File Extension Type Icon - Change

How to Change a File Extension Type Icon in Vista​

   Information

This will show you how to change the default icon for a file extension type of your choice to whatever icon you want it to be displayed as in Windows Explorer instead.

   Note

This will change all of the icons for that file extension type in Vista, not just the shortcuts of them.

To see what the file extension is for a file, see: How to Show and Change a File Name Extension in Vista


Some Common Default Icon Registry Locations:

• Unknown file icon - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Unknown\DefaultIcon
• Folder icon - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder DefaultIcon

   Tip

You can also use the free configuration utilty program named Types to easily change a file extension icon to what you like in a easy to use window instead of through the registry.

   Warning

• You will need to use a 256x256 pixel icon that was made for Vista for them to display properly at all of the available icon view sizes in Vista. For more about Vista icons, see: Icons in Windows Vista
• Some programs may automatically reset the default file extension icon back to the default one it uses even after you have changed it. This tutorial will not work for these programs.
• If you change the default program for what opens the file extension, it will also change the icon of the file extension to be whatever it is for the program you selected uses.

EXAMPLE: The Default .txt File Extension Type Icon

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Here's How:
NOTE: For this tutorial, I am going to use just the file extensions .txt and .mp3 as an example. You can change any other files extension you like. Just substitute the file extension you want to change in the steps below instead.

1. Open the Start Menu.​

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2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.​

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3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.​

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4. If Using the Default Program in Vista to Open With​

NOTE: You would use this option if you are using the default program that Vista uses to open the file extension.​

A) In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: Substitute .txt with the file extension you want to change instead.​

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.txt​

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B) In the right pane of the file extension, look at the Data value to the right of (Default). (See screenshot above)​

NOTE: For example it is txtfile for the .txt file extension type.​

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C) Go to step 6.​

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5. If Using a 3rd Party Program as the Default Program to Open With​

NOTE: You would do this option if you have changed the program used to open the file extension to a 3rd party program instead of the one Vista used by default.​

A) In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: Substitute .mp3 with the file extension you want to change instead.​

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HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.mp3\UserChoice

NOTE: If you do not have the UserChoice key, then in the left pane, right click on the file extension (ex: .mp3) and click on New and Key. Type UserChoice and press Enter.​

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B) In the right pane of UserChoice, look at the Data value to the right of Progid. (See screenshot above)​

NOTE: For example it is WMP11.AssocFile.MP3 for the .mp3 file extension type by default. Your value will vary depending on the default program you have to open this file extension.​

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6. In regedit, scroll down past all the file extensions and keep going until you see: (See screenshots below 7)​

NOTE: Substitute txtfile with the Data value from step 4B or 5B for the file extension you want to change instead.​

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\txtfile ​

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7. Click on the arrow next to txtfile to expand the key (folder).​

NOTE: Substitute txtfile with the Data value from step 4B or 5B for the file extension you want to change instead.​

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8. To Backup the Default File Extension Type Icon Settings​

NOTE: To restore the default file extension type icon settings from this created backup below, right click on the .reg backup file and click on Merge. Next, approve the merge and log off and log on to apply the change.​

A) Right click on DefaultIcon and click on Export. (See screenshot below step 9)​

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B) Select a location to where you want to save the backup (reg file) at. (See screenshot below)​

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C) Type in a name and click on the Save button.​

NOTE: Be sure to type in a name that is easily recognized by you for that file extension.​

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9. In the right pane of DefaultIcon, right click on (Default) and click on Modify. (See screenshot below)​

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10. Select Option One or Option Two below for what icon you want to replace the file extension icon with.​

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OPTION ONE

Change File Extension Type Icon to a Saved Icon

A. Download and save a icon of your choice to a location you wish to store this icon at.​

NOTE: See the Warning box at the top of this tutorial for about what kind of icon to use. The icon must stay at this location for as long as it is being used for the file extension.​

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B. After step 9 above, type in the full path of the icon file location from step A and click on OK. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: For example, I used a icon file on my desktop. Sometimes you will need to add ,0 (number zero) at the end of the full path for it to work. For the example below, C:\Users\User-Name\Desktop\txt file.ico,0​

