Change the appearance of icons in Windows. Start Windows programs with the specified parameters in the shortcut Change the windows 10 desktop icons

If you are tired of the default icon design in Windows 10 and 7, you can change it. Who needs monotonous folders that are no different from each other? After all, they can pick up individual icons. For books - a beautifully bound volume, for documents - a stack of papers with a paper clip, for music - sheet music, for games - a joystick. If you do the same for shortcuts and system catalogs, you get a unique theme. Find out how to change icons in Windows 7 and other versions. You can decide for yourself how the elements of the desktop will look.

There are several requirements for the picture. She must be:

  • Square.
  • In .ICO format.
  • Suitable in size (16 × 16, 32 × 32, 48 × 48 or 256 × 256).
  • Go to Start - Run.
  • In the window that opens, enter "regedit" without quotes and click "OK". The Registry Editor will appear.

  • Click File - Export.
  • Give your backup a name and specify where to save it. If something goes wrong, you can restore them all.

Now go to change the icons.

  1. Open the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder in the registry
  2. Go to "SOFTWARE".
  3. Then to Microsoft \\ Windows \\ CurrentVersion \\ Explorer.
  4. Right click on "Explorer".
  5. Item "Create - Section".
  6. Name it "Shell Icons". If such a directory already exists in the list, open it.
  7. Call the context menu in the right part of the window and select "New - Stock parameter".
  8. Write down type 3 (three).
  9. Right-click on the newly created parameter "3" ("Three").
  10. Item "Change".
  11. In the "Values" section, specify the path to the icon along with the file name and extension.
  12. If you have a 64-bit system, open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \\ SOFTWARE folder again.
  13. But this time go to Wow6432Node \\ Microsoft \\ Windows \\ CurrentVersion \\ explorer
  14. And repeat all the steps above.
  15. Restart your computer and enjoy the new look of icons.

Only edit the registry if you are well versed in the matter. Mix one parameter and errors will occur.

If you don't like the way folders and shortcuts look, you can change their icons. We only need pictures of a certain format. This will create a beautiful desktop.

Desktop icons are essential for quick access to the programs you need. Inexperienced users do not think about the possibility to change their settings, for example, increase or decrease the size. In Windows 10, it's easy to modify the desktop icons, you just need to read the instructions. Users can take advantage of several ways to help customize the icons to suit their needs.

How to change icon settings

The external display of shortcuts is easy to change, because the operating system offers several options for displaying shortcuts at once: small, standard and large. The person should place the cursor on a free area of \u200b\u200bthe desktop, and then press the right mouse button and select "View". All that remains is to activate the required option to change the current size of Windows 10 desktop icons.

In addition, the "View" section provides the following features:

  1. Hiding labels. The person will free up the entire workspace.
  2. Align objects.
  3. Arrange.

Using the above method, it is not difficult to reduce the icons on your desktop in Windows 10. To use other functions, you need to click on "View", and then activate the required option. A check mark will appear next to it if it is enabled.

There is another convenient way to change the size of the elements. To do this, you need to click on a free area on the desktop and go to the "Screen" section. Under the inscription "Change text, applications and other elements" is to move the slider. By default, it is 100%, but a person has the ability to adjust the parameters.

The size of the elements changes depending on the position of the slider.

How to fine tune the size of icons

Sometimes users want to customize the thumbnails according to their preferences, while the standard sizes do not suit. To make fine adjustments, hold down "CTRL" and turn the mouse wheel at this moment. If you move it down, then the value will become smaller. Moving up, the icons will become larger. In this case, 20 variations from the smallest to the largest become available.

If the laptop does not have a strip that replaces the mouse wheel, then this method will not work. There is a way out of the situation: connect a mouse to the device and follow the above scheme.

Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut:

  • To do this, you have to hold down Shift + CTRL + 1 at the same time. After that, the elements will become large.
  • Optionally, you can use the Shift + CTRL + 2 combination to make them slightly smaller in size.
  • Another combination Shift + CTRL + 3 gives the standard dimensions. If you simultaneously hold down Shift + CTRL + 4, then all elements on the desktop will become small.

Customize custom icon personalization

If desired, a person can change the appearance of the miniature. To do this, you will be able to use the options offered by the system, or upload your own images.

