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How to change shortcuts in Windows 7. Standard or third-party icons in ico format. How to make an icon for a shortcut

I continue the theme of decorations for those who sometimes get bored standard design Windows. Although many are now being produced ready-made assemblies, which are not only pre-installed (or optional) the necessary programs, but also with a built-in theme. But still there are “clean” ones, for fans of minimalism or if licensed version. It is for these people that I wrote this article. In it you will learn how using standard methods change the icon (icon) of a file or folder without using programs. And for something sweet, I’ll answer the question - ?

In general, I think that if you want to change Windows interface, then it will be much easier to download some theme with all the bells and whistles (wallpaper, folders, start, icons, shortcuts, cursor, etc. - everything will be changed), but my site is not dedicated to this, so I will show you as much as possible with my own change the icons by force.

How to change a folder icon

1) Right-click (right mouse button) on the folder we need

2) In the menu, select the last one - Property

3) In this window, select the tab Settings

4) Click on the button Change icon


5) This window will open, in which you simply select the icon you like for the folder from the list (note that you can “twist” it left and right using the slider. Don’t think that there are few icons there


Well, for those for whom this is not enough, I’ll answer the “sweet” question right away - Where are icons stored in Windows??
Here is the answer:

C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll

C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll

C:\Windows\System32\ddores.dll

For general information, I inform you - dll This is a library format. Exactly in these three Windows files stores its library of icons.

And that’s why I’ve now opened up this question about storage - if what’s in the set isn’t enough for you, just replace SHELL32.dll in the “Look for icons in the next file” field with imageres.dll and if that’s not enough, then with ddores. dll and click Enter. This is important, you don’t need to go anywhere else!
These files are also needed for all sorts of perverts who want to see what’s inside and “pull” these icons out of there (I don’t know why). For them, I hid a small guide under the spoiler.

1) Open one of the proposed files using the program (Following the link you can download the free 30-day version).
2) In the panel Resource tree open the folder Icon
3) Select any of the icons you like.
4) In the panel Resource tree right click on this resource and select Extract... → Extract as "resource_name.ico"
5) Select the folder to extract and click Save

You can also extract all the icons at once, to do this:
6) In the panel Resource tree right click on the folder Icon and select Extract... → Extract all as "Icon" type
7) Select the folder to extract and click OK


6) After you have selected the icon you need, click OK and enjoy the result of your work.

How to change a file icon
The principle is the same as for folders, only the difference is in the window Properties- there we need to click on Change icon


A window like this will appear in which you need to select an icon

If there are no icons there or few, then you can put the paths there that are written in the method described above for folders (for example C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll)

Icons are needed either in the library ( dll) or exe file or ico or png. Basically, they only change the icon on the folders.

And then my surprise appears. I have prepared for you a small collection of icons in the format ico. All you need is to download, save, unpack and specify the path to the icon using the button Review.. in the shortcut or folder settings.

This is more for information purposes than to use them specifically. Still, the article is more about standard methods. If there is anything more, write, I’m always happy to help.

Shortcuts on the desktop Windows desktop 7 are used for quick launch installed applications. They contain the path to the executable file and allow you to get started with a mouse click. This convenient and practical tool is customizable: you can change the icon size, remove arrows, or completely change the displayed icon using system tools or third party applications.

What are Windows 7 shortcuts and where are they located?

Almost every program installed on a computer with Windows 7 offers to place its icon on the desktop surface. By agreeing, the user discovers new icon on the monitor, by clicking on which you can download the designated application.

Not everyone remembers that a shortcut is only a link, and not the executable module itself. That's why when inexperienced users they confuse the icon with the program, for example, trying to erase it, deleting the icon, nothing significant happens. The application is in the same location and is fully functional, although it can now only be launched by going to the appropriate directory.

A small number of shortcuts are pinned to the taskbar. This allows the user to launch the most frequently used applications with one click, without having to minimize other windows, since the taskbar remains visible with almost all programs running.

To see where the shortcut is physically stored on the disk, you need to right-click on the icon and find the “Properties” item in the pop-up list. Then in the composite window of the same name that appears, go to the “General” tab. The path to the shortcut is indicated in the “Location” line.

