The icons used for your files are much more important then you might think. When browsing a large number of files, the default file icons provided by the OS and programs can be handy to quickly identify the file you are searching for. For example, if you browse a folder for a desired excel document, your brain automatically looks for the green excel icon and makes the process easier. On the other hand, they can sometimes all look all the same, and it’s easy to get confused. If you want to give your PC a refreshed look and have an easier time handling a large number of files, adding custom icons to files will help.
Choose Your New Icon File
Before changing your icons, you will need to find an icon you will use to replace the default icon. You can’t just go an use any old image. The file required should be in ICO file format. If you do not have one, you can easily download one from the internet. You can also use online resource to convert your images to ICO files very easily.
The following website can help converting a normal picture file to an ICO file.
ICON maker – create ICO from PNG or JPEG (onlineconvertfree.com)
You can also find an already made icon file from an online repository. Few popular icon repositories are FlatIcon, Findicons, IconArchive, DeviantArt, or GraphicBurger – all of these have loads of free icons.
Change File Icon – Windows
If you are using a Windows machine, then you have the ability to change the icon for a single file or folder. It’s a really simple process and windows will even give you a collection of icons you can use, but they are not really good.
Here’s how to change a single icon:
- Right-click on the folder or file and select “Properties.”
300 - Go to the “Customize” tab at the top of the popup window. And then select ‘Change Icon’.
- You can choose from a list of pre-loaded icons (most of them are dull or old) or select “Browse” at the top to open a file manager and locate your custom icon. Selct the Icon and then select OK
Note – You can select “Restore Defaults” on the same window to remove the customized icon.
Make Your PC Iconic
Personalizing the computer is much like personalizing our office or home. With a fresh set of custom icons, you can –
- Give your PC a personal touch
- Make your environment look catchy and trendy
- Make your system more user-friendly
- Highlight the importance of a particular icon by making it look unique
- To locate an important icon immediately from a huge crowd of icons
What icons did you use to customize your files? Let us know in the comment section below.
