Microsoft is changing up the legacy icons of its popular operating system. You’ve already seen some of these changes hit classic Windows 10 apps like Mail and Calculator, but up next are new icons for File Explorer’s folders.
If you love the look and want to try the new icons out, you have two options. First, you can install the Windows Insider beta that comes with these changes built-in. You’ll need Windows 10 Preview Build 21343, which you can get by signing up for the Windows Insider program (via your Settings app > Update & Security). Make sure you pick the Dev channel for your releases, which means speedier access to updated features at the potential cost of some system stability.
But I wouldn’t use the Dev channel for my primary PC, just in case. Icons are nifty and all, but not worth the potential problems if, or when, the build starts acting up. Thankfully, there’s another easy way to get these updated icons: Install them yourself.
To get started, download the icons from this helpful link (courtesy of Reddit user Random_Vandal, who extracted them directly out of the operating system. Mirror here if that link dies.) Drop them on a folder on your system that you don’t mind keeping around forever. There’s a lot of them—662 in total—but they only eat up a mere 36MB of space.
Next, navigate over to your Users folder, typically C:\users\[your name]. Right-click on any user folder whose icon you want to change, like “Downloads,” and click Properties. Click on the Customize tab, and then click on the “Change Icon” button:
Click on “Browse,” and find whatever icon you want from the massive folder you just created. The ones that match the lead image in this post are:
Desktop: imageres-175.ico
Documents: shell32-127.ico
Downloads: imageres-176.ico
Music: shell32-129.ico
Pictures: shell32-128.ico
Video: shell32-130.ico
Repeat the process as necessary for all (or any) of the user folders you want to adjust. And if this simple trick doesn’t produce the results you want, you might have to jump into the Windows Registry to do some extra tweaking. At least, that should be how you’ll get the new icons to appear under “This PC” within File Explorer. Be careful with your edits, though, as the Registry is the one place you don’t want to screw things up.
I will never fault someone for asking a tech question that feels “basic,” because we all had to get our start somewhere. Few of us popped out of the w
Did you hear? Spotify is making a Car Thing. Yes, seriously, it’s called the Car Thing. It acts as an intermediary device that connects to your phone
Instagram is adding two new anti-harassment tools aimed at cutting down abusive messages you might receive on the platform. Here’s a quick look at how
It never fails. Right when you’ve got your hands full, or you’re doing dishes and they’re covered in soap, or you’re working outside and all muddy, th
While I appreciate everything a smart speaker assistant can help me with, I don’t want to get caught in long conversations with Alexa. I certainly don
Though it feels like we’ve been Zooming and FaceTiming and using Google Hangouts for an eternity, most of us have still not figured out how to look go
We recently talked about how you can hide your browsing history from ad trackers in Safari, which is great, but one reason many people have been hesit
Did you know that many useful Apple Watch health alerts are disabled by default? There are several useful features like fall detection, walking steadi
We are a comprehensive and trusted information platform dedicated to delivering high-quality content across a wide range of topics, including society, technology, business, health, culture, and entertainment.
From breaking news to in-depth reports, we adhere to the principles of accuracy and diverse perspectives, helping readers find clarity and reliability in today’s fast-paced information landscape.
Our goal is to be a dependable source of knowledge for every reader—making information not only accessible but truly trustworthy. Looking ahead, we will continue to enhance our content and services, connecting the world and delivering value.
