How to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows
This wikiHow teaches you how to change a desktop icon's appearance on Windows, both by changing the icon to a different system icon and by downloading or creating your own icon. You can also add your own custom shortcuts to the desktop,...
Method 1 of 6:
Changing System Desktop Icons
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How to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 1
Open StartHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 2
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Click SettingsHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 4
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Click Personalization. This is the monitor-shaped icon on the Windows Settings page.- You can also access this page by right-clicking a blank space on the desktop and then clicking Personalization in the drop-down menu.
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Click Themes. It's a tab on the left side of the Personalization window. -
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Click Desktop icon settings. This link is in the upper-right side of the Themes page. Clicking it opens the Desktop Icon Settings window.- If you haven't edited your theme at all, this link will be in the middle of the page beneath the "Related Settings" heading.
- You can also click Get more themes in the Store below the "Apply a theme" heading to browse desktop themes. Some themes will change your desktop icons' appearances.
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Click an icon you want to change. This will select the icon.- For example, you might click This PC or Recycle Bin.
- You can also check the box next to a desktop icon's name at the top of the window to make it appear on your desktop, or uncheck the box to remove it from the desktop.
- Check the "Allow themes to change desktop icons" box on this window to enable theme-related icon changes.
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Click Change Icon. It's near the bottom of the window. -
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Select an icon. You can select two different types of icons:- System icon - Click an icon in the window.
- Custom icon - Click Browse, then click the folder that your custom icons are in on the left side of the window. Select the icon you want to use, then click Open.
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Click OK. This will assign your selected icon to the desktop program. -
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Click Apply, then click OK. Doing so confirms your decision and changes the desktop program's icon to your selected icon.
Method 2 of 6:
Changing Shortcut and Folder Icons
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Open StartHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 14
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Click the File ExplorerHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 16
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Click Desktop. It's a folder in the left-hand column of options in the File Explorer window. -
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Click a shortcut or folder icon. Shortcut icons have a white box with an arrow in their lower-left corners.- You cannot change the icons of specific files (e.g., Notepad files or .exe files) using this method.
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Click the Home tab. It's in the upper-left corner of the File Explorer window. Doing so will open a toolbar at the top of the window. -
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Click Properties. This is a white box with a red checkmark in the "Open" section of the toolbar.- You can also right-click on the icon on your desktop and then click Properties to get to this menu.
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Open the icon's "Change Icon" window. This process will vary depending on the type of icon you're editing:- Shortcut - Click the Shortcut tab at the top of the Properties window, then click Change Icon near the bottom of the window.
- Folder - Click the Customize tab at the top of the Properties window, then click Change Icon near the bottom of the window.
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Select an icon. You can select two different types of icons:- System icon - Click an icon in the window.
- Custom icon - Click Browse, then click the folder that your custom icons are in on the left side of the window. Select the icon you want to use, then click Open.
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Click OK. This will assign your selected icon. -
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Click Apply, then click OK. Doing so confirms your decision and changes the original icon to your selected icon.
Method 3 of 6:
Downloading Icons
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Open a web browser. Microsoft Edge is the official Windows 10 browser, though you can use Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Internet Explorer as well. -
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Search for Windows icons. Type download windows desktop icons into your browser's address bar and pressing ↵ Enter.- You can narrow your search by entering the program's name (e.g., windows my computer icon) or by using the icon file type (e.g., ICO.
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Download the icons you want. You can do this by opening a site that has your icons and clicking the Download button. Doing so will save the icons to your computer.- If you download multiple icons at once, you may have to extract the icons to a regular folder before continuing.
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Open File ExplorerHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 29
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Click Desktop. This folder is on the left side of File Explorer. -
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Click your icons folder. Doing so selects it.- If you just downloaded one icon, select the icon instead.
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Click Home. This tab is in the upper-left corner of the File Explorer window. -
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Click Move to. It's in the "Organize" section of the toolbar at the top of the File Explorer window. -
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Click Pictures. This folder is near the middle of the pop-up window.- You can select any folder on your computer if you don't want to place your icons in Pictures.