If you need to find the location of a shortcut pinned to the taskbar, the path will be one click longer. By pressing the right button on the icon, you need to select the name of the application to be launched and press the same key again.

Further actions are similar.

It's easy to notice that the shortcuts are located in just a few places:

  • C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\TaskBar;
  • C:\Users\[Username]\Desktop;
  • C:\Users\Public\Desktop.

The first path leads to the directory that stores shortcuts on the taskbar, and the second points to the desktop icons of a specific user.

It must be remembered that AppData folder is hidden. To see it, you need to configure Explorer to display invisible elements.

The third directory refers to desktop icons common to all registered users.

How to reduce or increase

At the same resolution physical dimensions screens may vary significantly. It is clear that on a large display you can reduce the “pixel” size of icons, freeing up space on the desktop, and on a small display, on the contrary, you can increase it to visually enlarge the shortcuts. There are several ways to do this, but you need to remember that sometimes after changing the size, the icons are arranged “on a grid”, that is, it will be necessary to group them again.

How to resize using desktop settings


If everything was done correctly, the size of the labels will immediately change in accordance with the choice made.

Use the scroll wheel to adjust the dimensions

In order not to limit your choice to just three options, you can fine-tune the size of the icons.

  1. Open the desktop.
  2. Press and hold any of the Ctrl keys.
  3. Scroll the mouse wheel up and down to increase or decrease the size of the labels accordingly.

This method is very visual - the icons change size before your eyes.

Video: How to make small icons on the Windows 7 desktop

How to remove the arrow from labels or return it

Not everyone likes the arrows drawn on shortcuts in Windows 7. The developers did not provide simple system tools for removing them, so it is necessary to make changes to the registry. This is worth doing if you are a confident PC user.

Making changes manually

  1. Press the combination Win+R on the keyboard.
  2. In the input line of the “Run” window that appears, type the command to call the registry editor regedit.
  3. Press Enter or the “OK” button in the window and open the editor.
  4. Going through the list of directories located on the left side of the window, we find the folder HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile.
  5. IN right side window displays a list of parameters. The one we need is called IsShortcut. Find it and right-click.
  6. In the context menu that opens, find the “Rename” item located at the bottom.
  7. If everything is done accurately, the parameter name will become available for editing (the cursor will blink). Change its name to IsNotShortcut.
  8. Exit the editor and reboot. The arrows should disappear.

If in the future you want to add an image of arrows, it will be enough to repeat the same steps, returning the parameter to its previous name.

Editing system Windows registry 7 is only permissible for experienced users, since careless or unskilled actions can lead to malfunction of the operating system.

Aero Tweak program

There is a sufficient number specialized programs for thin Windows settings 7, called tweakers. Many of them are distributed free of charge, including those that serve to change the appearance of icons.

Aero Tweak is not only free, but also requires no installation. It is enough to download it (for example, from the official website of the developer www.inf.ru) and run it from external media: flash drive or disk.

The option we need is in Windows tab Explorer, located on the left side of the window. We put a checkmark on “Do not show arrows on shortcuts”, exit the program and restart the computer.

How to remove shields

Unlike arrows, not every label is equipped with a shield. System service UAC (control accounts) denotes in this way applications and commands that work with administrative rights. In particular, this means the possibility of making changes to system settings or, for example, prohibiting a user from launching without appropriate permissions. The main task of UAC is to protect the system, so disabling the service, and with it the shields, is only recommended experienced users and on computers with an effective antivirus installed.

To disable the control service, use the system configuration editor.

  1. Click keyboard shortcut Win + R, bringing up the “Run” window, and in the input line type the msconfig command.
  2. After the system configuration window has opened, go to the “Service” tab.
  3. Find the line “User Account Control Settings” in the list and click screen button"Launch".
  4. Now all that remains is to move the slider to the bottom position and save the parameter change by clicking OK.

The changes will take effect after you restart your computer. In order to return the shields, you need to repeat all the steps, but last step return the slider to its previous position.

How to change, including system ones

If you wish, you can not limit yourself to half measures, but completely change the icon, including those related to system utilities.

Changing shortcuts for installed applications

To change the icon on the desktop, you need to go to its properties again using right key mice. This time we are interested in the “Shortcut” tab, in which there is an on-screen button “Change icon” at the bottom.

