Folder Icon - Change Windows 7 Default Folder Icon

Brink · 10 Feb 2017

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.

Attachment 26808

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.

Attachment 26809

RoWin7 · 10 Feb 2017

Brink said:

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.

Attachment 26808

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.

Attachment 26809

Thumbnails is OFF, Details is always turned on in all folders, and the icons have not changed.

Brink · 10 Feb 2017

How does it look with medium or large icon view?

If it doesn't show your icon, then please go ahead and upload your .icon file, and I'll test it on my system to see if it may work for me. In addition, post screenshots showing all your registry settings just to verify.

RoWin7 · 12 Feb 2017

OK. I put the icon in Windows because I'm moving all my other data to a new partition this week, and I don't want it moved.

http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/...shellicon1.jpg
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/...llicons2_1.jpg
http://i1066.photobucket.com/albums/...con256x256.jpg

It's not letting me attach an .ico file, and my photohosting site, Photobucket, is not letting me post an .ico file. I'm sending it as a jpg, and you'll have to convert it on your end. The original size is 256x256. This is getting to be more work than it's worth.

Brink · 12 Feb 2017

I see one error.

The "ShellIcons" key you have should be named "Shell Icons" instead with a space inbetween.

RoWin7 · 12 Feb 2017

Brink said:

How does it look with medium or large icon view?

If it doesn't show your icon, then please go ahead and upload your .icon file, and I'll test it on my system to see if it may work for me. In addition, post screenshots showing all your registry settings just to verify.

.ico file is not among the formats it lets me upload. No need now-- It WORKED.

Brink · 13 Feb 2017

Great news.

RoWin7 · 06 Dec 2018

A happy 2017 customer has returned. :-D

I always have "details" view, with thumbnails off. You helped me replace closed folders last year (above).

Do OPEN folders always have to be the insipid boneless Win7 folder? Sometimes with their innards hanging out. (Who designs these things?) Can I replace these too?
I admit I haven't read the entire 18 pages of this thread.

NVM--found it:
Open Folder Icon - Change

Brink · 06 Dec 2018

Hello @RoWin7,

For that, you might see if this below may work better.

Open Folder Icon - Change

RoWin7 · 22 Sep 2019

Got machine #1 squared away back in Dec.

I just tried both icons on my 2nd computer, which has the same version of Win7 and almost identical programs. (#2 is my hardware backup.)

All my "closed-folder" icons have been replaced with the default one, the one with the navy blue square, even on the desktop. But my "folder-open" icon works fine. I triple-checked the location and name of my custom icons and the text of the registry keys. It might be something that I don't see, or maybe just a bug in my OS.

I hate computers.