Small file showing up in some folders called: Icon?

[SKYLANE]

I have three computers that I move files around regularly between them via USB external drives.

2017 MacBook Air (Monterey) - Primary computer for finances and what not
2011 Mac mini (Catalina, DosDude1) - Photo/video/music server management
2011 MacBook Pro (Catalina, DosDude1) - For out of the house trips.

There are a few folders that I have pasted icons over. I noticed recently inside some of those folders a new file has shown up called: Icon?

Seems that I started to notice this behavior after upgrading the MBA recently to Monterey, could be a coincidence. However, when I delete the file named Icon? inside a folder, the Icon that I pasted on that folder will disappear. This is new oddity to me, anyone encounter this?

I haven't checked to see what triggers the behavior yet. I am wondering if the Icon? comes in when the external drive comes across the Monterey computer, will check later.

[Tiangou]

If you press Command+Shift+Period, does the "icon?" file disappear?

[SKYLANE]

So, currently sitting on my 2011 Mac mini (Catalina).

Tiangou - Based on your question, I have a file folder that has the "Icon?" in it. I pressed Command-Shift-Period and nothing happens to the file. If I delete it, the icon on its folder disappears. I can then re-paste it on the folder by copying it from another folder and pasting it back on through Get Info. When I do that, I do not see the "Icon?" reappear.

(1) I will have to see if it reappears after a reboot... I don't think that it will, I think I would have noticed it on this Catalina machine already with the time that I spend on it.

(2) I will have to take that external drive over to the Monterey computer and see if that causes the "Icon?" file to reappear.

[Tiangou]

What you're looking at is an invisible icon-file. It's perfectly normal for it to be present after you paste a custom icon in the "Info" window. But it's hidden by default.

Something is un-hiding it.

Tapping Command+Shift+Period toggles the view of invisible items on/off again. That didn't work. So, apparently, you did not have the option to view invisible items enabled.

It seems that something is making the file visible when it's not supposed to be.

Might be any number of things, including some misbehaving app or the file-system you're using on the removable drives. Can't be more specific with the info at-hand.

[SKYLANE]

Tiangou

I noticed that when I sat back down at computer this evening that several other folders "grayed" appeared, that I figured were typically invisible. The Icon? appeared "grayed" out as well. So, I hit the key strokes again that you suggested Command+Shift+Period again and now all the invisible files are gone - even the Icon? ... go figure.

Thanks for the tip!