On your monitor screen there is a large number of different folders and icons having standard view. Perhaps you are tired of their usual look and would like to change it. It's possible! But in order to do this, you need to download some collection of different icons for files and folders. For example this one.

Download icon set. IN this set icons in two formats.

How to change a folder icon.

To replace the folder icon, move the cursor over the desired folder and press the right mouse button. A list will appear. Select “Properties” in it.

A window with icons will appear. You can choose your favorite folder icon from this list or select an icon from downloaded icons.

If you want to select an icon among the icons you have downloaded, then to do this, click the “Browse” button, go to the folder with icons, select the one you like among them and click “Open”, then click “OK” in the windows that appear. The icon you like will be applied to the folder.

For example, here is the folder that I got.

How to change a file icon?

Let's do it the same way! Click on the file right click mouse, go to the “Properties” section, but here go to the “Shortcut” tab, click “Change Icon”.

By following these simple rules, you can gradually change all the folder and file icons to the ones you like best. The folder icons are all the same, so they most often need to be replaced. Then you will be able to distinguish them not only by name, but also by color and shape.

Now that you have tidied up your folder icons, you need to figure out how easy they are to use. Some programs are better used in portable version, so that in case of emergency you always have them at hand, namely on a flash drive. However, in this case, folders with programs become like a dump, and searching for an .exe file in them to launch becomes inconvenient. You can solve this problem by creating separate shortcuts located in the root of the flash drive. These “smart guys” run everything on their own necessary programs on absolutely any computer, regardless of where you place the storage device.

2. Return to its root and click on an empty space with the right mouse button. Now select the “Create” and “Shortcut” functions.

3. After that, we need to specify the path to it like this:

%windir%\system32\cmd.exe /C start /B /D \*path to the program folder* \*path to the program folder*\*file name.exe*

When you write it, don’t forget to include the backslash “\“. In our case it looks like this:

%windir%\system32\cmd.exe /C start /B /D \Soft\OpenOffice \Soft\OpenOffice\X-ApacheOpenOffice.exe

A small footnote: if you decide to place all the shortcuts in a separate folder, creating an additional one in the root of the flash drive, indicate on the command line that it will need to go back to this folder. Just put a dot as the first slash. In our specific case it looks like this:

%windir%\system32\cmd.exe /C start /B /D .\Soft\OpenOffice .\Soft\OpenOffice\X-ApacheOpenOffice.exe

6. To window command line was not displayed at startup, select the “Collapsed to icon” function in the “Window” field:

7. Right on the tab at the bottom of the window, click the “Change icon” button, and then in the window that appears, open the program’s executable file, since this is what we are creating the shortcut for. We mark it and click “OK” - the same as in the properties window.

8. Now the shortcut will automatically change its icon, and we can launch the program from the root of the flash drive. You can easily transfer this folder, along with the program and shortcut, to any comfortable spot. In this case, they will work normally, maintaining the relative path from the shortcut to the working executable file.

We hope that each of our articles helps you become more confident and not be afraid of any actions when working with a computer. Have a positive working mood!

Some of the basic computer concepts are things like file, shortcut, and folder.

Each of these digital units interacts with each other in one way or another, and any user needs to understand the differences between one and the other.

This article will help you understand what packages, folders and shortcuts are for, as well as what is generally meant by these names.

What is a file

It’s worth starting the analysis of this concept with an explanation of how it works in general. file system computer.

So, everyone hard drive has its own volume, calculated in computer measures - bytes.

Relatively speaking, these bytes represent cells, each of which is occupied by information.

The number of these cells that is needed to install a program or transfer any data to media is also indicated as a number - volume.

However, the whole point is that the PC does not perceive interconnected cells as different data. It compiles them into packages.

In other words, a file is a group of interconnected information cells that take up space on the hard drive.

It is very important that in order for the computer to perceive the occupied area as a single whole, it must be named the same - and that is why we cannot create two documents with the same name.

Each file has its own format, which determines its content, as well as the application in which it will be opened.

Here are examples of the most common ones:

  • .exe is a so-called executive file. His task is simultaneous launch workflows specified in the program.
  • .doc – format text documents applications Microsoft Word. For versions older than 2010, the format was modified to .docx.
  • .mp3 – audio format.
  • .avi – video format.
  • .dll is a format for operating system functions that cannot be opened by the user.
  • .jpg – format of images and drawings.
  • .pdf – image format for the application Adobe Acrobat Reader.

These are the most common formats, but in fact there are many more of them.

It is worth making a note that the user can create files with the same names, but in different formats.

