Desktop Icons - Allow or Prevent Themes to Change

    Desktop Icons - Allow or Prevent Themes to Change

    Desktop Icons - Allow or Prevent Themes to Change

    How to Allow or Prevent Themes to Change Desktop Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Allow or Prevent Themes to Change Desktop Icons in Windows 7 and Windows 8


       Information
    This will show you how to allow or prevent the icons you changed for the Computer, User's Files, Network, and Recycle Bin desktop icons from being changed to the icons included in a new theme instead in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1.





    OPTION ONE

    Allow or Prevent Themes to change Desktop Icons in Desktop Icon Settings


    1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on your desktop, and click/tap on Personalize. (see screenshot below)
    Desktop Icons - Allow or Prevent Themes to Change-right_click.jpg
    2. Click/tap on the Change desktop icons link at the upper left corner, and do step 3 or 4 below for what you would like to do. (see screenshot below)
    Desktop Icons - Allow or Prevent Themes to Change-personalization.jpg
    3. To Allow Themes to Change Desktop Icons
    NOTE: This is the default setting.
    A) Check the Allow themes to change desktop icons box, and go to step 5 below. (see screenshot below step 5)
    4. To Prevent Themes from Changing Desktop Icons
    A) Uncheck the Allow themes to change desktop icons box, and go to step 5 below. (See screenshot below step 5)
    5. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshot below)
    Desktop Icons - Allow or Prevent Themes to Change-desktop_icons_theme.jpg
    6. You can now close the Personalization window if you like. (see screenshot below step 2)



    OPTION TWO

    Allow or Prevent Themes to change Desktop Icons using REG File



       Note
    The .reg files below are for the registry key and value below.

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Themes

    ThemeChangesDesktopIcon DWORD

    0 = Allow
    1 = Prevent


    1. Do step 2 or 3 below for what you would like to do.

    2. To Allow Themes to Change Desktop Icons
    NOTE: This is the default setting.
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Allow_ThemeChangesDesktopIcons.reg


    Download

    3. To Prevent Themes to Change Desktop Icons
    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Prevent_ThemeChangesDesktopIcons.reg


    Download

    4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to Merge it.

    6. If prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
    That's it,
    Shawn





    Related Tutorials




  2. seven2010
    Posts : 4
    Windows Vista Home Premium
       New #1

    Custom themes that change Desktop icons...


    After I have downloaded and extracted my custom Windows Classic theme files in the C:\Windows\Resources\Ease Of Access Themes folder and when I right-click on Desktop and click Personalize, will my custom Windows Classic theme change all or part of Desktop icons?

    Thanks,
    Michael
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  4. Brink
    Posts : 72,460
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #2

    Hi Michael,

    It should changed whatever the theme was set to change. If included in the theme, it normally would only change the default desktop icons though and not any program shortcut ones.
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  5. chiyuan
    Posts : 8
    windows 7 ultimate 32 bit
       New #3

    enquiry


    hi, let say i change desktop icons to my custom icons. will it affect my windows system?
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  6. Brink
    Posts : 72,460
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #4

    Hello Chiyuan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

    It will also change the icon for that item at any other location that it appears at in addition to the desktop, but that's all that it will affect. :)

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  7. chiyuan
    Posts : 8
    windows 7 ultimate 32 bit
       New #5

    just to confirm. it will not cause the system to crash or anything?
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  8. Brink
    Posts : 72,460
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #6

    No, not at all. :)
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

  10. Brink
    Posts : 72,460
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       New #7

    Tutorial updated to add Option Two. :)
      My Computer
    Quote Quote

 

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