Let us start off by changing those icons that are easiest to deal with: those on the desktop itself.

First, right click on the icon with your mouse. A menu of options will appear. Select the "Properties" option, which is usually at the bottom of the menu.

Depending on the icon, you should be at the "Summary" or a "Shortcut" menu tab. If not, select it. Then select "Change Icon..." (see Diagram 1).

Browse through your directories for the icon that you want to replace the current one. Icons use the .ico file extension in Windows. Icons can also be found inside *.icl (icon library files) and *.exe files. It is best that you create a directory solely for the icons you've downloaded or created, since it makes for easier browsing. Once you've found the right icon, select "Open", then "OK" in the next dialog and "Apply" the new icon!

There are, however, some icons on the desktop that you may not be able to change using the above method. Such icons include the My Computer, Recycle Bin, My Network Places, and My Documents icons. To customize these icons, right click on an empty area of the desktop, and select "Properties". You'll find yourself in the Display Properties menu. Select the Desktop tab, and at the bottom, choose "Customize Desktop". The Desktop Items dialog will appear (see Diagram 2).

Here, you can select which of the above mentioned icons you want to appear on the desktop. But more importantly, you can customize those icons. Select the icon you want to change, then click the "Change Icon..." tab and browse for the desired icon. Once you've found it, just click OK through the dialogs.

The method of right-clicking on an icon, selecting "Properties" and then "Change Icon..." can also be used to change some of the icons that accompany your folders as well. You can do this in Windows Explorer. Try it out!

Diagram 1

The same method can again be used on some of the icons contained within your Start Menu, namely those in the Programs tab. Perhaps you think that the Calculator icon is hideous and you want it changed. No problem! Right-click on it, select Properties (see Diagram 3), "Change Icon...", find the right icon, click "OK" through the dialogs and there you go!

But there are some icons on the Start Menu itself which may not be customized using the above method, like those found on the right-hand side of the Start Menu (My Computer, My Documents, Control Panel, Help and Support, Search, Run, etc.). In such situations, you would have to rely on third-party (usually shareware) icon customization programs. One such program is Axialis Iconworkshop. You can find tutorials on how to use this program to change the above-mentioned icons at the tutorial pages of the program site.

Another way you can change those icons is by using the free versatile program Resource Hacker. We will learn how to do so in the next tutorial.