The small “Change Icon” window by default provides a list of shortcuts stored in the file installed package. Select the one you like and click OK.

Strictly speaking, it is not at all necessary to designate a program with a label prepared by its publisher. You can select an icon located in another file. To do this, click the “Browse” on-screen button in the same window and select using Explorer required storage with a different list of pictures. Other options are now available.

How to change system icons

In order to replace a label, for example, Recycle Bins, you need to do things a little differently.

  1. In the search bar, which opens after pressing the on-screen “Start” or Win button on the keyboard, type the query: “Personalization”. Go to the top active tab in the results.
  2. On the left side of the large window that opens there are several active links. Select "Change desktop icons".
  3. The small Desktop Icon Settings window contains all the available system shortcuts. Select the one you want to change and press the “Change icon” on-screen button.
  4. The system will show all available shortcuts available in the corresponding Windows 7 directory. All that remains is to select the one you need and click OK.

How to hide or remove completely

Shortcuts, although very convenient tool, occupy a significant part of the desktop space and cover screen saver. We must also not forget about security considerations, because it is not always worth showing the applications installed on your computer to a casual viewer.

Fortunately, to solve these problems it is not necessary to delete the icons, just temporarily disable their display on the desktop.


If you need to delete a specific shortcut located on the desktop, then this can be done using standard means Windows 7:

How to recover deleted ones and why they disappeared from the desktop

Shortcuts deleted in the usual way are placed in the Recycle Bin. This makes it possible, if necessary, to restore them in the same order as the rest of the files. If the Recycle Bin was emptied or the icon was deleted without placing it in it (Shift+Del), then it will not be possible to restore it.

You will have to re-create the shortcut or use a backup system restore point. Shortcuts can disappear from the desktop without user intervention. In some cases, work is the reason malware

, so don’t forget about reliable anti-virus protection. But sometimes the operating system itself is the culprit. Windows 7 treats a shortcut that points to a non-existent or inaccessible file as damaged. As a rule, this approach is justified. A damaged icon may indicate incorrect remote program or a disconnected disk, that is, to be useless. The system checks itself weekly and removes such icons. However, sometimes a custom shortcut may link to a resource that is used less than once a week but is still needed. For example, on network storage located in the office regular customer

. In this case, deleting the icon creates unnecessary difficulties. The most in a simple way The solution to the problem is to reduce the number of icons on the desktop. If there are less than four of them, then Windows 7 will not delete even those that, in its opinion, are damaged. Other shortcuts can be placed according to separate folders

. The disadvantage of this method is obvious - you can rarely get by with just 4 shortcuts. Another solution would be to disable the corresponding system function. Unfortunately, this can only be done with the entire service automatic elimination

  1. Type “Check computer status” in the search bar and go to the top active link in the results.
  2. In the Action Center window, expand the “Maintenance” item and find the “Change troubleshooting settings” link.
  3. Follow the link and get to the settings window. All that remains is to move the switch in the “Computer Maintenance” item to “Disable” and exit after clicking OK.

Service outage may cause unstable work system, so this method should be considered only as a temporary solution.

Editing shortcuts belongs to the interface settings area and is determined by the taste and tasks of the user. Windows 7 and tweakers provide various ways organization and icon changes, but some imply a decrease in the level of system security, so they should be used with caution.

With the release of the new Windows 10 operating system, Microsoft company gave it many new functions and significantly redesigned the system design. Desktop icons have also undergone changes. Many users are accustomed to the old icons that were present on Windows 7. Therefore, non-standard icons after the transition to the new Windows 10 did not appeal to many PC users. IN new Windows 10 they can be easily changed for any shortcut on the desktop. In this material we will describe all the ways to change icons in Windows 10. In addition, we will describe the process of creating new icons.

Changing the icons of the main desktop shortcuts

Basic desktop shortcuts include links such as " This computer», « Control Panel», « Basket" To change these icons, you need to go to the " Options» to links « CUSTOMIZATION/Themes».

Now let's try to change the shortcut " Basket" To do this, select the trash can and click on the Change icon button.