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Click Move. This will send your icons to a folder where you won't move or delete them. -
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Change a program's icon using your downloaded icon. You'll use the Browse method and then select an icon from within the Pictures folder to do this.
Method 4 of 6:
Creating Icons
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Open StartHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 40
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Type paint into Start, then press ↵ Enter. Make sure you don't press ↵ Enter until the Paint icon, which resembles a paint palette, appears at the top of the Start window. -
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Click File. It's a blue button in the upper-left corner of the Paint window. -
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Click Open. This option is in the File menu. Doing so opens a window where you can open a file location.- If you'd rather create your own icon by drawing in Paint, skip this step and instead create your drawing.
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Select a picture. You may have to click a location on the left side of the Open window (e.g., Pictures) to find the picture you want to open.- Skip this step if you're drawing your own icon.
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Click Open. This will open your image in the Paint window.- Skip this step if you're drawing your own icon.
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Click File again. It's in the top-left corner of Paint. -
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Select Save as. This option is near the top of the File menu. -
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Click BMP picture. It's an option to the right of the Save as button. Doing so opens a Save As window where you can name your file. -
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Type in your file's name followed by.ico
. This will ensure that your file is saved as an icon file.- For example, you might name your file "shortcut.ico".
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Click a folder to save your file in. Do so in the left-hand pane of the Save As window.- The Pictures folder is a safe place to save your shortcut file.
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Click Save. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will save your icon in your selected folder. -
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Change a program's icon using your created icon. You'll use the Browse method and select your custom icon from the folder where you saved it.
Method 5 of 6:
Adding Shortcuts to the Desktop
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Open StartHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 54
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Click File ExplorerHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 56
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Click the Desktop folder. It's on the left side of the File Explorer window. -
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Click the Home tab. You'll find this tab in the upper-left side of the File Explorer window. -
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Click New item. It's in the "New" section of the tool bar at the top of the window. -
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Click Shortcut. This option is in the New item drop-down menu. A window with options for your new shortcut will appear. -
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Click Browse. It's in the middle of the page. Doing so opens a pop-up window. -
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Scroll down and click the program's or file's folder. For example, if the program or file is in the Documents folder, you'd click My Documents.- You may have to click through several different folders to find the program or file for which you want to create a shortcut.
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Click OK. Doing so sets the desktop shortcut's target as your selected item.- If you rename the desktop icon or move it to a new folder, your shortcut will no longer work.
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Click Next, then enter a name. The default name for the shortcut is the same name as the program itself. -
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Click Finish. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will create your shortcut in the folder you selected.
Method 6 of 6:
Removing Arrows from Shortcut Icons
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How to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 66
Open StartHow to Change or Create Desktop Icons for Windows Picture 67
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Type regedit into the Start window. This will bring up the "regedit" program at the top of the window. -
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Click regedit. It's a blue group of blocks at the top of the window. -
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Click Yes when prompted. This will open the Registry Editor. -
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Navigate to the Explorer folder. To do so:- Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE by clicking V left of it. This folder is in the top-left side of the Registry Editor window.
- Expand SOFTWARE.
- Expand Microsoft.
- Expand Windows.
- Expand CurrentVersion.
- Click Explorer.
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Click Edit. It's in the top-left corner of the Registry Editor window. -
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Select New, then click Key. Doing so creates a new "key", which resembles a folder, in the column of folders below the Explorer folder. -
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Type Shell Icons into the key's name, then press ↵ Enter. Doing so renames the key.- Make sure you type this name exactly as it appears here.
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Click the Edit tab. It's in the upper-left corner of the window. -
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Select New, then click String Value. This creates a new code item in the Shell Icons key. -
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Type in 29, then press ↵ Enter. Doing so renames your string value. -
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Double-click the 29 string value. This opens the Edit String window. -
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Type%windir%System32shell32.dll,-50
into the Value data field. This field is at the bottom of the "Edit String" window. -
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Click OK. Doing so saves your edit to the registry. -
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Restart your computer. Once your computer reboots, you should no longer see the icon arrow in the bottom-left corner of your deskto4 ★ | 2 VoteYou should read it
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