User Folders - Restore Default Icon

How to Restore Default User Folder Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to restore the default folder icon for all of your personal user folders icons in the Start Menu (Windows 7 only) and C:\Users\(user-name) locations in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

EXAMPLE: Default Personal User Folders Icons

OPTION ONE

To Restore Default User Name Profile Folder Icon

1. Open the change Desktop Icon Settings window. (See screenshot below)

2. In the lower box, click/tap on your User Name folder to highlight it in blue. (See screenshot above)

3. Click/tap on the Restore Default button. (See screenshot above)A) Click/tap on Apply, and go to step 5 below.
NOTE: If it did not restore the default User Name folder icon, then proceed to step 4.
4. Click/tap on the Change Icon button. (See screenshot below step 1)A) If not already in the top line, click/tap on the Browse button, and navigate to C:\Windows\system32\imageres.dll. (See screenshot below)

B) Select the default User Name folder icon, and click/tap on OK. (See highlighted in blue icon in the screenshot above)

5. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshot below step 1)

OPTION TWO

To 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 -
  Download
  
  
  
  
• To Enable (add Customize tab) Changing Contacts User Folder Icon -
  Download
  
  
  
  
• To Restore (remove Customize tab) Default Desktop User Folder -
  Download
  
  
  
  
• To Enable (add Customize tab) Changing Desktop User Folder Icon -
  Download
  
  
  

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 or swipe down on the user folder icon that you want to restore to default, and click/tap on Properties. (See screenshot above)

3. Click/tap on the Customize tab, and click/tap on the Change Icon button. (See screenshot below)

4. Click/tap on the Restore Defaults button. (See screenshot below)

5. Click/tap 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. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog.

2. Type in the Shell command (see table below) for the User folder icon that you want to restore to default, and press Enter.
NOTE: This will open the personal user folder.

User Folder	Shell Command
Contacts	shell:Contacts
Desktop	shell:desktop
Documents	shellersonal
Downloads	shell:downloads
Favorites	shell:Favorites
Links	shell:Links
Music	shell:My Music
Pictures	shell:My Pictures
Saved Games	shell:SavedGames
Searches	shell:Searches
SkyDrive (Windows 8.1)	shell:skydrive
Videos	shell:My Video

3. In Folder Options, set protected operating system files to show.
NOTE: Use step 4 in OPTION ONE at the link in this step. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this step.

4. Click/tap 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.A) Contacts
B) Desktop
C) My Documents
D) Downloads
E) Favorites
F) Links
G) My Music
H) My Pictures
I) Saved Games
J) Searches
K) SkyDrive (Windows 8.1)
L) My Videos


5. Save the ZIP file to your desktop.

6. Extract and open the folder in the ZIP file.

7. Right click or swipe down on the Desktop.ini file in the extracted folder, and click/tap on Properties, click/tap on General tab, the Unblock button, and click/tap on OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If there is not an Unblock button, then it already is unblocked. Proceed to step 8.

8. Right click or swipe down on the Desktop.ini file, and click/tap on Copy.

9. Right click or press and hold on an empty space in the main part of the user folder window from step 2 above, and click/tap on Paste.

10. If prompted, click on Copy and Replace, then close the user folder window from step 2. (See screenshot below)

11. Open a command prompt in Windows 7 or Windows 8.

12. In the 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
SkyDrive (Windows 8.1)	attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\SkyDrive /S /D
Videos	attrib +r -s -h %USERPROFILE%\Videos /S /D

13. Close the 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. You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this step.

17. You can now delete the downloaded files (step 4) on your desktop if like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change Default User Folder Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Pin Your User Files Folder to the Windows 7 Taskbar
• How to Create Your Own Special User Folder
• How to Restore the Default Location of User Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Default Location of User Folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Add or Remove your User Folder from the Windows 7 Navigation Pane
• How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Windows 7
• How to Change the Default Location of a User Profile in Windows 7 and Vista

 

[Jorge Martins]

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

 

[Brink]

Hello Jorge, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Not sure why it's not working for you.

Double check to make sure that you are using a elevated command prompt (right click & "run as administrator). You can also try this command as well:

attrib +r -s -h "%USERPROFILE%\Saved Games" /s /d

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Jorge Martins]

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

 

[Brink]

Jorge, I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted. I guess it may have just need a bit to reset itself to allow it.

 

[smiths22]

This is madness...

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.

 

[Brink]

Hello Psikofunkster,

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.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[kwe]

Hi Shawn,

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.

I've tried almost all way, but I can't fix it.

Can you help me please.

Mesakh

 

[Brink]

Hello Mesakh, and welcome to Seven Forums.

For this, you might see if using OPTION TWO in the tutorial below instead to try and restore the default location of your Downloads folder.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[CosmicPoweR]

Your option 2 method 2 save my life. Thanks man and it works on Windows 8 too...

 

[PcWizKid]

everything was fine up to the point where i entered the CMD, i tried copying and pasting that and i got "Parameter format not correct", im not sure what to try now, i tried option 2 first.

specs

windows 7 64 bit
trying to restore my downloads icon, when i go to change icon it flashes the right icon then goes back to the yellow folder icon. it shows the right icon in the address bar though ??

 

[PcWizKid]

CLOSED, i got it!!!

Everything is Good, i got it it after much finger typing practice

i needed to delete the bad folder in the start menu users folder, then recreate the New downloads folder in the C:/users/username Folder after that the correct folder appeared, after getting rid of the bad folder and recreating it in the Main C:/users/username Folder, , then the start menu username folder automatically change the icon

thanks for all your tutorials, i recently had to use this one - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html. i followed that to the T, and it Worked Great!!


Thanks Again

 

[Brink]

Great news PcWizKid.

 

[Fudd456]

Thank you Brink. Method 2 helped me get my Downloads icon back. I appreciate it.

♥

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Fudd. I'm glad it could help.

 

[hughesjm]

Can't Get Past Step 2

I am trying to use Option 2 Method 2 and I can't even get past Step 2. When I type in "shell:downloads" i get the following response: "Windows cannot find find 'shell:downloads'. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. I have lost my "Download" folder and there is only a "paper" icon for the Download Folder. This is becoming very aggravating.

 

[Brink]

Hello Hughes,

Using OPTION TWO in the tutorial below to restore the default location of your Downloads folder may be able to sort this for you.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html