Procedure:

  1. You need to select the desired object and then click on the right mouse button. In the menu that appears, click on "Properties".
  2. Now I'm interested in the section "Label" - "Change Icon".
  3. You will be able to select system pictures, but if necessary, you will be able to upload your own.
  4. After selecting the desired image, you must click "OK" and repeat this action again.

If everything worked out correctly, then the appearance of the object will change. If necessary, it will be possible to return everything back using the above instructions.

How to add and remove your thumbnails

Separately, it is useful to consider the process of adding a thumbnail. It can be downloaded from the world wide web or prepared by yourself. To do this, again, you will have to do the following: click on "Properties" - "Shortcut" - "Change icon". Now you should activate "Browse" and specify the address to the desired picture.

Sometimes people don't like the result, so you want to return everything as it was. To do this, you will have to select the following function in the section: "Restore default values".

By following the instructions above, anyone can make icons unique by customizing their image and size. If necessary, you can always return to the previous appearance, so you can not be afraid to experiment. The main thing is to clearly adhere to the order of actions in order to achieve a good result.

We use various computer programs every day to perform a wide variety of tasks. Some of them have a large number of settings and possibilities, and in order to use all of them, you need to perform a lot of manipulations. For example, you regularly use several modes of the application, enter the username and password, use special modes. In addition to office workers, such opportunities are often needed by fans of computer games. All these manipulations can take a significant amount of effort and time, and can be simply annoying.

Reflection of application start conditions in the shortcut simplifies the work with programs.

It is worth noting that such a need, which was mentioned above, arises extremely rarely, and for the most part is solved without effort by the very settings of applications or games.

Based on this, the whole issue should be considered only as an additional opportunity for extended software launch, because the feasibility of such actions is questionable, and they will definitely not save time for the user.

The Windows operating system provides each user with the opportunity to register startup parameters in the program shortcut. As part of the issue in question, instead of switching between menu items, you can create several shortcuts with the desired parameters once, place them on the desktop or taskbar, and in Windows 8 and 10, and on the Start screen, and launch the program with the desired parameters with one click buttons.

All these parameters are written in shortcuts, which are special files with a link to the executable file. You do not need to go to the folder where the software is installed and look for the launch file every time. In this article, we will look at how to significantly expand your capabilities when working with software and learn how to write launch parameters in the command line of a shortcut on the desktop. We will divide the entire procedure into two stages.

Stage 1. Selecting the executable file and transferring the shortcut to the desktop

Despite the fact that in the overwhelming majority of cases, when installing software, the launch icon is placed on the desktop, in some cases this does not happen. Then you need to find the executable file yourself. How?

  1. When installing the application, carefully monitor which folder the installer prompts you to select. This is usually C: \\ Program Files or C: \\ Program Files (x86). Most developers provide the ability to independently select the default folder, but if you do not change the proposed option, the program will be installed in the specified folder.
  2. Using Windows Explorer, go to the directory where the software is installed and find the startup file. It has an exe extension. Often its name coincides with the name of the software itself. If you cannot decide, try to find out this information on the official website of the developer in the help section or in the technical support service.
  3. Click on the file name with the right mouse button and select the "Create shortcut" function.
  4. Confirm the system prompt “Windows cannot create a shortcut in this folder. Put it on your desktop? "

If you don't remember which folder the software is installed in, you can proceed as follows:

  1. Go to the Start menu, find the software you need in the list (you can even use the search function to speed up the process).
  2. Click on the name with the right mouse button and select Send - Desktop (create shortcut).

If you are using Windows 10, the procedure will be slightly different:

  1. Go to the start screen by pressing the Start button.
  2. Look for the program launch icon in the list of all applications or on the home screen.
  3. Right-click, select Advanced - Go to File Location.
  4. After the Windows Explorer window opens, copy the icon to the desktop through the context menu or simply drag it to the desired location.

Step 2. Specifying launch parameters

After we have successfully transferred the icon to the desktop, let's start specifying the necessary parameters in its properties. To do this, you need:

  1. Right-click on the icon and select "Properties".
  2. In the menu that opens, go to the "Shortcut" tab and find the line "Object". You will see that the input field is active in it. This is where we will write the necessary commands.
  3. After entering the required data at the bottom of the window, click Apply - OK.

What commands to register

Having figured out how to write the launch commands, let's try to figure out what to write. Unfortunately, there are no universal commands that work for absolutely all programs. Therefore, if you want to create shortcuts for quick launch with the specified parameters, you will have to study the program's help or contact the technical support service for developers.