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C. The registry will now look similar to this. (See screenshot below)​

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D. Go to step 11 below Option Two.​

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OPTION TWO

Change File Extension Type Icon to another Vista Icon

A. Download and install the free program IconViewer.​

NOTE: This program will add the Icons tab to files (ex: imageres.dll) that contain a icon library in them so you can see the icons available in it.​

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B. In Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll and right click on imageres.dll and click on Properties.​

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C. Scroll through the icons and make note of the icon number of the one you want to use to replace the file extension icon with. (See screenshot below)​

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D. After you had made note of the icon number, close the Properties window and the Windows Explorer window.​

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E. After step 9 above, change the number after - at the end to the icon number in step C and click on OK. (See screenshot below)​

NOTE: For example, I wanted to change the icon for the .txt file extension to be icon number 19 from step C instead. If you do not have %SystemRoot%\system 32\imageres.dll,-### in Modify, then change it to this with the number (ex: 19).​

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F. The registry will now look similar to this. (See screenshot below)​

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G. Continue to step 11 below.​

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11. Close Regedit.​

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12. Log off and log on, or restart the computer, to apply the changes.​

NOTE: For the .txt file extension example, the left screenshot below is for after Option One, and the right screenshot is for after Option Two.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Change a Folder Preview Picture in Vista
• How to Change a Shortcut Folder or File Icon in Vista
• How to Change the Open Folder Icon in Vista
• How to Change a Icon in the Control Panel in Vista
• How to Fix a Personal User Shell Folder Displayed as a Standard Yellow Folder Icon in Vista
• How to Change a Drive Icon in Vista
• How to Restore and Change a Desktop Icon in Vista
• How to Change the Desktop Control Panel Icon in Vista
• How to Rebuild the Icon Cache in Vista
• How to Hide a Folder or Shortcut Icon in Vista
• How to Change a Folder Icon in Vista
• How to Associate a Individual File Extension Type With a Program in Vista
• How to Unassociate a File Extension Type in Vista
• How to Show and Change a File Name Extension in Vista
• How to Add "Show/Hide Known File Extensions" to Context Menu in Vista and Windows 7
• Restore Default Vista File Extension Type Associations
• How to Change the Vista Default Folder Icon

 

[Soulfinger]

Hi Shawn,
Thanks for the reply but that wouldn’t help & I can't be bothered messing about with things after that last problem with the machine so I've just installed iconpackager make life easy for me.

Cheers
P.S

Lets hope windows 7 is more configurable?

 

[Brink]

Glad you got it sorted.

 

[Soulfinger]

Alrighty Shawn,
Never had many problems with vista till now lol there all coming at once lol

I installed Iconpackager to get the winRAR icon in and decided to install a windows 7 icon pack

It looked good and everything was fine then I decided to go on the web
And get the error:
The Item you selected is Unavailable might of been moved, renamed or removed
Firefox is my default browser
And the Email shortcut will not work now

Both programs work from there installed folders
Please say I don’t need to format this thing again?

And guess what I didn’t set a restore point as Iconpackager said it’s completely Vista X64 Compatible (Yeah Right!)

Is there a default setting for them both?

I tried customize Start menu and set IE as default browser which works fine.

Could use that but if i want to view a email link to the web it will not open a browser

Also tried reinstalling firefox

Hope you can help.
Thanks again

 

[Brink]

Double check to make sure that Internet Explorer is set as the default with all of it's associations set to it as well.

I would recommend that you turn on System Restore, and create a restore point before making changes to your system. This way it will be easy to undo those changes by doing a System Restore if needed.

 

[Soulfinger]

I know shawn I feel like a complete numpty? I am usually very careful.

Its ok I have resolved it sort of? It’s an error with iconpackager

I have just removed the Internet and email shortcut and pinned Firefox and Outlook to the start menu.

It works just the same

Tip with iconpackager don’t just install a package load it first then remove the Internet & email icons

Anyway, Take care and Cheers for the help

 

[Brink]

LOL, no problem.

