Windows 10 icons. Where are they located? In which files and folders?

Whether you want to change the default icon of a certain folder or the icon of a shortcut you have created, you might wonder where you could find new icons. While there are lots of websites that offer custom made icon sets, you might, however, prefer to use icons that are already found on your Windows 10 computer or device. In this article, we show you where the icons are stored in Windows 10. If you want to find all the default Windows 10 icon files, read on:

How are Windows 10 icons stored?

Icons are usually stored inside ICO files. However, ICO files have a big disadvantage: they can hold only one icon. Windows 10 has lots of applications, folders, files, and shortcuts, and many of them have their unique icons. If Windows had an ICO file for each icon it uses, that would make for a considerable number of icon files.

To resolve this problem, instead of using ICO files to store icons, Windows uses DLL files. The main advantage of a DLL file is the fact that it can hold multiple icons inside. As a matter of fact, you could compare an icon DLL file with a library of icons. When you want to change the icon of a particular file, folder or shortcut, you can just set its icon location to point to a specific DLL file, and a specific icon from it.

Most icons from Windows 10 are stored inside DLL files. In the next section, we show you where these DLLs with icons are found in Windows 10.

Where are Windows 10’s default icons located?

We tried to organize our list of default Windows 10 icons, both by their DLL files location and by taking into consideration the primary purpose of the icons found inside the DLL files. Next, you can see our list of locations from Windows 10 where you find .DLL files containing icons:

The imageres.dll file contains many icons, used almost everywhere in Windows 10. It has icons for different types of folders, hardware devices, peripherals, actions, and so on.

The shell32.dll file also has lots of icons used in various parts of Windows 10. Together with imageres.dll, shell32.dll hosts one of the largest icon collections. Inside it, you can find icons for internet, devices, networks, peripherals, folders and so on.

Pifmgr.dll contains some old-style icons that were found in older versions of Windows, like Windows 95 and Windows 98. In it, you can find funny icons that depict things such as a window, a trumpet, a ball, a wizard hat, and others. 🙂

Explorer.exe has a few icons used by File Explorer and its older versions. The first icon is the default icon used by File Explorer, but the next ones were used in older Windows versions for things like printers, folders, actions, messenger apps, mail, and others.

Accessibilitycpl.dll has a set of icons that are used mainly for the accessibility features in Windows 10. It has icons with people, mouse cursors, a magnifying glass, a mouse and a keyboard, and so on.

Ddores.dll contains icons for hardware devices and resources, such as speakers, headphones, screens, computers, remotes, and gaming pads, mice and keyboards, cameras, printers and so on.

Moricons.dll is another file that contains old-style icons, used by Microsoft in old Windows versions. Most of the icons here are about MS-DOS programs, but you also have icons for old programming languages such as Turbo Pascal or FoxPro.

Mmcndmgr.dll is yet another file with vintage icons, which we believe were designed mainly for computer management related settings. Among others, it includes icons for networks, folders, authentication, time, computers, and servers.

Mmres.dll has a few icons with various audio resources, like speakers, headphones, microphones, and a webcam.

Netcenter.dll has a few icons for network related settings and features.

Netshell.dll contains icons for all kinds of network connections and associated hardware or technologies.

For instance, inside it, you can find icons for Bluetooth, wireless routers, and network connections.

Networkexplorer.dll another .dll file with a few peripherals such as phone, router, a printer or a fax machine, and some network-related icons.

Pnidui.dll has icons for network related settings (Ethernet or wireless status, network locations, etc.). Most of the icons here are transparent white, so you have to select them to see what they look like.

Sensorscpl.dll has a few icons for different kinds of sensors. While most of them look similar, their details indicate things like temperature, power, wind etc.

Setupapi.dll has icons used for the setup wizards of various hardware devices. It has screens, peripherals, hardware components, connectors and plugs, gaming pads, and others.

Wmploc.dll contains multimedia icons used for media devices, music and video files, folders, CD and DVD discs, and so on.

Wpdshext.dll has icons for some portable devices such as cameras, phones or mp3 players, and a few battery indicators.

Comstui.dll includes various classic icons from older versions of Windows.

It has icons with light bulbs, mail, printers, documents, telephones, fax machines and so on.

Ieframe.dll contains the icons used by Internet Explorer for its shortcuts, buttons and menus.

Dmdskres.dll contains icons only used for disk management.

Dsuiext.dll includes icons for network services. It has icons with servers, people, printers, office buildings, authentication services and so on.

Mstscax.dll stores just a few icons used for remote desktop connections, with computers, notifications, and security certificates.

Wiashext.dll has a few icons for various imaging hardware devices, like scanners, cameras, photo and video cameras, and a few similar icons.

Comres.dll contains a few icons that depict a user, a folder, a pencil, and some actions.