Very often, such information is indicated on the official forums of the application or game. More experienced users or representatives of developers or copyright holders publish detailed information there.

Returning to what was said at the beginning of this article. The specification of parameters has received its greatest relevance during the period of massive interest in the game called "Counter-Strike". Why this interest has received such a spread specifically on "CS" is an ambiguous question, someone used it solely for entertainment, someone (like, for example, some professional players) in order to maximize the individualization of the gameplay.

For example, here is a list of options for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that some users use at launch:

Parameter Value
-novidDisable intro
-w 640 -h 480Installing an extension
-consoleConsole activation
-freq 120Setting a limit for the screen refresh rate
-highHigh priority startup
-condebugSaving logs
-lowLow priority startup
-noaafontsDisable anti-aliasing
-nosyncDeactivating vertical sync
-fullscreenRun in full screen mode
-language EnglishSetting the language

Conclusion

To what extent the given procedure is appropriate and relevant for the middle of 2019, it is up to everyone to decide for themselves, and in the comments we invite you to discuss this topic, as well as tell you about which programs you run with the launch parameters. This data may be useful to someone.

Modern technologies offer users a variety of screen resolution settings that produce a high-quality picture on the desktop. However, in this case, there is one unpleasant moment associated with the size of the icons: they simply become small (or too large) and are difficult to perceive visually. Therefore, many began to wonder about how to resize desktop icons in Windows 10? This can be done - just perform a couple of simple steps in accordance with our instructions.

First, we'll take a look at how to change the Windows 10 desktop icons using the mouse wheel. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the main desktop, hold down the Shift + Ctrl key combination and turn the mouse wheel up: this will enlarge all the desktop icons. If you turn the wheel down, the icons will decrease.

As you can see, this method is not so difficult and you can try it right away. And if you do not want to turn the wheel, then there is another option: using the context menu. To implement this method, do the following:

  1. Right-click on the desktop. In the window that appears, go to "View"... Then you choose which icon size you want to install.

There is nothing difficult in replacing icons: it is enough to follow all the recommendations and you will achieve the desired result.

How do I change the shortcuts in File Explorer?

Now let's try to figure out how to change the icon settings inside a separate window. To do this, follow the steps:

  1. Go to any folder where you want to change the icons. Press the right mouse button on an empty space. Go to "View"... Then it remains to think and select the item to which you want to change the settings.

As you can see, the choice is extensive, so we recommend checking each of them and only then settling on one. These changes apply exclusively to one window, so you can safely set individual settings for each folder.

There is another way to replace icons, which is done using the functions on the taskbar:

Open any folder. Go to "View" (top). A window with settings opens, where you can select the settings item that you need.

Feel free to use these methods of increasing and decreasing labels. These instructions can be used on both a personal computer and a laptop. And then we will look at what program can be used to edit the icons of the Windows 10 operating system.

We use the program Winaero Tweaker

Among the numerous software products, there is an application called Winaero Tweaker, which makes it possible to manipulate and change the settings of the visual part of Windows 10. Among all its functions there is an item responsible for changing the size of the icons, which we will use:

  1. First, follow the link, scroll down the page and click on the item « Download Winaero Tweaker» .
  1. In the next window, you need to scroll down a little and click on « Download Winaero Tweaker» .
  1. Wait while the archive with the installation file is downloaded, then open it and start the installation. Wait until the process is over, and open the program using the shortcut on the desktop.
  1. In the window that opens on the left, select the section " Icons» , and on the right we use two adjusters that are responsible for the horizontal and vertical size. After you set the desired values, you need to click on " Apply changes» .

The system will restart and you will see how the shortcuts on the desktop have changed.

In addition to the ability to change the scale of icons, this program has many other features that can change the rendering of other elements of Windows 10.

Previously, there was another program called Advanced Appearance Setup. It also made it possible to adjust the size of icons, although at the moment it disappeared from the list of available ones due to the termination of support from Windows. Therefore, now it will not be possible to use it.

Changing icons in the registry editor

The least popular way to change icon settings is through the Registry Editor. This is also a standard method, so to use it, you just need to follow these steps:

  1. Using the key combination Win + R, we call the launch window. Enter the command regedit and press Enter.

Over time, the look and feel of the "Desktop" can get pretty boring. Many users confine themselves to a simple wallpaper change. The fresh main window image, however, can be supplemented with new shortcut icons. How to change different types of icons, we will consider in this article.

