How To Change Icons on Windows 11

The purpose why Windows 11 is so widespread amongst builders and customers alike is the extent of customization that’s doable with it. Apart from permitting for exterior service-level modifications, it additionally leaves sufficient room for builders to craft some refreshing visible packs to vary the appear and feel of Windows.

If you wish to make your private pc really yours, there’s nothing higher than making an attempt out a couple of icon packs as these are the little issues on our PCs that we work together with probably the most. Here’s how one can change the completely different icons on Windows 11. 

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Download icons for Windows 11

There are a couple of extra icon units that come in-built in Windows 11. But there’s an ever-expanding listing of icons and icon packs you could get on-line so it doesn’t make sense to make use of those that include Windows. Some of the platforms the place you may obtain icons free of charge embrace the likes of Iconfinder, DeviantArt, Flaticon, GraphicBurger, and IconArchive. You also can pay for some premium icon packages in the event that they catch your fancy. 

Once you discover a pack that appeals to you, obtain it and put it aside in a everlasting location. If they’re in a Zip file, extract them in order that they’re all inside one folder.

Before we start, just be sure you keep all these icon images in a single place and never transfer them as soon as they’re utilized. If issues go incorrect, you’ll need them to be multi functional place in order that they are often reapplied with ease. So, to reiterate, save the icons in a single place and don’t transfer them. 

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Change PNG images to ICO icons

Though most websites will present the icon recordsdata within the ICO format (which is the format Windows makes use of for its icons), you might discover that some websites will provide icon recordsdata in PNG format. But don’t fear, you may simply convert these PNG images to ICO recordsdata and use them as icons. 

There are a bunch of PNG to ICO converters on the market that you should use to get your ICO recordsdata, reminiscent of Cloudconvert, IcoConvert, and ConvertIco. Simply go to any of those or simply do a easy Google search, go to any of the websites, and get your PNG recordsdata transformed. 

Once you will have your ICO recordsdata, save them multi functional folder. 

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Change Desktop icons

Now, first up, let’s change the desktop icons. These icons embrace My Computer, Recycle Bin, Network, and the like, and are a cinch to vary. Here’s how you are able to do so:

1. Right-click wherever in your desktop and click on on Personalize. Then go to Themes.
2. Then, beneath ‘ Settings’, click on on Desktop icon settings.
3. Now, choose the icon that you just wish to change after which click on on Change icon.
   
4. In the following window, you may choose from amongst the additional built-in icons. But because you’ve already downloaded (and transformed) icon packs, it’s higher that you just use these. For that, click on on Browse.
   
5. Look for the folder the place you saved your ICO recordsdata. Then choose the one that you just wish to use for a specific icon and click on Open.
   
6. Click OK on all open windows.
   
7. Once the modifications are made, the brand new icon will seem in File Explorer, in addition to the Desktop and the Taskbar when it’s open.
   
8. Didn’t like your new icon? Simply return to the “Desktop Icon Settings”, choose the icon, and click on on Restore Default.
   

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Change Program icons

Changing program icons is ridiculously straightforward on Windows. But you may solely change the shortcut icon, not the principle .exe file icon. So, to be able to change a program icon, you’ll have to create its desktop shortcut first (if one will not be in your desktop already). Here’s how you are able to do so:

1. Click on the Start menu and seek for an app. In our instance, we’re selecting Google Chrome. Right-click on the app and click on on Open file location.
2. In the folder, right-click on this system and click on on Send to, after which Desktop (create shortcut).
   
3. The app shortcut will now seem on the desktop. Right-click on it and choose Properties.
4. In the ensuing window, beneath the “Shortcut” tab, click on on Change Icon.
   
5. You will see a couple of icon choices. You can both select from amongst these choices or click on on Browse and go to the folder the place you saved the downloaded ICO recordsdata.
   
6. Choose the icon that you really want for the app, then click on Open.
7. Click OK on all open windows.
   
8. Your new icon will now be utilized to this system.
   

Change Folder icons individually

You can change folder icons individually in the identical method. Doing so will make a folder stand out distinctly from different folders, making it simpler to search out. Here’s how you are able to do so:

1. Find a folder whose icon you wish to change, right-click on it and select Properties.
2. Click on the Customize tab after which choose Change icon.
   
3. Here too you’ll discover a bunch of icons offered by Windows, however most of them have an outdated look. Instead of selecting one in every of these, click on on Browse.
   
4. Then discover the icon you wish to apply to this folder out of your icon pack. Click on Open.
   
5. Then click on OK on all open dialog containers. Your folder icon change will now be utilized.
   

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Change Folder icons suddenly

If you wish to change your folder icons all through your system, it’s unfeasible, to say the least, to do it separately. Instead, it’s important to get into the registry and make the modifications there. Here’s how one can change folder icons suddenly. 

1. Press Start, kind “Registry editor” and click on on Run as administrator.
2. Once the registry editor opens, navigate to the next location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionExplorer
   Or you may merely copy the above location, paste it into the registry, and hit Enter.
   
3. Now, within the left panel, right-click the Explorer folder and click on on New, then Key.
   
4. Name this folder as Shell Icons and choose it. On the suitable, right-click within the clean area and choose New, then Expandable String Value.
   
5. Name this string 3.
   
6. Repeat the method and create a string 4.
   
7. Now, double-click the 3 string. You can be required to enter the placement of the folder icon beneath “Value data”. To simplify the duty, right-click the folder ICO file and choose Copy as path.
   
8. Then paste it contained in the “Value data” discipline if string 3 and click on OK.
   
9. Do the identical for string 4 as properly, and click on OK.
   
10. You ought to see the modifications take impact when you exit the registry. If that doesn’t occur, you could have to restart Windows Explorer. To accomplish that, right-click on the taskbar and choose Task Manager.
11. Then, beneath the Processes tab, right-click Windows Explorer and choose Restart.
12. The icons for all of your folders in your system will now change.
    
13. If you wish to revert the method and get back the default folder icons, merely go to the identical registry handle and delete the Shell Icons key. 

So that is how one can change your Windows 11 icons in your private pc. Windows 11 makes it tremendous handy to vary the looks of program shortcuts, folders, and desktop icons so your PC appears to be like and feels really yours.

Given the superb icon developer neighborhood that we now have, you might be actually spoilt for decisions in relation to deciding on an icon pack. So, discover icon packs that enchantment to you, obtain them, and apply them as we’ve proven you on this article. Don’t fear in case you don’t like them at first; you may simply revert to default Windows 11 icons from throughout the identical windows.