Mstsc.exe holds a few other network related icons but also includes other icons like a speaker, a microphone, and a Windows 8 logo.

26. actioncentercpl.dll, aclui.dll, autoplay.dll, comctl32.dll, xwizards.dll, ncpa.cpl, url.dll (all in %systemroot%\system32)

All these files contain icons; however, many have only one icon inside or just a few, so we decided to mention them all together. They have icons used in Windows 10’s Action Center, some error and info icons, an autoplay icon, some user icons, and websites icons.

How to use the icons stored inside a .DLL file

Icons stored inside .DLL files cannot be copied and saved elsewhere, at least not unless you use a special app that can extract icons from .DLL files. However, you can use any icon stored inside such a file, to set it as the icon used by a folder, a library or a shortcut. If you need guidance on how to change the icons associated with your shortcuts, this tutorial helps: How to change the icon of any shortcut in Windows. Just copy and paste the path we provided for the DLL that interests you, in the field named “Look for icons in this file.”

If you are not satisfied with the icons found in Windows 10, then you might want to look at other places to find icons: 7 sites where you can download free desktop icons for Windows 10.

Do you know any other DLL files with icons from Windows 10?

As you have seen, Windows 10 has lots of icon sets that are built-in. Depending on what kind of icon you need, it is a good chance that you’ll find it inside one of the DLL files that we have listed. Do you know other built-in icon locations from Windows 10? If you do, do not hesitate to share them with us, and we promise to update this article as soon as possible.

imageres.dll osx icons for Windows 10 32bit

32BIT system file imageres.dll with mac os x style/blue Aegean Sea icons for Windows 10 rtm

I have made as an optional to my themes , if users want my mac os X style blue Aegean Sea icons which other inspired and other based to the original os x ones, to download to this separate pack.

Using my personal made blue style mac osx style folders, instead of the default yellow microsoft ones, needed changing the imageres.dll

so for this : Change the imageres.dll system files with those from this pack which contains blue style mac osx style folders

This pack contains a 32bit mageres.dll system file, in which contained the mac os X style icons.

So if you want those blue style icons, you need to take ownership of the original system file that exist at :

(provided C is your Windows drive).

please check your system if it is Windows 10 32bit, so go to :

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\System

and check the : System type

Instructions for Windows 10 32bit system.

Make a restore point, before doing anything else

Alternatively go to zeusosx.deviantart.com/art/Use… and there is a download link for usefull shortcuts for windows 10.

Select the number 8a. Create a restore point

Control Panel\User Accounts\User Accounts

select ‘Change User Acount Control settings’ and set the slider down to ‘never notify’ position.

(Alternatively if you have download my shortcut for win 10 use my shortcut: 3d. User Account Control Settings , and set the slider down to ‘never notify’ position.)

restart. It is very important to restart.

then take ownership of the original system file that exist at :

(provided C is your Windows drive).

please see how to take ownership of a system file and do this to imagers.dll at winaero.com/blog/how-to-take-o…

Open from your download pack the imageres.dll to your desktop and rename it to imageres32.dll

Cut this imageres32.dll and paste to C:/Windows/System32

After taken ownership and permitions to the original imageres.dll at C:/Windows/System32 , rename it from imageres.dll to imageres.old

Rename the imageres32.dll to imageres.dll

Take ownership and permitions, to the new imageres.dll (It is very important otherwise you may have problems).

See very carefull that to your C:/Windows/System32 exist the file and named imageres.dll

restart your system.

Instructions for Windows 10 64bit system.

please check your system if it is 64bit, so go to :

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\System

and check the : System type

NOW instruction for windows Windows 10 64bit system, which refer to the 32bit imageres.dll that exist to c:/windows/syswow64

to c:/windows/syswow64 folder the system files are 32 bit.

so take ownership of the original system file imageres.dll that exist at :

(provided C is your Windows drive).

please see how to take ownership of a system file and do this to imagers.dll at winaero.com/blog/how-to-take-o…

Open from the 32bit download pack the imageres.dll to your desktop and rename it to imageres32.dll

Cut this imageres32.dll and paste to c:/windows/syswow64

Rename the original imageres.dll at c:/windows/syswow64 to imageres.old

Rename the imageres32.dll to imageres.dll

Take ownership and permitions, to the new imageres.dll (It is very important)

restart your system.

For both 32 or 64 bit versions

After you can go to :

Control Panel\User Accounts\User Accounts

select ‘Change User Acount Control settings’ and set the slider down to your favor position.

HOW to apply the icons if to some folders exist appearing as yellow ones.:

Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display

and if is check the button to Normal 100%

if it already checked then check the button : Medium 125%

Control Panel\Appearance and Personalization\Display

and check the button : Normal 100%

Also you can use: Disk Cleanup

Go to zeusosx.deviantart.com/art/Use… and there is a download link for useful shortcuts for windows 10.

