Customizing Windows

So far, you have learned how to change the icons of the desktop icons. This next section will show you how you can change the default icon that is displayed for any file type on your computer. Changing the icons is actually very easy; the most difficult part of the process is trying to figure out what icon to use. Additionally, keep in mind that you can use any of the new high resolution icons that you can download from the sites mentioned in the Changing the Desktop Icons section in Chapter 3.

To get started changing your icons, you are going to want to use the Folder Options feature you used in the last section. Follow these steps to begin:

1. Open up Folder Options again by clicking My Computer. Then when it launches, click the Tools menu bar entry and select Folder Options.

2. Inside Folder Options, click the File Types tab to reveal the list of all of the different file extensions on your computer.

3. Browse through the list and select the extension for which you want to change the icon.

4. Once you have the entry selected, click the Advanced button.

5. On the Edit File Type screen, click the Change Icon button.



6. The Change Icon screen will be displayed. Here, you will be shown various system icons from which you can choose. If you do not find any that you like, just click the Browse button and select an icon that you downloaded on your computer.

7. Once you find the perfect icon, click OK to select the new icon.

8. Then click OK once more to save your changes. You don’t have to reboot after you make your changes, because you will see your changes immediately after you click OK to save them.