The CRYPT Mag

Change your Icons WinXP or MAC

For Windows XP:

In Windows XP, some application or file icons cannot be customized without the use of special software. You can however, customize shortcut icons, which are typically what you use from your desktop, start menu, and quick-launch menu. The instructions below assume that you have customized icons stored in a folder on your hard drive.

To change a shortcut icon:
1. Right-click the icon and select Properties.
2. Click the Short Cut tab and click the Change Icon button.
3. In the section "Look for icons in file," click the Browse button and navigate to the folder that you have your customized icons stored in.

4. Open the folder and look for the icon that you want associated with the program and double-click it.

5. Click the Apply button and OK. (Note: If you want to simply change an icon that is preloaded in XP, go to step 3 and instead of clicking the Browse button, copy and paste this line in the "Look for icons in file" field: %SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll and hit the Return key. This will display all the icons native to Windows XP, and you can choose any of them to replace your current icon.)

For Mac Computers

1. Locate the custom icon you wish to use for your favorite program. This can be any icon in any folder of your hard drive or one that you made yourself..

2. Highlight the icon and choose Get Info from the File menu in the Finder or (Command+I).

3. In the Get Info window, click the icon that is displayed under General.

4. Choose Copy from the Edit menu or (Command+C).

5. Close the Get Info window and locate the icon of the program you wish to customize.

6. Highlight the program icon, choose Get Info from the File menu again (Command+I), and highlight the program icon under General.

7. Choose Paste from the Edit menu (Command+V), and your program's icon is changed to the one you copied to the clipboard.

8. Close the Get Info window.

9. If you change your mind and wish to revert the program's icon back to what it was originally, choose Get Info from the File menu, highlight the icon under General and press the Delete key. Your icon is restored.