Custom desktop icons

[Richard Davies]

Yesterday I posted the following question:

Is there any way to create custom desktop icons?

(Note, I'm NOT referring to creating a shortcut. I want to create an icon
like My Computer, My Network Places, or Internet Explorer.)

Or is there a way to make it so that the Internet Explorer icon starts up a
different browser?

There was some confusion as to what exactly I meant so I'm posting the
question again with hopefully a more clear explanation. The desktop can
contain several system icons, "My Computer", "Network Places", "Internet
Explorer", and "Recycle Bin" in particular. I know that you can create
shortcuts to other programs and place the shortcut on the desktop, but this
is not what I want.

I would like to be able to create another "system" icon (as opposed to a
shortcut) on the desktop that launches another program. Alternately, I would
like to change the system icon that launches Internet Explorer to start
another browser (like Avant.) Again, I'm not asking how to create the actual
icon picture with something like Microangelo, but rather how to place an
icon on the desktop that isn't a shortcut.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Richard,

You need to manually modify the Registry to point to the location of the
icon you wish to use. Click Start, Run and enter REGEDIT Go to:

My Computer
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon

My Network Places
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon

My Documents
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}\DefaultIcon

Recycle Bin
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}\DefaultIcon

Internet Explorer
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon

In the right pane, change the Default value to the path to the icon you want
to use. Refreshing the Desktop should be sufficient to see the change.
You may have to log off/log on.

 

[Keith Miller]

Look here:

http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/73/

and modify the command to launch the browser of your choice.

Keith

 

[Kelly]

Yesterday I posted the following question:

And you were answered yesterday.

 

[Richard Davies]

Thank you Keith! Finally someone who actually read (and understood) my
question and answered appropriately. Thank you very much.

 

[Keith Miller]

You're welcome. Have fun!