Published by

**Brink** · 05 May 2007

How to Change a Icon in the Control Panel in Vista

Information

This will show you how to change most of the classic view Control Panel icons listed below to whatever you want them to be.

Note

To change the icons back to their default (original) icons, see the post below for a list of the original default paths, and then follow these same steps.

See: Control Panel Icons

Warning

The icons you decide to use must be a 256x256 .ico icon file (not .PNG) to be used in Vista without any viewing problems with a larger size. A PNG file must be converted to a 256x256 ICO file before it can be used. To convert a PNG to ICO you must use a program such as this free 30 day trial program called Axialis IconWorkshop: Axialis IconWorkshop Download Page . Here's a good location for some icons: deviantArt: Dock Icons

Tip

For a common Control Panel Problem, see: Microsoft Help and Support: Icons are missing from Control Panel, or you cannot start Control Panel, the Welcome Center, or games in Windows Vista

EXAMPLE: Default Classic Control Panel Icons

OPTION ONE

How to Change the Easy Control Panel Icons

1. Open the Start Menu.

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

3. Click on the Continue button in the UAC prompt.

4. Go to the registry key location (Icon Locations below) in regedit for the icon you want to change.

Note

Icon Locations:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{add location here from below}

Control Panel Icon	CLSID Location
Add Hardware	{7A979262-40CE-46ff-AEEE-7884AC3B6136}\DefaultIcon
Administrative Tools	{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40B-OC5020524153}\DefaultIcon
Default Programs	{17cd9488-1228-4b2f-88ce-4298e93e0966}\DefaultIcon
Device Manager	{74246bfc-4c96-11d0-9bef-0020afgb0b7a}\DefaultIcon
Ease of Access Center	{D555645E-D4F8-4c29-A827-D93C859C4F2A}\DefaultIcon
Folder Options	{6DFD7C5C-2451-11d3-A299-00C04F8EF6AF}\DefaultIcon
Fonts	{D20EA4E1-3957-11d2-A40b-OC5020524152}\DefaultIcon
Network and Sharing Center	{8E908FC9-BECC-40f6-915B-F4CAOE70D03D}\DefaultIcon
Parental Controls	{96AE8D84-A250-4520-95A5-A46A7E3C548B}\DefaultIcon
Personalization	{ED834ED6-485A-4bfe-8F11-A626DCB6A921}\DefaultIcon
Printers	{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon
Programs and Features	{7b81be6a-ce2b-4676-a29e-eb907a5126c5}\DefaultIcon
iSCSI Initiator	{A304259D-52B8-4526-8B1A-A1D6CECC8243}\DefaultIcon
Sync Center	{9C73F5E5-7AE7-4E32-A8E8-8D23B85255BF}\DefaultIcon
System	{BB06C0E4-D293-4f75-8A90-CB05B6A77EEE}\DefaultIcon
Taskbar and Start Menu	{0DF44EAA-FF21-4412-828E-260A8728E7F1}\DefaultIcon
Welcome Center	{CB1B7F8C-C50A-4176-B604-9E24DEE8D4D1}\DefaultIcon
Windows Anytime Update	{BE122A0E-4503-11DA-8BDE-F66BAD1E3F3A}\DefaultIcon
Windows Cardspace	{78CB147A-98EA-4AA6-B0DF-C8681F69341C}\DefaultIcon
Windows Firewall	{4026492F-2F69-46B8-B9BF-5654FC07E423}\DefaultIcon
Windows Sidebar	{37efd44d-ef8d-41b1-940d-96973a50e9eo}\DefaultIcon

5. In the right pane, right click on (Default) and on Modify. (See example screenshots below)

Example Original Path:

Example New Path:

6. Type in your new Icon's full file path. (See screenshots below step 7)
EX: C:\(where ever you saved the icon)

7. Click on OK to apply.
NOTE: Now look in your Control Panel and you will see the icon has been replaced with the one you added.

