Changing an icon on the desktop

[Guest]

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.

 

[Malke]

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

 

[Gary Brandenburg]

| 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

 

[Code-Curious Mom]

Check the Windows/system directory for
moricons.dll
hticons.dll
shell32.dll
for some basic included with Windows ones.

 

[Code-Curious Mom]

that's Windows/system32

Check the Windows/system directory for
moricons.dll
hticons.dll
shell32.dll
for some basic included with Windows ones.

 

[M.I.5¾]

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.