Standard or third-party icons in ico format

First you need to decide what icons you need: classic from Microsoft, which are already stored in the PC's memory, or third-party images. In the second case, you must first create a picture yourself or find an image on the Internet. The main condition is that it must be small and have an ico extension.

You can find ready-made icon files with various designs on third-party resources and download them from there, and then install in any of the following ways, depending on the type of icon (folder, application shortcut or the main Windows icon). To search, use Google or Yandex services: enter the query "Desktop icons for Windows 10" in the line. The variety of icons available for download on the Internet is quite large: author's, thematic, standard for certain versions of Windows, and so on.

You can change icons for all shortcuts at the same time using an icon pack - a separate collection of icons packaged into one file with the dll extension. Such packages can also be downloaded from various sources. However, be careful when searching for and downloading such files: trust sites that have a mark that the files have been scanned by antivirus. Otherwise, you risk downloading a malicious program along with the file.

Photo Gallery: Icon Sets for the "Desktop"

The shortcuts on the "Desktop" can be non-standard, but they must be in the ico format. On the Internet you can find many original icons for folders. The Aero icon pack is suitable for users who love modern design. The choice of icons on the Internet is great: from simple to thematic and author's

How to change the appearance of the main icons on Windows 10

The main Windows icons on the "Desktop" are icons with the names "Trash", "My Computer", "Network", "User Files", "Control Panel" and some others. They are placed on the Desktop by default after installation. You can independently determine which of them should be present on it, and which should not. You also have the right to change their appearance in the system window "Options" or using third-party utilities.

Through the Windows Settings window

The easiest way to change the appearance of the main icon is to go to the window with system parameters:

  1. To make the "Options" window appear on the display, the easiest way is to simultaneously press two keys: Win + I. But this combination may not work. In this case, there is another way: click on the "Start" button in the lower left corner of the screen, and in the menu itself, select the second icon from the bottom - the gear.
    Click on the gear icon in the Start menu
  2. We get into a large menu "Options" with many sections. We need the last tile in the first row - "Personalization".
    In the "Options" window, click on the "Personalization" section
  3. The desired tabbed section will open. You can launch the same window in a different way: click on the "Desktop" on the area free of icons, and in the context menu select the very last item - "Personalization".
    Click on the item "Personalization" in the context menu of the "Desktop"
  4. Go to the "Themes" block.
    Go immediately from the "Background" tab to "Themes"
  5. In the right column with links to other windows and sections, click on the line "Desktop icons settings".
    Click on the link "Desktop icons settings" on the right side of the window
  6. On top of the "Parameters" a small window will open - select the desired icon in the menu with the left mouse button, for example, "This computer". Next, click on the "Change icon" button.
    Click on the icon you want to change and click on the "Change icon" button
  7. In the third window, select an icon from the list of standard Windows icons, or load your own using the "Browse" button.
    Choose an icon from the available ones or load your own using the "Browse" button
  8. If you chose the second option (loading your icons), the Explorer window will appear. We are looking for a folder with the desired icon file in the ico format. Click on the "Open" button and then click OK.
    Find the required ico file in the "Explorer" and click on "Open"
  9. In the "Icon Options" window, first click "Apply" for all changes to take effect. If you want to change the icon for other main Windows icons, repeat the same procedure for each of them. Click on "Apply" again and then on OK to close the window.

Using special utilities

There are many applications from various developers that allow you to change the icons of both the main shortcuts and other icons, for example, folder icons, beyond recognition. In programs, you can change both individual icons and all icons at once, that is, install the whole package.

IconPackager: Convenient and fine-tuning the appearance of icons

IconPackager is a product from Stardock, a company that develops utilities for customizing the Windows desktop interface. Several icon packs are preinstalled in this utility. There is also an opportunity to upload your own and change icons in the available collections, that is, create your own unique packages.

