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How to Restore Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
Information
This will show you how to restore the default folder icon for all of your personal User folder icons in Windows 7 for both the Start Menu and C:\Users\(user-name) locations.
EXAMPLE: Default Windows 7 Personal User Folders Icons
2. In the lower box, click on your User Name folder to highlight it in blue. (See screenshot above)
3. Click on the Restore Default button. (See screenshot above)
A) Click on Apply. NOTE:If it did not restore the default User Name folder icon, then proceed to step 4.
B) Go to step 5.
4. Click on the Change Icon button. (See screenshot below step 1)
A) If not already in the top line, then click on the Browse button and browse to C:\Windows\system32\imageres.dll. (See screenshot below)
B) Select the default User Name folder icon and click on OK. (See highlighted in blue icon in the screenshot above)
5. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 1)
OPTION TWO
Restore Default User Folders Icons
METHOD ONE
Through User Folder Properties
Note
This option will be for all of the user folders in the C:\Users\(user-name) folder except the User Name folder itself (OPTION ONE).
Tip
To be able to change the Contacts and/or Desktop user folder icon, you can click on the Download button below to download the .reg files that enable the Customize tab in these user folders Properties page. After you download the .reg file, double click on it to merge it. You can then follow the steps in this OPTION below to change the icon.
To Restore (remove Customize tab) Default Contacts User Folder -
To Enable (add Customize tab) Changing Contacts User Folder Icon -
To Restore (remove Customize tab) Default Desktop User Folder -
To Enable (add Customize tab) Changing Desktop User Folder Icon -
1. Open the C:\Users\(user-name) folder. WARNING:This must be done at this location. It will not work by opening the user folder from the Start Menu location.
2. Right click on the user folder icon that you want to restore default, and click on Properties. (See screenshot above)
3. Click on the Customize tab, and Change Icon button. (See screenshot below)
4. Click on the Restore Defaults button. (See screenshot below)
5. Click on OK. (See screenshot below step 3)
6. If the user folder icon has still not been restored to the default icon, then do Method Two below.
METHOD TWO
Through Desktop.ini File
NOTE:This option will be for all of the user folders in the C:\Users\(user-name) folder except the User Name folder itself (OPTION ONE).
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Type in the Shell command (see table below) for the User folder icon that you want to restore default, and press Enter. NOTE:This will open the personal user folder.
4. Click on the Download link below to download the default Desktop.ini file, in a ZIP file, for the User folder icon that you want to restore to default. NOTE:The Desktop.ini file is a .txt file that contains the user folder settings in it.
7. Right click on the Desktop.ini file in the extracted folder, and click on Properties, General tab, the Unblock button, and OK. (See screenshot below) NOTE: If there is not an Unblock button, then it already is unblocked. Proceed to step 8.
8. Right click on the Desktop.ini file, and click on Copy.
9. Right click on an empty space in the main part of the user folder window from step 2 above, and click on Paste.
10. If prompted, click on Copy and Replace, then close the user folder window from step 2. (See screenshot below)
12. In the elevated command prompt, type the command below for the user folder icon that you want to restore to default. (See table below) NOTE:This will set the user folder as Read-only. You can Copy and Paste these to make it easier for you. WARNING: If you had changed the default location of your user folder, then you will need to type the full path of it's new location after attrib +r instead of the default %USERPROFILE% location below. For example, attrib +r D:\New location
User Folder
Command
Contacts
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Contacts /S /D
Desktop
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Desktop /S /D
Documents
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Documents /S /D
Downloads
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Downloads /S /D
Favorites
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Favorites /S /D
Links
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Links /S /D
Music
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Music /S /D
Pictures
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Pictures /S /D
Saved Games
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\"Saved Games" /S /D
Searches
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Searches /S /D
Videos
attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Videos /S /D
13. Close the elevated command prompt.
14. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.
15. Confirm that the folder icon is back to normal.
16. In Folder Options, set protected operating system files to be hidden again. NOTE:Use step 5 in OPTION ONE at the link in this step
17. You can delete the downloaded files (step 4) on your desktop now if you would like to.
Excellent tutorial,
I had problems with folders in one pc, followed your tutorial, method two, and solved almost everything, althoug, there's one folder that I didn't solve "Saved Games"
Can you help me with this, please?
Also, when entering the command (eg. attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\"Saved Games" /S /D), I always receive a message saying "The parameter format is not correct -"
I would appreciate your help with this.
Thanks,
Jorge
Last edited by Jorge Martins; 03 Apr 2010 at 07:16 AM..
Reason: revise
Thanks Brink,
I don't know why it didn't work, but after posting I entered the "Saved Games" folder properties, then clicked to change the folder icon and clicked restore predefinition.
It solved the issue.
Thank you very much for your help and this great tutorial,
Jorge
It's so easy to accidentally delete the "downloads" (link and carptet) but so bloo#$# complicated to restore it, thanks Microsoft im gonna have to reinstall windows again.
System Manufacturer/Model Number By myself. OS Windows 7 32 bits. CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66. Motherboard ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo Memory 4GB DDR2 Graphics Card xfx nvidia 9500 GT 512MB DDR3 Sound Card Omega Striker 7.1 Monitor(s) Displays Viewsonic VX1962WM
Case Actek Hard Drives Seagate SATA 250GB 3gb (AHCI mode currently).
You should tried OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to try and restore your user folder with a easy to do REG file. It sure will beat reinstalling everything for a simple fix.
I lost download icon when I move the downloads folder by: right click download folder, properties, location, move tab.
I changed it to another partition without making a new downloads folder first, so the downloads folder dissapear replaced with D: (the destination folder)
I'm a "win 7 basic" user
I tried to restore it but this appear:
"falied to build the list of regular subfolder under "D:\System Volume Information" Access is denied"
I tried your "option one": I don't have personalize option because my win 7 basic.
I tried your "option two-method one": everytime I make new downloads folder it ask me to merge with new folder, and it dissapear right away.
I tried your "option two-method two": I found that your "downloads icon" link is empty, it contain no "desktop.ini" file.
System Manufacturer/Model Number A42f OS Win 7 Basic CPU i3-350m Motherboard asus Memory kingston Graphics Card intel onboard Sound Card intel onboard Monitor(s) Displays asus