In Windows 10, a feature is there in which you can customize the appearance of your windows. This feature is useful when you didn’t like the original pre-installed icon pack of Windows 10. It seems to be difficult for any user to change the icon of a shortcut in Windows 10. If you also wish to add a unique touch to your Windows 10 device or PC, then you are in the right place. Today, we have a guide with us on how to change the icon of a shortcut in Windows 10.

However, this feature currently available for those who updated their PC to Windows 10 November 2019 update or later. Unfortunately, if you have an older version of Windows 10, then there is no way to change the shortcut icon in Windows 10. So, go and first check your Windows 10 build and if there is any update available, then update it.

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Change Icon of a Shortcut in Windows 10?

If you are curious about changing the icon of a shortcut in Windows 10, then follow the guidelines given below: –

Find Icons for Your Shortcut

Icons that you use for your shortcuts might be stored in various file types.

  • .ico – It is one of the best-known file format used for icons in Windows and only store one icon.
  • .exe – This file can be embedded into the executable files of a program, and it stores one or more icons.
  • .dll – In all files (dynamic-link library), a set of icons embedded and stores one or more icons.

A few .exe and .dll files might store icons, depending upon their developer that how they were created. At the same time, the .ico files always contain an icon. If you feel that the pre-installed icons don’t look as you want, you can download another one—more about downloaded icons at the end of this article.

Change the icon of a Shortcut to a file, app, folder, or program

  • First of all, create your shortcut and right-click on it.
  • A contextual menu will open, then what you have to do is simply click on properties.
  • Now, click on the shortcut tab, and you’ll see an option change icon. Click on it.
  • After that, a change icon window will open, you’ll see all the icons available in one of your Windows 10’s DLL files.
  • Choose the icon from the list as per your liking . When you’re done with this, simply click on OK.
  • Now, you’ll see that the icon replaces with your old icon in the shortcut properties window. Tap on OK and then Apply.
  • That’s it; now you will see your shortcut’s icon has now changed.

Remove the Shortcut arrow

No matter what icon you choose, you will always have an arrow icon, which represents that it is a shortcut. In an earlier version of Windows 10 built, it was possible to change it with Windows registry. But the recent version of Windows 10 does not allow users to remove this icon.

However, there are third-party softwares that can provide you with the service of removing the shortcut arrow easily. One such program which offers this service is Ultimate Windows Tweaker4.7.1. With this software, you can remove the shortcut arrow as well as change file icons easily.

Upload your own icon to a shortcut

In case you’re not satisfied with the current set of icons Windows 10 offers, you can always get your own personal ones. The best and easy way is to look or “.ico icon files” on the internet. Once you find, download and save them in your LOCAL DISK C drive.

  • Choose the icon from the list as per your liking or change the file in the field under Look for icons in this file.
  • Then, a window appears with a Browse option. Click on it.
  • Now, what you have to do is simply navigate the file with the icon you want for your shortcut. Choose it, and tap on open.
  • When you’re done with this, simply click on OK.
  • Now, you’ll see that the icon replaces with your old icon in the shortcut properties window. Tap on OK and then Apply.

Conclusion

Changing icons on your desktop can give you a great aesthetic appearance and not to mention the ability to categorise icons efficiently. It can make you more productive as you can keep different icons on your shortcuts. I recommend using “.ico file” icons from the internet to better suit your needs, which are not already available in Windows 10.  That’s all we have for you on How To Change Icon of a Shortcut in Windows 10? We hope this guide helped you.

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