The utility supports versions of Windows higher than "seven". Its downside is that it is paid, but at the beginning a month of free testing is offered. Although the interface is in English, it is quite convenient to use the application:

  1. Open the official website of the app developer. To download the installer, click on the blue Try It Free button.
    Click on the blue Try It Free button to download the installer
  2. Run the installer and install the program following the simple instructions in the window.
  3. Click on the Finish button to bring up the application window on the display.
    Click on Finish to close the "Installation Wizard" and open the program window
  4. To start using the trial version, click on the Start 30 Day Trial button.
    Click on Start 30 Day Trial to start using the program for free for a month
  5. If you want to download a third-party icon that you downloaded from the Internet, in the Look & Feel tab, click on the Icon Package Options drop-down menu. We select the penultimate item Add Icon Package in it, and then Install from disk.
    Click on Add Icon Package and then select Install from disk to upload your collection
  6. In Windows Explorer, find the file with the icon pack and click on “Open” - the collection will be added to the list of currently available ones.
  7. You can also choose a theme from those presented in the list. Let's try to put, for example, Delta.
    Click on the Delta package below
  8. Click on Preview to preview all the icons in this pack. If you like them, close the second window and boldly click on the Apply icons to my desktop button.
    Click on Preview to preview the entire collection of icons
  9. If you want to put the old Windows icons back in place, just apply the first theme in the list - Windows Default Icons.
  10. In the Colors tab you can change the color, shade, brightness of the icons.
    In the Colors tab, adjust the color scheme of the available icons
  11. With the item I want to adjust the color of my Icon Package you can adjust the icons to the theme of your "Desktop" and to the color of the "Taskbar". For example, they can completely change the color to red if there is a Windows theme with that shade. After all the changes, click on Apply icons to my desktop.
    Icons can match the color of the current Windows theme
  12. In the Live Folders section, you can put separate icons for folders - live icons. To do this, check the box to the left of Always use the Live Folder icons selected below. Then just select the type of folders.
    In the Live Folders block, select individual icons for folders
  13. The Customize tab allows you to create your own icon packs. To change a specific icon, click on Change this Icon.
    The Customize section allows you to create your own collections and change those presented in the program
  14. In the new small window select from the available ones or add your own icon using the Browse button.
    In the Change Icon window, select an icon from those available in the menu, or upload your own using the Browse button
  15. When all changes are made to the package, click on Save Icon Package.
    Save changes to the icon package using the Save Icon Package option
  16. In a small window, confirm that you want to make changes to the package. After that, all settings should be successfully saved.
    Click "Yes" to confirm your intention to save the changes
  17. There are additional settings in the Settings section. In particular, you can determine which Windows icons should be changed and which ones should not be touched. Here you can enable the Cursors mouse pointer change.
    In the Settings tab, you can configure the change for certain types of icons: folders, files, main Windows icons and others

Video: how to install new icons using IconPackager

Se7en Theme Source Patcher: Free utility and large selection of packages

The application is intended to replace all classic icons of the "Desktop", local hard drives, folders, as well as icons of the "Control Panel". Initially, the program was created for the "seven", but now it supports other versions of Windows, in particular, our "ten".

The program uses the popular 7z compression format. The downside of the utility is that icon packs are not initially built into it. You need to download all collections on the same site from where you download the application, and then add them yourself to the utility database for further use. Nevertheless, the choice of packages on this resource is very large.

The advantage of this program is that it is free. Before replacing icons, the utility creates a restore point and a backup copy of system files so that you can return all Windows icons to their classic ones:

  1. Moving on to applications. Click on the "Download" button.
    Click on the "Download" button to download the executable file of the program
  2. Your browser will download the archive - open it, and in it right-click on the file and click on "Extract to ..." in the menu. Select a folder and unzip the archive.
    Click on "Extract to the specified folder" in the context menu of the file
  3. Find the extracted file, right-click on it again and click on the "Run as administrator" link in the context menu.
    In the context menu of the unpacked file, click on "Run as administrator"
  4. Allow this application to make changes on your PC by clicking "Yes" in the system window that appears. The application does not require installation, so its window will open immediately.
    Click "Yes" to allow the program to make changes on the device
  5. Pre-select and download the themes you like from the same site.
    Download the icon pack you like on the developer's site
  6. In the application window, click Add a Custom Pack.
    Click on the Add a Custom Pack button
  7. In Windows Explorer, select the downloaded icon pack archive and click Open.
    Find the file with the icon pack and click "Open"
  8. The collection will appear in the menu. At the bottom of the window there will be a Start Patching button. Click on it. The utility will ask if you need to create a restore point. Be sure to create - click "Yes".
    Give permission to back up before installing new icons
  9. Wait for the procedure to complete. After that, you need to reboot the device two times for the changes to take effect.
  10. Icon packs from this developer contain not only icons, but also some other elements of the Windows interface, for example, pictures to replace the clock, date, and even the Task Manager window. If you do not need them, before installing the collection, click on the Extra item. In the Option Menu, uncheck unnecessary items and click Save.
    In the Option Menu, remove unnecessary items that you do not want to change and click on Save
  11. If you want to restore classic Windows icons, click on the Restore button in the lower right corner in the program window. In the new window, check the box next to the first item and click on OK.
    To return to the default Windows icons, click Restore and then OK

