Menu
How to change a Folder's Icon

If you're a heavy computer user, you have many different folders for your documents, spread sheets, pictures, music and other things. In previous articles, I mentioned that the quickest way to access the files on your computer is to put them on your desktop.

Folders all use the same beige-colored icon

But whether viewing your folders in Windows Explorer or on the desktop, one thing that can slow you down is that they all use the same beige-colored icon. Fortunately, it's easy to change a folder's icon.

Change Icon dialog box

1. Right-click on the folder, and in the popup menu that appears, select Properties.
2. In the folder's Properties dialog box, select the Customize tab.
3. On the Customize page, near the bottom of the page, click on the [Change Icon...] button.
4. In the Change Icon for ... folder dialog box that appears, select an icon from the list, then click on the [OK] button.

The icons displyed in the list are all embbeded in the file Shell32.dll in the System32 folder. If you don't like these icons, click on the [Browse...] button and browse to a different file (.exe .dll or .ico) in the System32 folder, or any other folder. When you click on the [OK] button, Windows will either display the icons embedded in the file, or give you the message: "file contains no icons".

5. In the folder's Properties dialog box, click on the [Apply], then the [OK] button.

Folders all use different icons

With different icons it's easy to locate the folder you need.

More Windows Tips:
• Three Ways to Force a Program to Close
• How to Fully Customize your Desktop
• Windows 7 - Rename a Group of Files Simultaneously
• Make PDF eBooks Read Themselves Outloud
• How to Configure Windows 7 Autoplay
• How To Build A Mortgage Calculator For Free in Microsoft Excel
• Turn Off Windows 7 Taskbar Preview Thumbnails
• Uninstall Windows Live Messenger From Windows 7
• Disable Media Player Network sharing
• Put a Help and Support Center Shortcut on Your Desktop