In addition, it is worth understanding that the shortcut and folders, which will be discussed further, are also files, but they are private options that differ from others.

What is a folder

In fact, this is the same program, only its functions are very different from the rest of the capabilities of ordinary information packages.

They were created specifically to make it more convenient for users to structure information on their hard drive.

A folder is a special type of file that serves as a container for larger layers of information.

It is displayed in any operating system as an image of a stationery package, and also has its own names.

Just like regular packages, folders cannot have the same name, but here the restriction is more lenient - two identical names cannot exist only within the same place of creation.

If, say, you create one on drive C and the other on drive D, then you can name them whatever you like.

The entire folder system is divided into levels. The very first one that needs to be opened to access files is indicated first.

If there are other similar containers in it, then they are indicated at the second level, and so on.

Although most often these packages are created by the user independently, or at his request, there are applications that create folders without the user’s knowledge.

Below are examples of such folders:

  • Spacekace is a place that is created by a special driver update program. Most often it appears in root directory system disk. The software is called DriverDoc, and if it is not already installed, then you can safely delete this container.
  • NNU is another file that appears after installing third-party software without the user’s knowledge. This is also the place where updates are stored, but for a different program - Navigator.

In addition, there are system folders that are created by the OS itself. These include winevt, which stores information needed to run Windows.

It is highly not recommended to remove or perform any manipulations with them, since this may cause malfunctions and the subsequent need to reinstall the system.

What is a shortcut

A shortcut is also a special type of package that was made to facilitate the process of launching software or opening containers of information.

It also aims to eliminate the need to constantly dig through the contents of the hard drive, and instead keep the buttons to launch the application in one place.

Essentially, a shortcut is a pointer through which the computer understands which program should be launched in a given case.

In the properties of each such package there is a clearly defined path to the location and a specific indication of what needs to be launched.

This way you can quickly open folders and programs. Usually shortcuts are created immediately when installing a new software, or are generated by the user independently as needed.

In general, this is all that can be said about the differences between files, shortcuts and folders.

You need to understand that the first is a collective concept that denotes all the information stored on a PC, while the second and third are special cases that facilitate and structure work with a computer.

Therefore, if you need to quickly launch your favorite game, then you should create a shortcut, and if you want to structure your document storage, then in this case you cannot do without containers.

Shortcuts on the computer desktop. What it is? How are they different from folders and files? How to create a shortcut on the desktop, and what happens if you delete it? Is it possible to change the shortcut icon? You will find answers to all these questions in this lesson.

While working on the Windows 10 operating system, you probably noticed that you spend too much time trying to open the Start menu, find required folder or program, open this folder or run the program, and return back to the desktop. But all this can be done much faster and easier. All you need to do is create a shortcut and place it on your desktop.

Shortcuts on the computer desktop



What is a shortcut

Label is just an icon that links to a program or file, so it doesn't take up system resources or affect your computer's performance. A shortcut, unlike a folder or file, has very few " ". Therefore, it is much safer and more convenient to keep shortcuts on the desktop rather than folders.

How does a shortcut differ from a file and a folder?

The shortcut has a small arrow in the lower left corner. If this arrow is not there, then you are working with the source.

If you copy a shortcut to a flash drive, it will not open on another computer, because... This is not a file, but just a shortcut. Many novice computer users do not know the difference between a shortcut and a file, and do not understand why this happens.

In order not to endlessly open the menu and search for the required folder or program in it, you can create shortcuts on the desktop. To do this you need to do the following:

  • Folders and documents. Open, right-click on the folder or document to which you need access, and select in context menu team Send and then the option Desktop (create shortcut). And a shortcut to this folder or file will appear on your Desktop.



You can simply select any folder or disk icon with the left mouse button, and without releasing the mouse button, drag it to the Desktop.

  • Web sites. Open the browser from which you access the Internet. Roll it up so that the desktop is visible. Select the link in the address bar, left-click on it, and without releasing the mouse button, drag the link to the desktop and release. You now have a shortcut to this site. Just double-click on it with the mouse and the browser will start and the page of this site will open.


Can a shortcut be moved and deleted?

  • The shortcut can be moved to another location. It will still work. But if you move the object to which it refers to another place, you will need to create a new shortcut and delete the old one.
  • If you delete the shortcut, nothing bad will happen. Only the shortcut itself will be deleted, and all the files it refers to will remain intact and unharmed.

How to find out the name of the program that a shortcut refers to and where it is located

  • In order to find out what program this shortcut launches and where it is located, you need to right-click on this shortcut and select the command in the context menu Properties. A window will open in which in the field An object the path to it and its name will be specified.