It is imperative to install a new icon pack on a clean system, that is, on classic images of icons in Windows, and not on third-party icons. Therefore, pre-restore using the Restore button if you have icons that differ from the standard ones.

Video: how to set icons using the Theme Source Patcher utility

IconTo: app with built-in instructions for use

IconTo is a free application from the developer AleXStam that can change icons for system elements, folders, hard drive partitions or even their groups.


In IconTo you can change the icons of folders, system objects and hard disk partitions

It has the following advantages over other utilities:

  1. More than 300 built-in icons. There is also the option to upload your own icons.
  2. Instructions for installing icons: you will see tips at the bottom of the window.
  3. There is a conversion of png, jpg, ico formats, as well as an option to extract images from files in dll, exe and some other formats.
  4. The program interface is completely in Russian.

IconTo is suitable for all versions of Windows, from Windows 98 to the modern "ten". The size of the downloaded installer does not exceed 15.1 MB, so the utility can be used on computers with a small amount of memory. The application is available for download on the official website of the developer.

How to change the folder icon on Windows 10

If you want to highlight a certain folder on the general background of icons to make it more recognizable, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the folder shortcut with the right mouse button. In the menu that appears, click on the "Properties" item.
    In the context menu of the folder, select the item "Properties"
  2. A window with various sections will immediately appear on the display - go to the "Settings" tab. In the last section, click on the "Change Icon" button.
    In the "Settings" tab, click on the "Change icon" button
  3. Select an icon from the available ones: scroll to the right of the icon list to see all the shortcuts. If you have your own image with the required ico format and you want to put it exactly, click "Browse".

    Select an icon among the suggested ones or click on the "Browse" button if you have your own icon
  4. In the additional Windows Explorer window, find the folder where the image is stored. Left-click on it to select it, and then click on "Open".
    Find the desired icon in the form of a file with the extension ico in Windows Explorer
  5. For a convenient search, you can use the line with a magnifying glass - just enter the name of the icon file or the extension ico.
    Enter ico in the search box and find the file you need
  6. To save changes, click OK in the window with a list of available icons. After that, the folder icon will change.

How to replace all folder icons at the same time

To change the appearance of all folders, you need to resort to a more complex method - editing the registry in the system window. However, this method is not recommended for beginners: it is better to use the special programs described in the "Using special utilities" section of this article. If you are already a confident PC user, then you can perform manipulations in the system window:

  1. To call the system window "Registry Editor" simultaneously press the keys Win and R - a small panel "Run" with a single line "Open" will open. In it we type the regedit command. For the system to execute it, click on OK or press Enter.
    In the "Run" window write the command regedit
  2. In the next window, click "Yes". This will give the "Registry Editor" permission to make changes on the computer.
    Click "Yes" to allow the system utility to make changes on the device
  3. First, let's make a backup in case of incorrect editing of the registry. On the top panel, find the item "File" and click on it with the left mouse button. In the menu that appears, click on "Export".
    In the "File" menu, select the "Export" item
  4. In a new window that opens, select the folder in which the copy will be stored. We give the appropriate name to the file. Then click “Save”.
    We name and save a copy in any folder
  5. Now you can start editing. Double click on the third main branch - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
    Open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder by double clicking
  6. One by one, go to the following blocks on the same left side of the window: Microsoft - Windows - CurrentVersion - Explorer - Shell Icons.
    The Shell Icons folder should be in the Explorer section
  7. If you did not find the last Shell Icons folder, create this section yourself: right-click on the Explorer section, select "New" in the context menu, and then click on the "Section" item. We name it appropriately.
    If you do not have a Shell Icons folder, create it using the context menu of the Explorer section
  8. Click on Shell Icons. On the right panel, right-click on an empty area to open the menu. In it, select "Create", and then - "String parameter". We indicate the number 3 as the name for the new registry entry.
    Click on the "Create" item, and then - "String parameter"
  9. Right-click on it and select "Change". You can also just double-click on it with the left mouse button.
    Click on "Change" in the context menu of the newly created parameter
  10. In a small window in the line for the value of the record, insert the path to the file, where its name and extension ico must be indicated. Click on OK.
    In the line "Value" write the path to the ico file, which should be set as an icon
  11. If you are on a 64-bit system, the path to the final Shell Icons folder in the left pane will be slightly different: Wow6432Node - Microsoft - Windows - CurrentVersion - Explorer. Then we repeat the same steps as for a 32-bit system.
  12. Close all windows and reboot the device. After starting the OS, you will see that the icons of all folders have changed.