In the list of shortcuts that appears, we will select the one we like and confirm our decision with the Apply button. Below is a basket with a different image.

Users can also use non-standard icons Windows libraries 10, and from third party sources. One such source is the package free icons « Open Icon Library" You can download this package on its official website https://sourceforge.net/projects/openiconlibrary. After downloading and unpacking the archive, about 10 thousand icons will be available to you various formats. To use them from the “Open Icon Library”, click on the same button Change icon for the recycle bin shortcut. In the window that appears, click on the Browse button. . . . After that, select one of the “Open Icon Library” shortcuts. Below is a cart using images from the Open Icon Library.

Which Windows 10 desktop shortcuts can be changed?

The main desktop elements for which you can change icons are shortcuts (links to programs, files and folders) and folders. Let's describe an example of changing the icon in Google Chrome. To do this, go to the properties of the browser shortcut.

Now if we click on the button Change icon. . ., then we will have four options for choosing an icon.

From the example it is clear that when we get to the icon selection list window, the same window appears in front of us as in the first example. The only difference is that all icons are not taken from system library, and from executable file"chrome.exe". In this window, just like in the first example, you can select an icon from “ Open Icon Library"or any other.

Now let's look at changing the icon for folders on the desktop. For example, we will create a folder named “Icon” on the desktop. After creating it, we will go to its properties on the “ tab Settings».

On this tab, click on the button that is already familiar to us Change icon. . .. After this action, the same window will appear in front of us, as in the previous examples.

The principle of replacing folder icons with a third-party one, and not from the “shell32.dll” library, is the same as in the previous examples.

We create icons ourselves

For this example we will use the program IcoFX. This program can Easily create different icons from raster images . For this example we will take free photo from the site https://pixabay.com. This site has thousands of free images.

We will also download and install the program IcoFX. After that we will open IcoFX program, and also open our image in it.

When opening an image, the utility prompts us to make a choice. We will focus on the option " Create an icon from the image" This option will open our image in a reduced resolution, which can be saved for use as an icon.

After selection suitable size icon you can save it. In our case, the size is 256 × 256. It is saved in the “*ico” file format. Below is an example of a Shortcut user shortcut with our icon.

Using IcoFX, you can create various icons from raster and vector images, which are located on the desktop.

Setting label sizes

Changing the size of desktop shortcuts is quite easy. To do this, go to the active desktop and right-click on it. After this action, a context menu will open in which you need to go to the line “ View».

As you can see in the image above, you can make the size large, regular, and small. This setting allows you to adjust the size for monitors with different resolutions and diagonals. For example, for large monitors You can reduce the size of the labels, and for small diagonals make them large. It is also worth noting that in the “View” item you can pin shortcuts in a grid and pin them automatically to the desktop.

Finally

After reading this article, you will learn how easy it is to change icons in Windows 10. In addition, the article shows how you can create icons from bitmap images yourself. We hope the material will help our readers change icons in Windows 10, as well as create new ones.

Video on the topic

Good day, dear readers.

Many users want their operating system to look unique. There are a lot of tools for this, including changing wallpaper, window colors and adding widgets. Today I will tell you how to install icons on Windows 7 that are different from the standard ones. As is often the case, there are several methods that involve using standard tools and third party programs.

This method allows you to change the view individual documents. Moreover, everything can be done without programs - only built-in tools are used. You have the ability to connect files in the format *.ico. These can be existing or downloaded icons from the Internet.

It is important to note that this way you can only change the appearance of the shortcut.

There are several steps you need to take:

Changing the folder view( )

Changing the icon for a folder allows you to distinguish it from a number of others that are identical. We perform several movements:


This method also works on Windows 10. If you suddenly change your mind and decide to return everything as it was before, we go through the first four points from the list. And then select “ Restore Defaults" Clicking this button will restore the standard icons.

IconPackager program( )

Among those who like to change appearance operating system, the IconPackager utility is quite popular. Using the program you can quickly and easily select what you want:


If some individual elements were not taken into account in the pack, their appearance will remain the same.

Sometimes there are situations when you need to return icons back. To do this, select the file and click on “ Windows Default Icons By: Microsoft" And then click on “ Apply icon package».

