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Customise which icons you use for various program shortcuts in Windows
Sometimes I want to use a different icon for a shortcut or file. There are many alternatives that Windows can use but it can be tricky finding them if the correct file is not already being used.
The icons are held in a file called SHELL32.dll, which is located in a special folder called System32 inside the Windows folder. Right-click on the shortcut whose icon you want to change and click on Properties. Click on Change Icon. Click on the Browse button and then on the My Computer button on the left.
Double-click on Local Disk (C:), WINDOWS, system32 and then shell32.dll. The default Windows icons will appear in the Change Icon window. Pick one and click on OK. The files in System32 are very important so be careful to only access them this way.
Margaret Wells
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