Folder Changing Icons ver.1.2
These icons are for Windows95 and WindowsNT4.0. They are freeware and freely redistributable but please notify me for my convenience. If you have a question or suggestion, please give me an e-mail. Any comments will be appreciated. If you want to know more about my icons, please visit my homepage. Additional information will be available.
EMO / emotom@pobox.com
Concept
These icons are for replacement of the standard Windows folder icons. They look like below.
They do not look ugly in small size, for example, in the Explorer. Their colors are similar to the default Windows folder icons, so they will be easily fit for the Windows interface.
Icon File
All icons are contained in ml_fld.dll. Each has 32x32 and 16x16, 256 color and 16 color images. These images are automatically selected by Windows. Each has its unique number from 0 to 6 (from left in the picture above). Please refer it when you change icons by regedit.
Using 256 Color Icons
To use 256 color icons, you basically have to install Plus! when you are running Windows95 but not Windows95b. If you are running Windows95b or WindowsNT4.0, you do not need Plus!.
In addition, 256 color icons are not used if you do not check "Show icons using all possible colors" in "Plus!" tab of "Display" properties. You also need the color depth of screen to be High Color or higher.
Even if you are running Windows95 not Windows95b without Plus!, you can use 256 color icons by two ways.
1.To modify registry by regedit
Note: Editing registry is basically dangerous; if you do wrongly, it may corrupt your Windows. Please make a backup of your Windows before you make changes. DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Open this key by regedit.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\desktop\windowmetrics
Change the data of "Shell Icon BPP" string as 16. If this string does not exit, make the string itself.
2.To install Microsoft Windows95 Font Smoothing
You need to get w95gray.exe from Microsoft (you could find it by using Search).
Install it and you will find "Plus!" tab to be added in "Display" properties.
Changing Icons
You can change icons by two ways; to use Microangelo Engineer, and to use regedit and TweakUI.
1.To use Microangelo Engineer
You need to get Microangelo from Impact Software.
(1)Copy ml_fld.dll to wherever you like. Copy ml_fld.motif to the same folder.
(2)After installing Microangelo Engineer, Double-click ml_fld.motif. It will begin Microangelo Engineer and automatically load necessary information to change icons. You can apply the changes by clicking "Apply" or you can select what icon to be replaced from "Folder" tab.
(3)Click "Rebuild Icon Cache" from "File" menu.
(4)Restart Windows. You would need it to change icons in title bars.
2.To use regedit and TweakUI
Note: DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!
(1)Copy ml_fld.dll to wherever you like.
(2)Edit registry by regedit as follows.
(a)Closed Folder
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\explorer\Shell Icons
change the data of "3" string as the file you copied. You also have to add the number of the icon in ml_fld.dll. For example, if you copied ml_fld.dll to c:\windows\, enter "c:\windows\ml_fld.dll,0" because the number of closed folder is 0.
If this key or string does not exit, make the key or string itself.
(b)Open Folder
In the same location of (a), change the data of "4" in the same way (the number is 1).
(c)Program
In the same location of (a), change the data of "36" in the same way (the number is 2).
(d)Control Panel
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon
change the data of "(Default)" in the same way (the number is 3). This will change the same string in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
(e)Printer
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}\DefaultIcon
change the data of "(Default)" in the same way (the number is 4).
(f)Dial-Up Netwoking
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}\DefaultIcon
change the data of "(Default)" in the same way (the number is 5).
I also made the Font folder but do not know how to change. If someone know it, Please teach me.
(3)Begin TweakUI, click "Rebuild Icons" in "Repair" tab. You can do the same thing by changing "Use large Icons" in "Plus!" tab of "Display" properties and hitting "Apply".
(4)Restart Windows.
Restoring Default Icons
You can restore default icons by two ways.
1.To use Microangelo Engineer
Begin Microangelo Engineer and click "Use Default" in "Folder" tab. After that, do the same things as changing icons.
2.To use regedit and TweakUI
Just edit the registry back to the original one. If you have installed Plus! (cool.dll exits), you have to change the icon file to cool.dll(it typically exists in c:\windows\system\). The number of each icon in cool.dll is as follows.
Closed Folder: 11
Open Folder: 18
Program: 24
Control Panel: 12
Printer: 19
Dial-Up Networking: 27
If you made copies of these strings by export of registry before changing icons, you can easily restore them by just double-clicking these copies.
If you do not installed Plus!, just delete the key of string you created. After that, do the same things as changing icons.