Folder Icon - Change Windows 7 Default Folder Icon

How to Change the Windows 7 Default Folder Icon​

   Information

This will show you how to change all of the default yellow folder icons in Windows Explorer to any custom icon that you want instead in Windows 7.

User Folder icons will not be affected by this.

   Note

If you have thumbnails turned on, then only empty folders will have the new icon displayed in Windows Explorer when the folder view is set to anything other than Small icons, Details, or List. Otherwise the folders will have a thumbnail preview icon when the folder is not empty instead. When the folder view is set to Small icons, Details, or List, then all folders will display the new icon since they are small icons.

If you have thumbnails turned off, then all folders will have the new icon display no matter what the folder view is set to in Windows Explorer.

   Warning

• You can only do this while logged in to a administrator account.
• This will affect all user account's folder icons on the computer.

EXAMPLE: Folder Icon
NOTE: This is Windows Explorer with the default folder icon (left screenshot) and a custom folder icon (right screenshot). This is with the folder view is set to Details.

OPTION ONE

Change the Default Folder Icon

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search line and press Enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to: (See screenshot below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

4. In the left pane, right click on the Explorer key, and click on New and Key in the context menu. (See screenshot above)

5. Type Shell Icons and press Enter. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If Shell Icons is already here, then you can skip steps 4 and 5.

6. In the right pane of Shell Icons, right click on a empty space, and click on New and String Value. Type 3 and press enter. (See screenshot below)

7. Right click on the number for the folder type, and click on Modify. (See screenshot above)

8. To Use a Custom Icon of Your Own

   Note

• Be sure to unblock the icon file.
• Be sure save the icon file in a location that all user account's can access (ex: c:\Users\Public\My Pictures) so the icon will be able to be viewed in their account as well.
• You must use a 256x256 pixel icon .ico file for it to display properly in all icon sizes in Windows Explorer.

A) In the Modify window, type in the full path of the icon that you want to use within quotes and click on OK. (see screenshot below step 9E)
NOTE: If you change the icon's location (path), then you must also change the location here in step 8 as well for the folder to still display that icon in Windows Explorer.
"full path of the icon file with file extension"
FOR EXAMPLE:
"G:\Windows 7 PNG Files\My_Folder.ico"
B) Go to step 10.
9. To Use another Icon Included in Windows 7
A) Download and install the free program IconViewer for your 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 7.
NOTE: This program will add a Icons tab to files (ex: imageres.dll) that contain a icon library in them so you can see the icons available in it.

B) In Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll and right click on imageres.dll, click on Properties, and click on the Icons tab.
NOTE: You can use any of the Windows 7 files that include icons in them that you want though. This is just the most common one.

C) Scroll through the icons and make note of the icon number of the one you want to use to replace the default folder icon with, then close the properties window. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: For example, icon number 190 for the green folder icon.

D) In the Modify window, type in the location below, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
(full path of the Windows 7 file with file extension),-####
FOR EXAMPLE:
C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll,-190


10. The registry will now look similar to this with your icon path under the Data column in the right pane instead. (See screenshot below)

11. If you have 64-bit Windows 7 Installed

   Note

To also change the default folder icon in the "Open" and "Save as" type dialog windows as well in 64-bit Windows 7, you will also need to do this step.

If you have a 32-bit Windows 7 installed, then skip this step and continue on to step 12 instead.

A) In Regedit, go to the location below:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer
B) Repeat steps 4 to 10 above using the same settings you used with the location from step 3.
12. Close Regedit.

13. Log off and Log on, or restart the computer to apply the new folder icon.
NOTE: Since you changed the default Folder icon, you might would like to change the Open Folder icon as well in the navigation pane to have them all changed.

OPTION TWO

To Restore the Default Folder Icon

NOTE: This option assumes that you did OPTION ONE above to change the default folder icon.
1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search line and press Enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to: (see screenshot below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons
4. In the right pane of Shell Icons, right click on 3 and click on Delete. (see screenshot below)

5. Click on Yes. (see screenshot below)

6. If you have 64-bit Windows 7 Installed

   Note

To also restore the default folder icon in the "Open" and "Save as" type dialog windows as well in 64-bit Windows 7, you will also need to do this step.

If you have a 32-bit Windows 7 installed, then skip this step and continue on to step 7 instead.

A) In Regedit, go to the location below:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Icons
B) Repeat steps 4 and 5 above.
7. Close Regedit.

8. Log off and Log on, or restart the computer to restore the default yellow folder icon.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Windows 7 Default User Folder Icons
• How to Change Windows 7 Default Control Panel Icons
• How to Change a Library Icon in Windows 7
• How to Change the Open Folder Icon in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default Libraries Icon in Windows 7
• How to Add or Remove Control Panel from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Change the Default Icon of a File Extension in Windows 7
• How to Change a Drive Icon in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Change Windows 7 System Icons Using Resource Hacker
• How to Change a Folder Icon in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Change Windows 7 Default Folder Icons using Resource Hacker
• How to Enable or Disable Explorer Thumbnail Previews in Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[corielle]

Since I did this and then undid the changes (I followed the steps exactly), I now have to restart my computer every time I change my folders in order to view them.