OPTION TWO

How to Change the Harder Control Panel Icons

1. Open the Start Menu.

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

3. Click on the Continue button in the UAC prompt.

4. Go to the registry key location (Icon Locations below) in regedit for the icon you want to change.

Note

Icon Locations:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{add location here from below}

Control Panel Icon	CLSID Location
Autoplay	{9C60DE1E-E5FC-4of4-A487-460851A8D915}\DefaultIcon
Backup and Restore Center	{335a31dd-f04b-4d76-a925-d6b47cf360df}\DefaultIcon
Color Management	{B2C761C6-29BC-4f19-9251-E6195265BAF1}\DefaultIcon
Performance Information and Tools	{78F3955E-3B90-4184-BD14-5397C15F1EFC}\DefaultIcon
Power Options	{025A5937-A6BE-4686-A844-36FE4BEC8B6D}\DefaulIcon
Problem Reports and Solutions	{FCFEECAE-EE1B-4849-AE50-685DCF7717EC}\DefaultIcon
Scanners and Cameras	{00f2886f-cd64-4fc9-8ec5-30efbcdbe8c3}\DefaultIcon
Speech Recognition	{58E3C745-D971-4081-9034-86E34B30836A}\DefaultIcon
User Accounts	{60632754-c523-4b62-b45c-4172da012619}\DefaultIcon
Windows Defender	{D8559EB9-20C0-410E-BEDA-7ED416AECC2A}\DefaultIcon
Windows Sideshow	{E95A4861-D57A-4be1-AD0F-35267E261739}\DefaultIcon
Windows Update	{36eef7db-88ad-4e81-ad49-0e313f0c35f8}\DefaultIcon

5. Right click on DefaultIcon (in left pane) and click on Properties. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: We will have to take ownership of the registry key DefaultIcon (in left pane) to do this.

6. Here's the window to start taking ownership. (See screenshot below) Open another tab or window in IE and go to How to Take Ownership of an Item in Vista and follow instructions for method two step 3.

7. When you have taken ownership. Right click on (Default) in the right pane and click on Modify. (See screenshot below step 5)

8. Type in your new icon's full file path and press OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: Your Icon has been changed in Control Panel. If not, then you didn't take ownership of DefaultIcon and you will need to repeat these steps.

Click image for larger version.

Name: Modify.jpg
Views: 3982
Size: 31.5 KB
ID: 81

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

**Brink** · 29 May 2007

Default Control Panel Icon Paths in Vista

Note

Follow the above posts instructions on how to change the icons and just put the original path location for the data.

BLUE = Easy ones
RED = Harder Have to take Ownership ones

Tip

Use Copy and Paste to save yourself time.

That's it,
Shawn

**niGht kiD** · 04 Dec 2007

Hi brink,

Thanks for this guide

I would like to know if it is possible to change the icons of Control Panel(the one in the start menu), Hard Disk & DVD Drives?

Thanks again!

**Brink** · 04 Dec 2007

Your welcome niGht kiD,

Welcome to the forum.

I used the program Vista Manager to change the drive, file, and folder icons. You can download a 15-day fully functional trial copy here:

http://yamicsoft.com/vistamanager/index.html

and for Microangelo On Display:

http://www.microangelo.us/free-icon-editor-download.asp

Shawn

**niGht kiD** · 04 Dec 2007

Oh Thanks.. brink. Trying right now

**Brink** · 05 Dec 2007

niGht kiD,

From the PM you sent me:
It took me a bit to track it down, but I found a way to change a drive icon in the registry. I wrote up a tutorial on it. Here is the link for you.

How to Change a Drive Icon in Vista

Have fun and enjoy,
Shawn

**niGht kiD** · 06 Dec 2007

So only the 32 icons listed below the LOCATION can be changed? How about the others? Like Realtek HD Audio Manager, Game controllers...etc Ahhh... I'm so fussy

**Brink** · 06 Dec 2007

LOL niGht kiD,

These are just the ones I found so far. I dug for the others, and no luck yet. Hopefully I will find them one day.

Shawn

**mberry** · 12 Jun 2008

What if an unidentified icon with no name has appeared in the Control Panel? It looks like a piece of paper with an empty comment balloon superimposed on it. How can I find it's name and location?
Mike

**Brink** · 13 Jun 2008

Hi Mberry,

It sounds similar to the Text to Speech icon. Did you install anything before it appeared? See if highlighting it will let you see the name. You can also right click on it and click Create Shortcut for the desktop, then right click on the shortcut (on desktop) and click Properties to see if it will give you a name.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

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