 

[Slopedoc]

Hi, first if all let me say great tutorial. In the end I wanted to change a lot of icons and opted to use the aforementioned program Types to change my icons. About mid-way through changing the types I decided I wanted to change the default icon for execultable files (bad idea, as I now realize). Well I don't understand this but apparently my computer has, for the most part, forgotten how to use .exe files! Unfortunately as I chose to use the program I did not backup my registry. Do you know of anyway to fix this through say the registry alone or am I forced to essentially re-install vista to repair?

 

[Brink]

Hello Slopedoc, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You can download the EXE download at the link below to restore the default associations for .exe files back. If it still will not work, then you should be able to do a System Restore using a restore point dated before this.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/233243-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Soulfinger]

Hello Slopedoc, Hope you got your machine back to normal with Brink's help. The Guy knows his onions lol.

Good tip ALWAYS! make a restore point before installing anything in vista or any operating system.

I learnt the hard way lol.

Take care.

 

[elk]

I want to change the default icon for all of the folder icons. In the registry I went to the folders and modified the default icon but most of them are staying the same. It's only a few in the documents folder but all the ones in the programs files are still this ugly design that came with the hp artist's edition. Also, it says the icons are in shell32 and not imageres...

Thanks

 

[Brink]

Hello Elk, and welcome to Vista Forums.

Did you use a 256x256 Vista style icon to replace it with?


You might also give the 15 day trial version of Vista Manager a try. It will help make icon changes easier to do when you have a bunch to do at one time. It is located at Custimization and Icon Manager in the left side of the program. You only have 15 days to change what you want before the trial period is over, but the changes you have made will remain even after you uninstall Vista Manager later or decide to purchase it.

 

[Novocaine88]

Hi, I've gone through the process of changing the default folder that windows uses. That worked great, BUT i don't know how to change the icon of the folder when there are pictures, files, whatever inside that folder. (it shows the default folder again, but with the small preview of the files inside, if you know what i mean).

The tutorial i used is almost identical to this one, just somewhere else. On it someone posted an icon index;

3 = default folder
4 = open folder
etc..

but there didn't seem to be one for 'folder with preview' or something along those lines. Can you help out with this maybe?

Cheers

 

[Brink]

Hello Novocaine, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You would need to turn off thumbnail previews in Windows Explorer to accomplish this like in the note box at the top of this tutorial below.

Folder Icon - Change Windows 7 Default Folder Icon - Windows 7 Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Novocaine88]

Cheers for the quick response. Worked fine :D

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Novocaine.

 

[suriname]

Hi guys! Thanks for this topic, but this dont work for me. I follow all but some extensions don't work. Please help me. The txt icon is 32x32 but work fine. My SO is windows vista ultimate. The .flv file was opened with winamp, then I uninstalled it, but still did not work.

This is the screenshot.

 

[Brink]

Hello Suriname, and welcome to Vista Forums.

You should use a 256x256 pixel icon made for Vista instead.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[suriname]

Hello Suriname, and welcome to Vista Forums.
You should use a 256x256 pixel icon made for Vista instead.
Shawn

Thanks, But don't work with 256x256, The Extension Manager show correctly, but the icon dont change after reboot.

 

[Brink]

Suriname,

It may be the program you are using. As a test try it manually in the tutorial, or use the the free program Types to see how it does instead.

 

[suriname]

Suriname,
It may be the program you are using. As a test try it manually in the tutorial, or use the the free program Types to see how it does instead.

Hi Brink, thanks for all.
I don't understand why he did not work, I follow step by step, but failed. The extension manager don't work too. I used this other program (types) and it worked perfectly. The most important thing I could change. I made a program in visual basic which made the change of various types of files automatically whenever you restart the computer, it works perfectly in Windows XP, but in the vista and seven did not work for all type files, only a few extensions worked. What impresses me most is that some extensions worked with the 32x32 icons.

But okay, Thank you for your help and congratulations by the topic.

Is the program types an open source? I'd like to get the code if possible.

Thank you very much.