Any idea on how to fix this?

 

[Brink]

Hello Corielle, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Did it work properly when you changed the default folder icon?

Could you give more details on what you had changed it to, and post back screenshots of the registry locations showing all of the right pane?

When you say "every time I change my folders" and "in order to view them", what exactly do you mean? Could you post a screenshot of this as well?

 

[forte]

Thanks for the tutorial, works great!
I think if you have 64 bit you also need to do all the steps for
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Icons"
as well. Like in most of the other tutorials, so that you can see the custom icons in "Save As" boxes.

 

[ekko]

default full folder icon

i read for a few hours, and did not find on how to change this..
does anyone know, how to change the full folder icon, to a custom icon ?
i wana change the default folder icon that has files showing, to a custom full folder icon?
i dont understand how to change it..
i tried many ways, ie edit the imageres.dll 3,4,5,6, or whatever did not work...it only changed a few folder icons and none of those icons had files showing on the icon..

so how do i change it ? thanks

also how do i change the folder icon that appers in the active window on the taskbar?

thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Ekko,

Double check to see if it may be what is in the NOTE box at the top of the tutorial with still having thumbnail previews turned on.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[ekko]

yes im check this does not help me..
i want to change all my default fodler icons rather there full or have pictures in them or if they have movies folders in side of folders it dosent matter i want one view of them
like this

http://www.sevenforums.com/attachme...dows-7-default-folder-icon-thumbnails_off.jpg
also i want to be able to use thumbnails..they in deed needed on my computer thanks..
idont see how to do this..this does not change the rigt icons for me ..
ive even installed icon packager..
it does not do what i want as well
...

 

[Brink]

Sorry, but this tutorial cannot do what you are wanting.

You should go ahead and create a new thread in the Customization forum area to see if someone may know a way for you.

 

[quoderat]

Thanks for the great tutorial.

However, I did have to do what forte suggested to get my folder icons to change in the "Save As" dialogs.

They changed everywhere else with Shawn's instructions, but not in the "Save As" until I did what forte suggested.

 

[Brink]

Thank you both Forte and Quoderat for this suggestion and confirming it. I have updated the tutorial to include this as well now.

 

[Julio Cortez]

Thank you for the tutorial, which I found really really easy. You deserve some rep, sir

But I have a little question for you: I'm stuck in a situation in which I have all the folders with the new icon, but the "Fonts" folder stayed with the old, default "yellow-with-the-A" icon that feels a little annoying (you'd be right saying that I wouldn't need to open the C:\Windows folder anyway but, well..)

Is there a chance to have also the "Fonts" folder with the icon changed?
Should I maybe specify a different string value in regedit when it's used? And if so, could you tell me which is the value I should modify?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Julio, and thank you.

I'm afraid that I do not know how to change the Fonts folder icon yet. You might post this in the "Customization" forum area to see if someone may already know a way though.

 

[IMAyNeed]

Here is how my Shell Icons look like.

There is a 29 there.

It might have been that I changed the Thumbnails on Folder Icons by using this tutorial from sevenforums.
Or maybe it is some other thing that I have changed.
Since I have this "29", do I need to change the "thumbnails off" default folder icon?
If I change the icon, will it overwrite my "thumbnails on" folder icons (they are not default windows 7)?

 

[Brink]

Hello Andre,

Number 29 is for the shortcut arrow overlay icon, and will only affect folder shortcuts. It will not have any affect on the folder icon used in this tutorial, or on thumbnail views.

Here's some more on this if you wanted to read more on it.

[VP} - Icons/Registry settings

 

[IMAyNeed]

Oh yes, I changed the shortcut icon.
Ok, thanks, and thanks for the link also.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Andre.

 

[avin84]

Unable to see the changed folder in Save as windows

Hi,

I changed my file icons as described. works perfectly
How can I see them in the Save as window.

regards,
Avin

 

[Brink]

Hello Avin, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you did OPTION ONE, then you will need to also do step 11 to have them also display in the Save as type dialog windows.

 

[avin84]

Thanks for the reply - But did not work

Tanks for the quick reply
Did it double checked, still does not work

regards

 

[Brink]

Avin,

Could you post a screenshot of the registry location at step 6 showing the everything entered at that location? I'll be happy to take a look to see if a mistake may have been made.

If you used a icon of your own, did you unblock it and have it saved in a location that all user account's can access (ex: c:\Users\Public\My Pictures)?

 

[whs]

I just found this neat little program which may be useful in the context: IcoFX - The Free Icon Editor