changing folder picture

  • Thread starter Thread starter RustyM
  • Start date Start date
R

RustyM

I know how to change the picture (icons) on a folder by going in to the
customizing part in properties. But is there any way that I can make my own
icons so as to make letters (or get font icons) - Can I make my own icons
and be able to use them for this purpose. Or if not, does anyone know of a
free program I can download to get different icons for folders. I have Win
XP. thanks
 
I know how to change the picture (icons) on a folder by going in to the
customizing part in properties. But is there any way that I can make my own
icons so as to make letters (or get font icons) - Can I make my own icons
and be able to use them for this purpose. Or if not, does anyone know of a
free program I can download to get different icons for folders. I have Win
XP. thanks
Click to expand...

You can select almost any image for your user icon. XP will create a new
file with a resized image. Knowing that, you could use any paint program to
create a small square. Then use the program's the font tool to type in the
letter that you want. Save the image as a *.jpg. Select it as your user
icon. TIP: Clicking the icon in the start menu, will bring up the dialog
screen for changing this image.
 
Another very easy method is to d'load Irfanview. The latest version will
open any image with the option to save it as an .ico
Very handy also after you modify a Bitmap.

A program I wouldn't be without.
 
thanks Sharon and thanks John for those neat tips- I havent tried them yet
but will today later on- John......what website is that Irfanview at???Is it
free and safe??? and easy to use. So much thanks to both your tips
-
Have a great day ! :-)
johnf said:
Another very easy method is to d'load Irfanview. The latest version will
open any image with the option to save it as an .ico
Very handy also after you modify a Bitmap.

A program I wouldn't be without.
Click to expand...
 
Hi sharon. I tried to create my own icon as you suggested but I keep gettin
this box pop up saying that:
The file C>doc & settings>my user name>my documents>my pictures>'practice
isoc' jpg. contains no icons-
I created a picture in PAINT and saved as a .Jpg image. THen I created a new
folder and practiced with that one. Clicked under properties, then
customize, then on the botttom clicked to change folder icon- I browsed and
found that icon only after I had to have 'all files' available in the drop
down menu part. but when I clicked to insert the icon, the above box popped
up. So I think that I missed a step in between there. Sorry to be a bit
'duh' about the whole thing but this is new to me and greatly appreciate
your advice or anyone willing to give it. thanks again
 
Yep, yep & yep. Would you believe it's http://www.irfanview.com/
If you've never seen it, you won't believe what you get from just an 815Kb
program (& what it can do).

e.g. Supported file types -
AIF, ANI/CUR, ASF, AU/SND, AVI, B3D, BMP/DIB, CAM (Casio JPG), CLP,
Dicom/ACR, DJVU, ECW, EMF/WMF, EPS, FlashPix (FPX), FSH, G3, GIF,
ICO/ICL/EXE/DLL, IFF/LBM, IMG (GEM), JPG2000, JPG, KDC, LDF, LWF, MED,
MID/RMI, MNG/JNG, MOV, MP3, MPG, MrSID, NLM/NOL/NGG, OGG, PBM/PGM/PPM,
PCX/DCX, PhotoCD, PNG, PSD, PSP, RAS/SUN, RAW, Real Audio (RA), RLE, SFF,
SFW, SGI/RGB, SWF (Flash/Shockwave), TGA, TIF, TTF, TXT, WAD, WAV, WBMP,
WBZ/WBC, XBM, XPM, CRW, NEF, ORF, RAF, MRW, DCR

Plus stacks of editing/resizing features.
 
Hi sharon. I tried to create my own icon as you suggested but I keep gettin
this box pop up saying that:
The file C>doc & settings>my user name>my documents>my pictures>'practice
isoc' jpg. contains no icons-
I created a picture in PAINT and saved as a .Jpg image. THen I created a new
folder and practiced with that one. Clicked under properties, then
customize, then on the botttom clicked to change folder icon- I browsed and
found that icon only after I had to have 'all files' available in the drop
down menu part. but when I clicked to insert the icon, the above box popped
up. So I think that I missed a step in between there. Sorry to be a bit
'duh' about the whole thing but this is new to me and greatly appreciate
your advice or anyone willing to give it. thanks again
Click to expand...

Rusty, your Subect says "folder picture" but I misunderstood your question
and thought you were referring to the user icon on the the start menu and
on the Welcome page. *.ICO files won't work for this. But you can create
image files and eventually save them as *.ICO files to use where that kind
of file type is appropriate.

If the program you're using can save your creations as image *and* icon
files, you will only need one program for everything. Or you may find that
you're doing the initial work in a paint or illustrator program. Saving the
file. Then opening it in a program that can convert images to *.ico format.

If you don't already have a program that can save images as *.ico files,
give the program that John mentioned (IrfanView) a try.
 
<SNIP> I tried to create my own icon <SNIP> but I keep gettin this box
pop up saying <SNIP> 'practice isoc' jpg. contains no icons- I created a
picture in PAINT and saved as a .Jpg image. THen I created a new folder
and practiced with that one. Clicked under properties, then customize,
then on the botttom clicked to change folder icon <SNIP>.
Click to expand...

Save your picture as a .bmp instead of a .jpg.

These types of files can be used as Folder Icons:

- Bitmap Images such as C:\WINDOWS\Blue Lace 16.bmp

- Icon files such as kodak.ico found in the C:\WINDOWS\Driver
Cache\i386\driver.cab

- Icon resource files in a program (.exe) such as the icons found in
C:\WINDOWS\explorer.exe

- Icon resource files found in application extension (.dll) such as the
icons found C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll
 
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