Jump to content

Changing an icon on the desktop


Recommended Posts

Guest Trish
Posted

Hi, I often put shortcuts on my deskop and like to easily identify them by

using different icons. I used to simply right-mouse-click on the existing

icon, go to

properties, change icon and select from a range. Often the range of icons

doesn't show, but a series of (meaningless) folders instead. In any event,

there was not that much to choose from. What is the best way to change an

icon, and when I browse for an icon, where should I go to get a good

selection?

Many thanks.

  • Replies 5
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Guest Malke
Posted

Re: Changing an icon on the desktop

 

Trish wrote:

> Hi, I often put shortcuts on my deskop and like to easily identify them by

> using different icons. I used to simply right-mouse-click on the existing

> icon, go to

> properties, change icon and select from a range. Often the range of icons

> doesn't show, but a series of (meaningless) folders instead. In any event,

> there was not that much to choose from. What is the best way to change an

> icon, and when I browse for an icon, where should I go to get a good

> selection?

> Many thanks.

 

You're changing the icons the right way although I'm not sure what you

mean by "select from a range". When you click "Browse" you have the

opportunity to navigate to wherever you've put your icons. That might be

a folder you make in My Documents cleverly called something like "My

Icons". ;-)

 

You can download icons from the Internet; just be careful from where you

get them. Here are some safe places:

 

http://www.wincustomize.com/

http://iconfactory.com/freeware

http://interfacelift.com/icons-win/index.php?sort=date

http://www.pixelgirlpresents.com/icons.php?cat=pc

 

 

Malke

--

Elephant Boy Computers

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com

"Don't Panic!"

MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Guest Gary Brandenburg
Posted

Re: Changing an icon on the desktop

 

 

"Trish" <Trish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EBD66013-CC23-47F5-B12C-B8A77A3FC5B6@microsoft.com...

| Hi, I often put shortcuts on my deskop and like to easily identify them by

| using different icons. I used to simply right-mouse-click on the

existing

| icon, go to

| properties, change icon and select from a range. Often the range of

icons

| doesn't show, but a series of (meaningless) folders instead. In any

event,

| there was not that much to choose from. What is the best way to change

an

| icon, and when I browse for an icon, where should I go to get a good

| selection?

| Many thanks.

 

Trish-

I'm almost obsessive about customizing my PC,with icons associated with all

the programs on my " All Programs" list,as well as in Program Files in My

Computer. I simply browse,when in that programs properties(change icon),to

that particular program in Program Files & any available icons for it are

right there.

There's also a freeware program called Icons Extract

http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/iconsext.html that's good at finding hidden

icons elsewhere.

Do as Malke suggests & create a new folder in My Docs & "store" them there

for browsing to,& you'll see that you can build a pretty sizable cache in no

time. Especially if you go to Internet Options/Temporary Internet Files/View

Files,& Copy To or Move To(while in Explorer) the location where you keep

your icons collection.[Note: You may have to rename them while doing it this

way,while in Explorer,as they are mostly titled "favicon" & you may get the

prompt that it already exists]

I even went as far as assigning my Favicons folder it's own distinguishable

icon.(I told you I was almost obsessive)

Good luck & I hope this helps in what you're wanting to achieve.

~Gary

Guest Code-Curious Mom
Posted

Re: Changing an icon on the desktop

 

Check the Windows/system directory for

moricons.dll

hticons.dll

shell32.dll

for some basic included with Windows ones.

 

"Trish" <Trish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EBD66013-CC23-47F5-B12C-B8A77A3FC5B6@microsoft.com...

> Hi, I often put shortcuts on my deskop and like to easily identify them by

> using different icons. I used to simply right-mouse-click on the

> existing

> icon, go to

> properties, change icon and select from a range. Often the range of

> icons

> doesn't show, but a series of (meaningless) folders instead. In any

> event,

> there was not that much to choose from. What is the best way to change

> an

> icon, and when I browse for an icon, where should I go to get a good

> selection?

> Many thanks.

Guest Code-Curious Mom
Posted

Re: Changing an icon on the desktop

 

that's Windows/system32

 

"Code-Curious Mom" <none@NG.invalid> wrote in message

news:eIFppUx0HHA.5160@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Check the Windows/system directory for

> moricons.dll

> hticons.dll

> shell32.dll

> for some basic included with Windows ones.

>

> "Trish" <Trish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

> news:EBD66013-CC23-47F5-B12C-B8A77A3FC5B6@microsoft.com...

>> Hi, I often put shortcuts on my deskop and like to easily identify them

>> by

>> using different icons. I used to simply right-mouse-click on the

>> existing

>> icon, go to

>> properties, change icon and select from a range. Often the range of

>> icons

>> doesn't show, but a series of (meaningless) folders instead. In any

>> event,

>> there was not that much to choose from. What is the best way to change

>> an

>> icon, and when I browse for an icon, where should I go to get a good

>> selection?

>> Many thanks.

>

>

Guest M.I.5¾
Posted

Re: Changing an icon on the desktop

 

 

"Trish" <Trish@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EBD66013-CC23-47F5-B12C-B8A77A3FC5B6@microsoft.com...

> Hi, I often put shortcuts on my deskop and like to easily identify them by

> using different icons. I used to simply right-mouse-click on the

> existing

> icon, go to

> properties, change icon and select from a range. Often the range of

> icons

> doesn't show, but a series of (meaningless) folders instead. In any

> event,

> there was not that much to choose from. What is the best way to change

> an

> icon, and when I browse for an icon, where should I go to get a good

> selection?

> Many thanks.

 

Quite a good selection is already on your system.

 

Have a look in:

 

C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll

 

There must be a couple of hundred of them.


×
×
  • Create New...