Have you ever wanted to swap out the Windows default icons with something else? The new Windows vii library icons tin can exist changed with a hack to a text file, but there's an easier way. Nosotros'll explain both.

Non sure what we're talking well-nigh? Open Windows Explorer, and bank check out the Libraries.

For today's lesson, we'll teach you how to change those icons with something else. (Information technology'll also work for your own custom Libraries).

Modify Library Icons the Easy Way

To alter the icons out the easy way, we'll utilize a tiny tool called Library Icon Changer from a user over at deviantART. Thanks to Pratik for pointing united states of america towards this tool!

Once you've opened up the tool, yous'll be presented with list of icons and libraries… merely click on the Library on the correct-hand side, and then cull the icon on the left, and click "Select Icon from dll". Y'all can also utilise the Select new Icon from file instead, if you don't want to use a default Windows icon.

Note that if you want to restore the icon to default, you have to click on the Library first on the correct-hand side, and so click the Restore default icon button.

Some other note is that if you desire to modify out the DLL, y'all'll need to select it, and then hit the Enter fundamental.

In one case you lot've swapped out your icon, it usually shows up right away, or you can Refresh with F5 (though logging off or restarting explorer.exe might be required).

Download Supersede Librarie Icons from deviantART [mirror copy]

Alter Libraries the Manual Style

Don't feel similar messing with a piece of software from some person somewhere? You tin make these changes manually with cypher more than Notepad. Simply paste the post-obit into the starting time carte du jour search box, or Explorer location bar:

%appdata%\microsoft\windows\libraries

And so drag one of the icons from Explorer over to a Notepad window to open the file.

Within the file, you'll see an iconReference line, or if you don't see it, you'll want to add one similar so:

<iconReference>C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll,301</iconReference>

The data in the middle is the path, either to the icon (.ico) file, or if you are referencing a DLL file, you'll demand to add the comma and number position of the icon in the file.

And now you've learned how to swap out the icons. Awesome, eh? Alright, well information technology's not that awesome. But still fun geeky information to accept.