        ret = FALSE;
+	      }
+	    }
+            pidltemp = ILGetNext(pidltemp);
+          } while (pidltemp->mkid.cb);
+        }
+	return ret;
+}
+
 /*************************************************************************
  * ILGetDisplayName			[SHELL32.15]
  */
@@ -169,6 +208,13 @@ HRESULT WINAPI ILLoadFromStream (IStream * pStream, LPITEMIDLIST * ppPidl)
 	    *ppPidl = NULL;
 	  }
 	}
+	
+	/* we are not jet fully compatible */
+	if (!pcheck(*ppPidl))
+	{ SHFree(*ppPidl);
+	  *ppPidl = NULL;
+	}
+	
 
 	IStream_Release (pStream);
 
@@ -274,6 +320,11 @@ BOOL WINAPI ILIsEqual(LPCITEMIDLIST pidl1, LPCITEMIDLIST pidl2)
 
 	TRACE(pidl,"pidl1=%p pidl2=%p\n",pidl1, pidl2);
 
+	/* explorer reads from registry directly (StreamMRU),
+	   so we can only check here */
+	if ((!pcheck (pidl1)) || (!pcheck (pidl2)))
+	  return FALSE;
+
 	pdump (pidl1);
 	pdump (pidl2);
 
diff --git a/dlls/shell32/pidl.h b/dlls/shell32/pidl.h
index 8b462d42493..2824f0a621c 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/pidl.h
+++ b/dlls/shell32/pidl.h
@@ -121,4 +121,5 @@ LPSTR WINAPI _ILGetTextPointer(PIDLTYPE type, LPPIDLDATA pidldata);
 LPSTR WINAPI _ILGetSTextPointer(PIDLTYPE type, LPPIDLDATA pidldata);
 
 void pdump (LPCITEMIDLIST pidl);
+BOOL pcheck (LPCITEMIDLIST pidl);
 #endif
diff --git a/dlls/shell32/shell32_main.h b/dlls/shell32/shell32_main.h
index 45f14499eb8..7bd2ac8de4c 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/shell32_main.h
+++ b/dlls/shell32/shell32_main.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ HRESULT WINAPI StrRetToStrN (LPVOID dest, DWORD len, LPSTRRET src, LPITEMIDLIST
 #define INVALID_INDEX -1
 BOOL SIC_Initialize(void);
 void SIC_Destroy(void);
-/*INT32 SIC_GetIconIndex (LPCSTR sSourceFile, INT32 dwSourceIndex );*/
+BOOL PidlToSicIndex (IShellFolder * sh, LPITEMIDLIST pidl, BOOL bBigIcon, UINT * pIndex);
 
 /* Classes Root */
 BOOL HCR_MapTypeToValue ( LPCSTR szExtension, LPSTR szFileType, DWORD len);
diff --git a/dlls/shell32/shelllink.c b/dlls/shell32/shelllink.c
index 6b8af51f374..75f7d00c0b6 100644
--- a/dlls/shell32/shelllink.c
+++ b/dlls/shell32/shelllink.c
@@ -209,11 +209,14 @@ static HRESULT WINAPI IPersistFile_fnLoad(IPersistFile* iface, LPCOLESTR pszFile
 	  pdump (&pImage->Pidl);
 	}
 
+	if (!pcheck (&pImage->Pidl))
+	  goto end_3;
+	
 	This->pPidl = ILClone (&pImage->Pidl);
 
 	_ILGetPidlPath(&pImage->Pidl, sTemp, 512);
 	This->sPath = HEAP_strdupA ( GetProcessHeap(), 0, sTemp);
-		
+			
 	hRet = NOERROR;
 end_3:	UnmapViewOfFile(pImage);
 end_2:	CloseHandle(hMapping);