Change application shortcut icon

If you are tired of the old icons of shortcuts of your programs, try replacing them. For example, let's take the shortcut of the popular Google Chrome browser:

  1. We are looking for the desired icon on the "Desktop" (in our case, it is the "Google Chrome" icon). We click on it with the right mouse button to open a context menu with a list of options. We select the same item as in the case of changing the folder icon - "Properties".
    Click on the "Properties" item in the context menu of the Google Chrome shortcut
  2. You will immediately be taken to the desired tab - "Shortcut". Click on the middle button "Change icon".
    In the "Label" section, click on the "Change icon" button
  3. A window similar to the one in the instructions for changing the folder icon will appear on the display. Here, however, there won't be such a large selection of icons. As a source, we specify not the system library, but the chrome.exe executable file. We make a choice, for example, in favor of the original yellow icon. Click on OK.
    Select an icon from the available ones or upload your file with the extension ico
  4. In the window with the properties of the shortcut, first click "Apply". The system will ask for permission to make changes. Click on the "Continue" button.
    Click on the "Continue" button to save all changes
  5. After that, click on OK - the window will close, and the icon icon will change.
  6. If you want to change the shortcut icon to your own, use the Browse button to upload your own file with a third-party image.

How to create an icon yourself

If you want to install your image (drawn or downloaded from any site) with the png or jpg extension as an icon, you need to reduce its size if necessary using the standard Windows Paint utility, and then convert it to an ico file using special services - converters.

An easier way is to use the services of online and software icon generators, which are already configured to create files with a certain format and other parameters, for example, image sizes. For example, let's take the IcoFX program, which combines an icon generator and a tool for drawing and editing pictures. It is paid, but its developer, IcoFX Software, provides 30 days of free use. How to use it, we will tell in the instructions:

  • Run the installer and select the language in the small window that appears. Unfortunately, Russian is not there, so we put English. Click on OK, and in the next window agree to the terms of use of the application. Click on Install.
  • We are waiting for the installation to complete, then click Finish in the window with a checkmark next to Launch IcoFX.
  • In the utility window, select the Windows Icon From Image section if you already have an image.
    On the initial page of the program, click on Windows Icon From Image if you want to upload an image
  • Select the file with the picture in the "Explorer".

    This will launch a page with a set of image editing tools
  • You probably want to remove the background and leave only the item for the icon. To remove it, click on the magic wand in the left panel called Magic Wand.
    Click on the Magic Wand on the left vertical panel
  • Click on the background twice - a dotted line will appear. In the left panel, select a paint tool, for example, Brush ("Brush"). On the right side of the window, click on the checkerboard colored tile.
    In the right pane, select the checkerboard tile to make the background transparent
  • With a brush, draw over the area bounded by the dotted line. After that, the background will also change to a checkerboard-colored image. This will mean that it is transparent.
  • In the top menu, select the File item, and then click Save as.
    Click Save to save the edited image
  • Choose a place to store the icon and give it a name. Click on "Save".
    Find the folder where you want to save the future icon and click on "Save"
  • If you want to draw a future icon yourself, click on New Windows Icon in the initial window. In the next window, decide on the color quality (it is better to set True Color) and the size of the icon.
    Select the size and quality of the color of the future drawing
  • In the editor, draw an icon using the available tools: brush, pencil, fill and others. If you want it to be flat, use the Line tool.
  • When the picture is ready, save it via the Save as option in the File menu and set it as an icon.
  • If you are no longer attracted by the look of the old icons on the "Desktop", change them either to other classic icons for Windows, or to your own - any small images in ico format found on the Internet or drawn by yourself. To change icons, you can use both built-in Windows tools and third-party applications.

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