How to Change the Icon for an Exe File

This wikiHow teaches you how to change an EXE file's icon on a Windows computer. While you can't normally change the icon of an EXE file itself, you can create a shortcut for the EXE file that you can then edit. If you want to force the...

Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Shortcut

Understand how this method works. While it is impossible to change EXE files' icons without installing a third-party program, you can create a desktop shortcut to the EXE file and then change the shortcut's icon. This allows you to keep the EXE file tucked away in a folder somewhere while you use the desktop shortcut to run the EXE file.
1. Once you've created a desktop shortcut to the EXE file, you cannot move the EXE file as doing so will break the shortcut.
2. You don't have to store desktop shortcuts on the desktop.
Make sure you have an icon file. Instead of using an image, you'll need to have an icon (ICO) file to use for your shortcut's icon. You can download a new icon image by typing icon file ico into a search engine, selecting a resulting website, finding the ICO file you want to use, and clicking the Download as ICO or Download link.
1. Make sure your file downloads as a .ico file, not a .jpg or .png file. Only icon files can be used with shortcuts.
2. You can also create your own icon to use.
3. It's best to save the icon file in a location which isn't likely to change (e.g., in the "Pictures" folder) to prevent the shortcut's icon from disappearing due to accidentally moving the icon file.
Right-click the desktop. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu near your mouse cursor. Make sure you're right-clicking a blank space (e.g., not a file, the taskbar, or a folder) when you do this.
1. If your mouse doesn't have a right-click button, click the right side of the mouse, or use two fingers to click the mouse.
2. If your computer uses a trackpad instead of a mouse, use two fingers to tap the trackpad or press the bottom-right side of the trackpad.
Select New. It's near the top of the drop-down menu. Selecting it prompts a pop-out menu.
Click Shortcut. This option is in the pop-out menu. Doing so opens a new window.
Click Browse…. It's in the middle of the window, just right of the name bar.
Select your EXE file. Navigate to your EXE file's folder location in the pop-up window, then click once the EXE file to select it.
Click OK. This will select the EXE file as the shortcut's destination.
Click Next, then enter a name. Type in the name that you want your desktop shortcut to have.
Click Finish. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so adds a shortcut of the EXE to your desktop.
Right-click the shortcut. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Properties. You'll find this at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
Click Change Icon…. It's at the bottom of the pop-up window.
1. If you don't see this option, first click the Shortcut tab at the top of the window.
Click Browse…. This is in the pop-up window that appears. Doing so brings up the File Explorer.
Select your icon file. Go to and click the icon file that you created or downloaded earlier.
Click Open. It's at the bottom of the window.
Click OK. This is at the bottom of the pop-up window.
Click Apply, then click OK. Doing so will apply your new icon to the shortcut.
1. If necessary, you can remove the shortcut's arrow to finish this process.

Method 2 of 3:

Editing the EXE with Resource Hacker

Make sure you have an icon file. Instead of using an image, you'll need to have an icon (ICO) file to use for your EXE. You can download a new icon image by typing icon file ico into a search engine, selecting a resulting website, finding the ICO file you want to use, and clicking the Download as ICO or Download link.
1. Make sure your file downloads as a .ico file, not a .jpg or .png file. Only icon files can be used with EXE files.
2. You can also create your own icon to use.
3. It's best to save the icon file in a location which isn't likely to change (e.g., in the "Pictures" folder) to prevent the EXE's icon from disappearing due to accidentally moving the icon file.
Download and install Resource Hacker. Resource Hacker is a free program for Windows computers that allows you to edit EXE file properties, including the icon. To download and install it, go to http://www.angusj.com/resourcehacker/ in your computer's web browser, then do the following:
1. Click the blue Download link near the top of the page.
2. Click EXE install, then select a save location if prompted.
3. Double-click the downloaded setup file.
4. Follow the setup prompts.
Open Resource Hacker. Open Start, type resource hacker into Start, and click the Resource Hacker result at the top of the Start window.
Click File. This tab is in the upper-left side of the Resource Hacker window. A drop-down menu will appear.
Click Open…. It's near the top of the File drop-down menu.
Select your EXE file. Click a folder location on the left side of the window, then click the EXE file.
1. If the EXE file is inside of a folder (or multiple folders) within the folder location you open, you'll have to open those folders as well.
Click Open. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so will open the EXE file in Resource Hacker.
Select the "Icon" folder. Click this folder on the left side of the Resource Hacker window.
Click the Action tab. It's in the upper-left side of the window. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu.
Click Replace Icon…. This option is in the middle of the Action drop-down menu.
Click Open file with new icon…. It's at the top of the "Replace icon" window. Doing so opens a window where you can select a new icon.
Select an icon. Click an icon file (ICO), or click another EXE file to use its icon.
1. You may first have to click a folder on the left-hand side of the window.
Click Open. This will open your selected icon in Resource Hacker.
Click Replace. It's on the right side of the Resource Hacker window.
1. Depending on the file you select as your icon, you may have to select a version of the icon on the left side of the window before clicking Replace.
Save your changes. Click the File tab, then click Save. This will apply your changes to the EXE file.

Method 3 of 3:

Editing the EXE with GConvert

Make sure you have an icon file. Instead of using an image, you'll need to have an icon (ICO) file to use for your EXE. You can download a new icon image by typing icon file ico into a search engine, selecting a resulting website, finding the ICO file you want to use, and clicking the Download as ICO or Download link.
1. Make sure your file downloads as a .ico file, not a .jpg or .png file. Only icon files can be used with EXE files.
2. You can also create your own icon to use.
3. It's best to save the icon file in a location which isn't likely to change (e.g., in the "Pictures" folder) to prevent the EXE's icon from disappearing due to accidentally moving the icon file.
Download and install GConvert. Go to https://www.gdgsoft.com/download/gconvert.aspx in your computer's web browser, then do the following:
1. Click the Site 1 link, then select a download location if prompted.
2. Double-click the downloaded file.
3. Click Yes when prompted.
4. Click Instant Install, then follow any prompts.
Open GConvert. Double-click the folder-shaped GConvert 5 app icon on your desktop.
1. GConvert places a shortcut on your desktop by default.
Click Continue when prompted. This will allow you to continue to the GConvert main window.
Click Tools. It's a tab at the top of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
Click Modify icons in EXE/DLL…. You'll find this near the bottom of the drop-down menu. A new window will open.
Click the "Browse" icon. It's a folder-shaped icon on the far-right side of the window.
Select an EXE file. In the File Explorer window which opens, go to the location of your EXE file, then click it once to select it.
Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window.
Select the current icon. Click the icon in the middle of the window.
Click Modify selected icon…. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so opens another File Explorer window.
Select your icon. In the File Explorer window, go to the location of your icon file, then click the icon file to select it.
Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the page.
Click Close and open in GConvert. This option is at the bottom of the window. Doing so applies your icon to the EXE file and opens the EXE file's contents in GConvert.
Close GConvert. Once the EXE file has loaded in GConvert, you can click the red circle in the top-right corner of the GConvert window to close it. Your EXE file should now have a different icon.
1. You can also delete the .bak file that appears on your desktop after selecting the new EXE icon.
2. It may take a few minutes for your EXE file's icon to change. You can also just re-open GConvert to force the change to appear.