Select the number 6. Disk Cleanup

How to change the looking of a folder when you have installed my imageres dll which contain mac os x style icons.

If you want to change the looking of a folder, then make right clik to the folder, select ‘properties’, then select ‘customize’ and then ‘change icon’ and then replace the :

select the folder you prefer

How to uninstall :

Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\User Accounts

select ‘Change User Acount Control settings’ and set the slider down to ‘never notify’ position.

Чем и Как отредактировать системный файл imageres.dll

Программа “Resource Hacker”

Здравствуйте, друзья! В прошлой публикации я обещал рассказать о программе, в которой был отредактирован системный файл — был изменён звук приветствия. Собственно, с помощью программы “Resource Hacker” я рассчитывал изменить и картинку приветствия, но с картинкой в этой программе у меня ничего не получилось и пришлось довольствоваться только заменой звука. Как это делалось, расскажу и покажу прямо сейчас.

Как русифицировать программу “Resource Hacker”

Скачайте программу по этой ссылке, извлеките файлы из архива. В архиве: папка с портабельной версией программы, установочный файл стабильной версии и файл русификации.

Кликните по файлу русификации правой клавишей мыши и, в открывшемся контекстном меню, выберите: Копировать (стрелки 1). Двойным кликом откройте паку с портабельной версией (стрелка 2).

В открывшемся окне, кликните по свободному месту правой клавишей мыши и, в контекстном меню, выберите: Вставить.

Как работать с “Resource Hacker”

Двойным кликом мыши, запустите программу (стрелка 1).

В открывшемся окне программы, кликните по иконке: Открыть или воспользуйтесь комбинацией клавиш: Ctrl + O (стрелка 1).

Если помните, в предыдущей статье, системный файл: imageres.dll находится по адресу: Windows/system32.

В моём случае переименованный, стандартный системный файл Windows 7 был скопирован на диск: D.

Как бы там ни было, найдите файл: imageres.dll, выделите его (стрелка 1) и нажмите кнопку: Открыть (стрелка 2).

Как видно из снимка ниже, содержимое файла открылось в левой колонке окна программы.

Двойным кликом откройте папку: WAVE (стрелка 1), кликните по файлу: 5080 : 1033 (стрелка 2). Можно прослушать звук, кликнув по кнопке: Воспроизвести WAVE (стрелка 3).

На всякий случай стандартный звук сохраняем в любое удобное место (диск, папку). Для этого, правой клавишей мыши кликните по звуковому файлу: 5080 : 1033 (стрелка 1) и, в открывшемся контекстном меню, выберите: Сохранить *.wav ресурс… (стрелка 2). После чего, укажите место и сохраните файл.

Как заменить звук приветствия в Windows 7

Ради интереса, сравним стандартный и имеющийся для замены звуковые файлы.

Стандартный файл имеет следующие параметры: Продолжительность звучания – 4 секунды; Скорость потока — 1411 кбит/сек; Вес файла – 860КБ.

Заменяющий файл имеет такие свойства: Продолжительность звучания – 9 секунд; Скорость потока – 128кбит/сек; Вес файла – 264КБ. Как видите, различия по всем параметрам. Можно было бы изменить скорость потока, но, и без изменений новый звук приветствия прекрасно работает.

Однако, от слов к делу. Выделите файл: 5080 : 1033 (стрелка 1) и, в контекстном меню, выберите: Заменить ресурс… (стрелка 2).

В открывшемся окошке кликните по: Выбрать файл… (стрелка 1).

Найдите и выделите звуковой файл (стрелка 1). Звуковой файл обязательно должен иметь формат: WAV

Затем, кликните по кнопке: Открыть (стрелка 2).

Убедитесь, что указали нужный файл (подчёркнуто) и кликните по кнопке: Заменить (стрелка 1).

Окрашенные звёздочки означают, что файл изменён (стрелка 1). Можно прослушать новый звук, кликнув по: Воспроизвести WAVE (стрелка 2).

В панели инструментов кликните по кнопке: Файл (стрелка 1) и, в контекстном меню, выберите: Сохранить как… (стрелка 2).

Выберите папку для сохранения данном случае, я сохраняю в ту же папку, откуда брал файл для редактирования. Имя у него будет отличаться от исходного, поэтому файл без проблем займёт место в этой папке.

В поле: Имя файла впишите: imageres.dll (стрелка 1) и кликните по кнопке: Сохранить (стрелка 2).

Файл сохранён, отсюда его можно будет перенести или скопировать для замены в системной папке.

Как сменить картинку приветствия, я расскажу и покажу в следующей публикации. До встречи!