How to change a shortcut icon

You can change the shortcut icon. To do this, right-click on it and select the item in the drop-down menu Properties, go to tab Label, and click the button below Change icon.

If you want to give the folder an original look, then change the folder icon. I'm not talking about those that are already in the system, but specifically your icon from your photos or from any images.

You can make a folder icon (icon) from your photo in standard programPaint, which everyone should have in the operating room windows system 7

Believe me, with your icons it will be much easier and faster for you to find the folder you need without reading the text (folder name)


Here small example. This type of folder speeds up searching among a large number of similar folders.

Find the program “Paint” you can through “Start” and “All Programs” Launch it and drag the picture into the program window. And it’s even easier to call up the context menu by right-clicking on the image you want to use as an icon. Select “Edit” The “Paint” program will open

Create an icon in Paint

And first of all, what we must do is cut out the desired part of the image. In addition, they should be cut so that all sides are the same size. If you do not adjust the aspect ratios, the icon will be square and the image will be flattened.

We cut it off. On the program panel, select the “Select” tool. In the selection parameters, specify the shape “ Rectangular area“Use the left mouse button to select a fragment of the photo. Hold down the key and watch how the size changes in the bottom panel of the program.


Adjust the size, press the “Crop” button


Now the photo is square, let's continue.

After cropping, change the size of the future icon. Click “Change size” Change in pixels and enter the size 64 vertically and horizontally. Save “OK”



Put your icon on the folder

We have everything ready, apply it to the folder. Place the cursor over any folder and use the right mouse button to bring up the menu. At the very bottom of the list, go to the item “properties” Next “Settings” And at the bottom the button “Change icon..”


A window will open with system icons. But we don’t need them, we want to use our own image. Then go to the overview and look for our just created icon.

By the way, you may not find it in Explorer, since our image is not an icon in the “ ico” To see it, select display “All files *.* “


Now everything is fine, click “ OK

It's that simple. The folder has become different from the others, and it will be easier for us to navigate when searching for it.

But that is not all. You can also apply your own icons to shortcuts. Look how they look on my desktop.


A trick that will make your computer immortal!

Today my colleagues from the ClubPro team are talking for the first time about a trick that makes your computer invulnerable to any adversity:

Thanks to this trick, your computer will be in perfect condition after every reboot.

At the same time, even if the day before you caught a virus, deleted system folders or broke Operating system, all you have to do is restart your computer, and it will work as before again.

Using this approach, you will never again have to regularly clean your computer, reinstall the Operating System, call a technician, etc. The computer will always be in the same state after every reboot.

How it works and how to implement it this technology already on New Year's holidays, look here.

Over time, the appearance of the “Desktop” can become quite boring. Many users limit themselves to simply changing the wallpaper. The fresh picture of the main window, however, can be supplemented with new shortcut icons. We’ll look at how to change different types of icons 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 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 different designs on third-party resources and download them from there, and then install them in any of the following ways, depending on the type of icon (folder, application shortcut, or main Windows icon). To search, use Google services or Yandex: enter the request “Desktop icons for Windows 10” in the line. The variety of icons available for download on the Internet is quite large: copyrighted, thematic, standard for certain Windows versions And so on.

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

Photo gallery: icon sets for the “Desktop”

Shortcuts on the “Desktop” can be non-standard, but they must be in 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 large: from simple to thematic and custom ones

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

Main Windows icons on the “Desktop” - 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 “Options” window 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 “Settings” 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 find ourselves in a large “Options” menu 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 section with tabs will open. You can launch the same window in another way: click on the “Desktop” in an area free of icons, and in the context menu select the very last item - “Personalization”.
    Click on the “Personalization” item in the context menu of the “Desktop”
  4. Go to the “Topics” block.
    Immediately go from the “Background” tab to “Themes”
  5. In the right column with links to other windows and sections, click on the line “Desktop icon settings”.
    Click on the “Desktop Icon Settings” link on the right side of the window
  6. A small window will open on top of the “Settings” - select the desired icon from 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 upload your own using the “Browse” button.
    Select an icon from among the available ones or upload your own using the “Browse” button
  8. If you chose the second option (uploading your icons), the Explorer window will appear. We are looking for the folder with the desired icon file in ico format. Click on the “Open” button and then click OK.
    Find the one you need in Explorer ico file 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 main shortcuts and other icons, for example, folder icons, beyond recognition. In programs, you can change individual icons or all icons at once, that is, install an entire package.

