Learn how to change the icon of an EXE file without the need for additional software. Follow our step-by-step guide and personalize your EXE files with ease.
In order to easily change the icon of an EXE file without programs, we are going to use different methods. You just have to follow the steps that we will show you in this tutorial, where, as in another article, we have done it. And you could without problems change the icons of both the desktop, as well as the files and folders in Windows 10.
How to change the icon of an EXE file without programs.Changing the icon of an executable (EXE) file without using any additional software can be a bit tricky, but it’s possible by using resource editing techniques built into Windows.
Here’s a step-by-step guide in tabular form:
| Step | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create a New Icon | Use an online icon maker or an image editing software to create a .ico file. Make sure your icon is compatible with the size and format requirements for Windows. |
| 2 | Open Resource Hacker | Resource Hacker is a free utility that allows you to modify the resources in an executable file. Download and install it. |
| 3 | Open Your EXE File in Resource Hacker | Launch Resource Hacker and open your EXE file. Navigate to File > Open and select your EXE file. |
| 4 | Find and Replace the Icon | In Resource Hacker, expand the Icon group. Find the icon you want to replace, right-click on it, and select Replace Icon. |
| 5 | Import Your New Icon | Click on Open file with new icon... and select your created .ico file. After selecting, click Replace. |
| 6 | Save the Modified EXE File | After replacing the icon, go to File > Save to save your changes. Make sure to create a backup of your original EXE file before saving changes. |
| 7 | Test the New Icon | Close Resource Hacker and locate your EXE file in Windows Explorer. The icon should now be updated with your custom icon. |
Note: Editing an EXE file can potentially corrupt the file or make it unstable. Always make sure to have a backup of the original file before making any changes. Additionally, some EXE files may have protections or checksums that prevent modifications. This method works best with simple, standalone EXE files.
As what we are thinking of doing would not be effective without the use of a program, we are going to apply a trick that will create a shortcut of that EXE file on the desktop. Then to that shortcut we are going to change the icon and the original EXE file, you will hide it in a folder. Thus we will use the shortcut found on the desktop as if it were the original file.
It is important that you understand that you should not under any circumstances move the original file from where you have it saved. Once you’ve created the desktop shortcut , the link to the original file will be broken. With these recommendations in mind, let’s start with the tutorial.
Steps to change the icon of an EXE file
- The first thing we are going to do before creating our shortcut on the desktop is to look for an icon, we must get the icon file to use . This icon file that we will assign to the shortcut must be of the ICO type. It will be impossible to use images, you must use the search engine to download the icon from a web page.
- You must make sure that when choosing the icon image , it is downloaded in the correct format, that is ICO and not for example in PNG or JPG format. Save the icon file in a folder that you don’t have to change, it is preferable to do it in the Images folder. Now we will go to the next step which is to create the shortcut on the desktop of the EXE file.
- Find a free area on the desktop and locate yourself with the mouse cursor, right click, this action will generate a menu with different options. In it, you must select the New option and another menu will be displayed, here you will select the Direct Access option. And the window for Create Shortcut will be displayed on the desktop .
- The next step is to click on the Browse button, this to find the element to which you want to create a shortcut. Make the choice of the EXE file, you must go to the location where the file is located, once you locate it, click on it. Now you must click on the OK button and this action will create the EXE file as the destination of the shortcut.
- Continue with the wizard and now click the Next button, the next step is to assign a name to the shortcut and finally click Finish. And it will show a shortcut on your desktop for the EXE file. The next step is to change the icon and we will do this by right clicking on the shortcut, which will display a menu of options.
- Select Properties and then on Change icon, in this window, click the Browse button to locate and select the icon file. Then click Open, then OK again and finally click the Apply button and then OK. Ready this is what you should do to change the icon of an EXE file without programs easily.
In this article, we have explored how to change the icon of an EXE file without the use of programs. By following the simple steps outlined above, you can customize the appearance of your EXE file and give it a personal touch. Remember to always create a backup of the original file before making any changes, and use reputable tools like Resource Hacker for modifying the EXE file. Now, go ahead and showcase your creativity by changing the icons of your EXE files!
