How to change desktop icons in Windows
Did you know you can customize the Windows folder and shortcut icons? If you want to know how just read the simple instructions below.
How to create custom icons?
Paint
You can check our guide If you want to create custom icons with Paint.
Iconizer
Iconizer is a customizable icon generator that you can access from your browser. On the website, you will find a search engine where you need to enter keywords about the type of icon you want. For example, to change the Windows Media Player icon, you can try "player" and click Search icons.
Next, explore the results and select one to customize.
In the icon edit window, you can modify its color, brightness, saturation, transparency, size, angle of rotation, and background color. It is important that you select the top square, indicated with an arrow so that your icon has a transparent background. Make sure the file format is .ICO, then click Download to download it to your hard drive.
IcoFX
IcoFX is a more advanced icon editor that offers you specialized design tools, with different brush strokes, 1024x1024 resolution, and PNG compression. Currently, it is only possible to use its free version for 30 days and afterwards its license costs € 30.00. To know more about its features, follow this link.
How to add a custom icon to your desktop?
Check the location of your .ico file. It is most likely in your Downloads folder if you just downloaded it from Iconizer.
- Identify the folder or shortcut you want to customize either on the desktop or in Windows Explorer.
- If you want to change a shortcut's icon, right-click on it, select Properties > go to the tab named Shortcut > Change icon > Browse and select the icon image you created. Then click OK.
- If you want to change a folder's icon, right-click on it, select Properties, go to the tab named Customize > Change > Browse and select the icon image you created. Then click OK.