IconPackager: convenient and fine-tuning the appearance of icons

IconPackager is a product from Stardock, which develops utilities for customizing the Windows desktop interface. This utility comes pre-installed with several icon packs. It is also possible to upload your own and change icons in the available collections, that is, create your own unique packages.

The utility supports Windows versions higher than version seven. The downside is that it is paid, but at the beginning it offers a month of free testing. Although the interface is English language, using the application is quite convenient:

  1. Open the official website of the application 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 by following simple instructions in the window.
  3. Click on the Finish button so that the application window appears on the display.
    Click on Finish to close the “Setup Wizard” and open the program window
  4. To start using 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 previously downloaded from the Internet, in the Look & Feel tab, click on the Icon Package Options drop-down menu. Select the penultimate item Add Icon Package, and then Install from disk.
    Click on Add Icon Package and then select Install from disk to download 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 select a topic from those presented in the list. Let's try to install, 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 feel free to click on the Apply icons to my desktop button.
    Click on Preview to preview the entire icon collection
  9. If you want to return the old ones Windows icons in place, just apply the first theme in the list - Windows Default Icons.
  10. In the Colors tab you can change the color, hue, and brightness of the icons.
    In the Colors tab, set color scheme available icons
  11. Using the I want to adjust the color of my Icon Package item, you can adjust the icons to the theme of your “Desktop” and the color of the “Taskbar”. For example, they can completely change the color to red if there is a Windows theme with that tint. After all changes, click on Apply icons to my desktop.
    Icons can take on 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 simply select the folder type.
    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 Change this Icon.
    The Customize section allows you to create your own collections and change those presented in the program
  14. In a 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 key
  15. When all changes to the package have been made, click on Save Icon Package.
    Save changes to the icon pack using the Save Icon Package option
  16. In the small window, confirm that you want to make changes to the package. After this, all settings should be saved successfully.
    Click "Yes" to confirm your intention to save the changes
  17. In the Settings section there is additional settings. In particular, you can determine which Windows icons need to be changed and which ones should not be touched. Here you can enable changing the mouse pointer Cursors.
    In the Settings tab you can configure changes for certain types of icons: folders, files, main Windows icons and others

Video: how to install new icons using the IconPackager program

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

The application is designed to replace all classic desktop icons, local hard drives, folders, and Control Panel icons. 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 it does not initially have built-in icon packs. 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 selection 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 backup copy system files so that you can return all Windows icons to the classic ones:

  1. Let's move 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 in the menu click on “Extract to...”. Select a folder and unzip the archive.
    Click on “Extract to specified folder” in the file’s context menu
  3. Find the extracted file, right-click on it again and in the context menu click on the “Run as administrator” link.
    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 to your device
  5. Pre-select and download the themes you like from the same site.
    Download your favorite icon pack from the developer’s website
  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 archive with the icon pack 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 it - click “Yes”.
    Give permission to create a backup before installing new icons
  9. Wait for the procedure to complete. After this, you need to reboot the device twice for the changes to take effect.
  10. Icon packs from this developer contain not only icons, but also some other elements Windows interface, for example, pictures to replace the appearance of the clock, date, and even the Task Manager window. If you don’t need them, click on Extra before installing the collection. 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 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 OK.
    To return the default Windows icons, click Restore and then OK

You must install a new icon pack on a clean system, that is, on classic icon images in Windows, and not on third-party icons. Therefore, do a preliminary restoration using the Restore key if you have icons other than the standard ones.

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

IconTo: application with built-in instructions for use

IconTo- free application from the developer AleXStam, which 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 drive 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: at the bottom of the window you will see hints.
  3. There is a conversion png formats, jpg, ico, as well as the option to extract images from files in dll, exe and some other formats.
  4. The program interface is entirely in Russian.

IconTo is suitable for all versions of Windows, from Windows 98 to modern Windows 10. 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 developer's official website.

How to change folder icon on Windows 10

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

  1. Right-click on the folder shortcut. In the menu that appears, click on “Properties”.
    In the folder context menu, select “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 the list of icons to the right to see all the shortcuts. If you have your own image with in the required format ico and you want to install it, click “Browse”.

    Select an icon from those offered or click on the “Browse” button if you have your own icon
  4. In the additional window " Windows Explorer» Locate the folder where the image is stored. Left-click on it to select it, and then click on “Open”.
    Find the desired icon as a file with the .ico extension 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 ico extension.
    IN search bar enter ico and search required file
  6. To save changes, click OK in the window with a list of available icons. After this, the folder icon will change.

