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Use Properties > Shortcut > Change Icon for an app, file, or folder shortcut. Use Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings for Windows-managed icons such as This PC and Recycle Bin. These procedures change the icon you see, not the underlying application or folder.
Know which kind of icon you are changing
Windows uses several icon types, and each has different controls:
- Application, file, and folder shortcuts: links that can usually be customized through Shortcut Properties.
- Built-in desktop icons: This PC, Recycle Bin, Network, User’s Files and, on some systems, Control Panel.
- Actual folders: the folder itself in File Explorer, rather than a shortcut pointing to it.
- Taskbar, Start, and File Explorer icons: related interfaces that do not use the ordinary desktop-shortcut procedure.
Changing a shortcut affects only that shortcut. It does not replace the icon embedded in the original program, file, or folder.
Change an app, file, or folder shortcut icon
- Right-click the shortcut on the desktop.
- Select Properties.
- Open the Shortcut tab.
- Select Change Icon.
- Choose an icon from the list, or select Browse to choose another source.
- Select the icon, then select OK, Apply, and OK again.
Windows may load icons from the shortcut’s executable or from an icon library. If the item is not a standard shortcut, the Shortcut tab or Change Icon button may not be available; Microsoft documents this limitation at its desktop-icon guidance.
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Create a shortcut first
From the desktop
- Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
- Select New > Shortcut.
- Enter a path or select Browse to locate the target.
- Select Next, enter a name, and select Finish.
From File Explorer
- Locate the file or folder.
- Right-click it and select Show more options > Send to > Desktop (create shortcut).
- If your installation displays the classic context menu directly, Show more options may not appear.
From Start
Microsoft also documents dragging an application from Start > All onto the desktop. These creation methods are described at Microsoft’s desktop customization page.
Use a custom .ico file
- Save the icon in a permanent location, such as a personal Icons folder. Do not rely on Downloads if the file might be moved or deleted.
- Open the shortcut’s Properties > Shortcut > Change Icon.
- Select Browse, choose the
.icofile, and select Open. - Select the icon, then choose OK > Apply > OK.
An executable (.exe) or dynamic-link library (.dll) can also contain icons. Microsoft’s older guidance gives C:WindowsSystemShell32.dll as an example, but current systems commonly use System32, and paths and icon ordering vary by Windows version and architecture. Browse to the relevant file rather than relying on a particular icon number; see Microsoft’s folder-icon guidance.
The shortcut can depend on the external icon file. If that file is renamed, moved, deleted, or stored on an unavailable removable or network drive, the shortcut may show a blank or default icon. A multi-resolution .ico generally produces better results at different display scales.
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Change built-in Windows desktop icons
Show or hide them
- Open Settings (or press Win + I).
- Select Personalization > Themes.
- Select Desktop icon settings.
- Check or clear icons such as This PC, Recycle Bin, Network, and User’s Files.
- Select Apply, then OK.
Replace their appearance
In the same dialog, select a built-in icon, choose Change Icon, browse to a replacement if needed, and select OK > Apply > OK.
Allow themes to change desktop icons is enabled by default according to Microsoft. Clear it if a theme switch should not replace your customized built-in icons. Follow the current procedure at Microsoft Support.
Actual folder icons are different
The shortcut procedure changes a shortcut to a folder, not the folder’s default appearance throughout File Explorer. For a custom desktop appearance, create a folder shortcut and change that shortcut’s icon. Changing the folder everywhere in Explorer is a separate, advanced customization; Microsoft’s documented limitation is described at this support page. Avoid registry edits or third-party “icon changer” utilities unless you understand their risks.
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Resize or hide desktop icons
Resize
Right-click an empty desktop area, select View, and choose Large icons, Medium icons, or Small icons. You can also hold Ctrl while scrolling the mouse wheel over the desktop. See Microsoft’s documented controls.
Hide every icon
Right-click the desktop, choose View, and clear Show desktop icons. This hides shortcuts and files visually; it does not delete them.
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“Change Icon” is missing
You may have selected the actual file or folder, a special Windows object, or a Start/taskbar pin. Create a desktop shortcut to the item and open that shortcut’s Properties. Not every icon exposes a Shortcut tab.
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All desktop icons disappeared
Right-click an empty area, open View, and ensure Show desktop icons is checked. This is a visibility setting, not proof that the shortcuts were deleted. Microsoft’s recovery guidance is at this OneDrive support page.
Only Recycle Bin or another built-in icon is missing
Open Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings, check the missing item, and select Apply and OK. Microsoft provides a Recycle Bin example at this support page.
The custom icon does not appear
- Confirm the file is a real
.ico, not merely an image renamed with an.icoextension. - Make sure it still exists at the location selected in Change Icon.
- Reopen Change Icon, select the intended image, and use Apply before closing.
- If the shortcut works but its picture is stale, restart File Explorer or Windows before attempting more advanced icon-cache repair.
The icon changed after switching themes
Open Desktop icon settings and clear Allow themes to change desktop icons.
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Shortcuts seem to have vanished or the desktop contains unexpected files
OneDrive can back up or redirect the Desktop folder. Check the Desktop folder’s Properties > Location and verify that you are viewing the intended account and folder. Microsoft explains this diagnosis at its missing-icons guidance.
Windows 10 note
Microsoft’s customization procedure covers Windows 11 and Windows 10, but Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025. The controls may still exist on Windows 10, while Windows 11 is the current supported platform for a new installation. Source: Microsoft Support.
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