Other applications( )

Some users encounter a situation where the tools listed above are not enough. So, for example, you want to select a file with the extension *.png, but you can only change to *.ico. There are other programs to solve the problem.

For example, AveIconifier 2 is a relatively small security. The application allows you to automatically and quickly convert files from one to another format.

If you intend to change not just one individual element, but a collection at once, the IrfanView utility will come in handy.

However, in no case should you forget about the application. IconTo. The program is equipped with the ability to change the appearance of individual system objects. So, for example, you installed new icons for all folders. But you still want to highlight one directory among the rest. This is where this utility comes in handy. It is also worth saying that it is suitable not only for the operating system version seven from Microsoft, but also for Windows 8.

One of the properties of an object is the appearance of its icon. Like many other properties, it can be changed. However, it is necessary to distinguish between icons and object labels. Changing a shortcut is very simple, but an icon is a little more difficult, especially if this icon is standard.

How to change the folder icon in a shortcut.

Right-click on the shortcut icon to get to its properties. If this is really a shortcut (and not a full-fledged object icon), then the dialog box (as of today) of its properties has tabs: General, Shortcut, Security, Details, Previous.

We are interested in the tab - Shortcut, which has command button Change icon (Change icon). Click on it and the Change Icon dialog box will open. Here you can choose an icon that suits your taste.

Icons are supplied either in collections (libraries) or included with programs. Libraries can have dozens, if not hundreds of icons to choose from. Programmers usually include one or two, and sometimes several, icons with their programs so that the user can choose the one he likes best.

In the dialog box - Change Icon there is a field for entering the name of the file from which you want to borrow the icon. It is possible that the window - Change icon - has opened so that the address of some library has already been entered in this field, as in the figure below - then you have a wide choice.

But the window could open with the address of some program, and then the choice is small.

However, this is not important, because using the Browse button you can view the entire computer and find all the icons included in both libraries and programs.

Click the button - Browse - a dialog box will open - Change icon:

which is similar to standard window opening files. Explore contents of hard disk, paying attention to files with the extension .DLL and .EXE. After selecting any file, click the Open button. Don't be afraid, in in this case programs will not launch. Here, the Open command will only show those icons that are available in the program or in the library. If they are not there, a message will appear, and then the experiment can be repeated with another file. When you find what you need, select the icon you like and close the “Change Icon” window with the OK button.

To shorten your search a little, we will give the addresses of several standard collections icons:

♦ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\shell32.dll - a collection of Windows system icons;

♦ C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\pifmgr.dll - collection of custom icons;

C:\WINDOWS\moricons.dll is a collection of special Windows icons.

In addition to these collections, you can use icons of any programs. For example, the program C:\WINDOWS\winfile.exe has not one icon, but four. Three of them are missing anyway - use them if they suit you.

(standard file icons) .

In operating rooms Windows systems All files of the same type are displayed with one standard icon. Here is an example of one of several types of standard icons:

A Word document with an extension (.DOC or DOCX) looks like the picture above.

For Windows XP

Changing standard icons is as easy as we did with shortcuts, because in the object properties dialog box, which opens from context menu, there is no tab - Shortcut and, accordingly, there is no button Change icon.

However, this operation is still possible.

Let's try to change standard icon Word for something else. This file created as a regular folder; accordingly, all files of this type are assigned this standard icon.

To change it, we need to change the properties of the entire file type.

1. To manage the properties of file types, use the File Types tab in the Folder Options dialog box. It opens by clicking Start > Settings > Folder Options > File Types.

2. In the Registered file types list, find the Document type Microsoft Word and click the Change button - the Change File Type Properties dialog box will open.

3. In this dialog box, click the Change icon button - the already known Change icon window will open. Use it to find another icon and apply it. From now on, all documents created in word processor Microsoft Word 2000 will appear with a different icon.

For Windows 7

Since the system means to change standard types files are not provided in Windows 7, except by editing the registry; I recommend using a program that can be downloaded from the site http://defaultprogramseditor.com/. There is enough information on this program on the Internet, so go for it.

To change the icon for a regular folder, type:

Right-click on such a folder, then in the dialog box - properties and get into the following window:

P.S. I would like to remind you about the folder - My Documents - how do you approach it? Consumer or professional? Link to article: .