How to replace all folder icons at once

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 special programs described in the section “Using special utilities" In this article. If you are already a confident PC user, then you can perform manipulations in the system window:

  1. To open the “Registry Editor” system window, press the Win and R keys simultaneously - a small “Run” panel will open with a single line “Open”. In it we type the command regedit. For the system to execute it, click on OK or press Enter.
    In the Run window, type the command regedit
  2. In the next window, click “Yes”. This will give permission to the “Registry Editor” to make changes on the computer.
    Click Yes to allow system utility make changes on the device
  3. First, let's make a backup copy in case the registry was edited incorrectly. On the top panel, find the “File” item and left-click on it. In the menu that appears, click on “Export”.
    In the “File” menu, select “Export”
  4. In the new window that opens, select the folder in which the copy will be stored. Give the appropriate name to the file. Then click “Save”.
    Name and save a copy in any folder
  5. Now you can start editing yourself. Double-click on the third main branch - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
    Open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder by double clicking
  6. We go one by one to the following blocks in the same left part of the window: Microsoft - Windows - CurrentVersion - Explorer - Shell Icons.
    The Shell Icons folder should be located 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 “Create” in the context menu, and then click on the “Section” item. Let's name it accordingly.
    If you don't have a Shell Icons folder, create one using the context menu of the Explorer section
  8. Click on Shell Icons. In the right panel, right-click on an empty area to open the menu. In it, select “Create”, and then - “String parameter”. As a name for new entry register, indicate the number 3.
    Click on “Create” and then “String Parameter”
  9. Right-click on it and select “Edit”. You can also simply double-click on it with the left mouse button.
    Click on “Edit” in the context menu of the newly created parameter
  10. In a small window, in the line for the entry value, insert the path to the file, where its name and ico extension must be indicated. Click on OK.
    In the “Value” line we write the path to the ico file, which should be set as an icon
  11. If you have a 64-bit system, the path to the final Shell folder The icons on the left panel will be slightly different: Wow6432Node - Microsoft - Windows - CurrentVersion - Explorer. Next, we repeat the same steps as for the 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.

Changing the application shortcut icon

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

  1. We look for the desired icon on the “Desktop” (in our case it is the “Google Chrome” icon). Right-click on it to open a context menu with a list of options. Select the same item as in the case of changing the folder icon - “Properties”.
    Click on “Properties” 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 “Shortcut” 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, it will not be like that big choice icons We do not indicate as a source system library, and the executable file chrome.exe. 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 own file with the ico extension
  4. In the shortcut properties window, first click “Apply”. The system will ask 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 set your image (drawn or downloaded from any site) with a png or jpg extension as an icon, you need to reduce its size if necessary using the standard Windows utilities Paint 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 specific 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. We'll tell you how to use it in the instructions:

  • We launch the installer and select the language in the small window that appears. Unfortunately, there is no Russian there, so we put in English. Click on OK, and in the next window we agree to the terms of use of the application. Click on Install.
  • We wait for the installation to finish, then click Finish in the window with the checkbox next to Launch IcoFX.
  • In the utility window select Windows partition Icon From Image if you already have an image.
    On home page program click on Windows Icon From Image if you want to load an image
  • Select the file with the image in Explorer.

    A page will open with a set of tools for editing the image.
  • You will probably want to remove the background and leave only the item itself for the icon. To remove it, click on magic wand on the left panel called Magic Wand.
    Click on the Magic Wand on the left vertical panel
  • Double-click on the background and a dotted line will appear. In the left panel, select a paint tool, for example, Brush. On the right side of the window, click on the tile with the chessboard color.
    In the right panel, select a tile with a checkerboard pattern to make the background transparent
  • With a brush we draw over the area limited dotted line. After this, the background will also change to an image with a checkerboard coloring. This will mean that it is transparent.
  • IN top menu select File, and then click Save as.
    Click Save to save the edited image
  • We choose a place to store the icon and give it a name. Click on “Save”.
    Find the folder in which you want to save the future icon and click on “Save”
  • If you want to draw the future icon yourself, click on New Windows Icon in the initial window. In the next window, decide on the quality of the colors (it’s better to set True Color) and the size of the icon.
    Select the size and color quality of the future drawing
  • In the editor we draw an icon using available tools: brushes, pencils, fills and others. If you want it to be even, use Line.
  • When the drawing is ready, save it using the Save as option in the File menu and set it as an icon.
  • If you are no longer attracted by the look of 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 yourself. To change icons you can use them as built-in icons Windows tools, and third-party applications.