change the yellow folders' icon for the whole system at once

Martin901 · Aug 10, 2022

Hello everyone,
This is my first post ever in this forum, and I really hope I can find a help here.
Long story short, I'm a windows user since windows 98, I have been working with these "yellow" folders

all the time, so is there an effective way to change the yellow folders' icon for the whole system at once in windows 11 ?

I'm so aware of the way to change the folder's icon individually for each and every single folder by going to properties > customize > change icon, but I have thousands of folders on my PC, I just want to get rid off all the yellow folders from my system at once and forever though.

Any help with a tutorial would be really appreciated.

FreeBooter · Aug 10, 2022

I have a batch script which you can use to change Windows 10 or Windows 11 folder icons.

glasskuter · Aug 13, 2022

Welcome to the forum. I can attest @FreeBooter solution works like a charm. It even changes the pukey yellow color in regedit as well as file explorer.

Martin901 · Aug 13, 2022

FreeBooter said:
I have a batch script which you can use to change Windows 10 or Windows 11 folder icons.

Thank you so much FreeBooter, I really do appreciate it, if you Don't mind can you please explain to me how to run your script, I already have an icon for folders that I really would like to use for all folders, I attached the icon with this post, can I use it with your script?

and if you don't mind can you please teach me how can I change the folders's icon manually without a script? Like how to modify the icons inside SHELL32.dll folder, that would be really appreciated, and again thanks a lot bro !

FreeBooter · Aug 13, 2022

You double-click the batch script and type 1 and press Enter key to change the Windows 11 icon for folders.

If you want to use different folder icon replace the Blue Folder.ico with your folder icon and rename your folder icon as Blue Folder and execute the script.

Martin901 · Aug 13, 2022

FreeBooter said:
You double-click the batch script and type 1 and press Enter key to change the Windows 11 icon for folders.

If you want to use different folder icon replace the Blue Folder.ico with your folder icon and rename your folder icon as Blue Folder and execute the script.

Thanks a lot FreeBooter, it worked but when I change the view to large icons or medium icons, they go back to the yellow folder icons again though ! The new folder icon appears only in small icons view and list view

imanlien2020 · Aug 13, 2022

Martin901 said:
Hello everyone,
This is my first post ever in this forum, and I really hope I can find a help here.
Long story short, I'm a windows user since windows 98, I have been working with these "yellow" folders all the time, so is there an effective way to change the yellow folders' icon for the whole system at once in windows 11 ?

I'm so aware of the way to change the folder's icon individually for each and every single folder by going to properties > customize > change icon, but I have thousands of folders on my PC, I just want to get rid off all the yellow folders from my system at once and forever though.

Any help with a tutorial would be really appreciated.

Just voicing an opinion. FreeBooters script is great and works great(doesnt change folder color for folders in start menu though for me anyway). You can also download a small app called 7tsp and download 7tsp icon packs
from say a website like deviantArt. That is just another way but by using 7tsp icon packs there is a whole array of folder styles, colors, sizes etc.
However you prefer, is always up to you, the user.

glasskuter · Aug 13, 2022

imanlien2020 said:
a small app called 7tsp

Accoding to deviantart site 7tsp "Never patches explorer.exe and shell32.dll on windows 8, 8.1 and 10 systems even if the res file exists in the used pack."

imanlien2020 · Aug 13, 2022

glasskuter said:
Accoding to deviantart site 7tsp "Never patches explorer.exe and shell32.dll on windows 8, 8.1 and 10 systems even if the res file exists in the used pack."

Hmm...Interesting. But I did find it depended on the icon packs themselves. If I say used a 7tsp Icon pack from
one developer and one from a different developer, even though they were created/packed using similar methods
one icon pack wouldnt change a few different aspects of windows. I have about 20 different packs that work on 8, 10 and 11 and having
used them on both windows 10 pro and windows 11 pro one pack wouldnt change the file explorer or the start menu just as an example
but another would theme ALL folder icons system wide even in those places as well. At least thats what I have had happen to me.

MaRio · Aug 13, 2022

I wrote this somewhere else, but I'll say it again. If you have the know how (there's guides that aren't hard to find), you should use Resource Hacker and replace icons inside imageres.dll.mun and shell32.dll.mun. There are more files to change other than the one that the script changes. I also find the blue folder boring, and I think the folder design is the problem, not the color.

elemanuelox11 · Apr 5, 2025

FreeBooter said:
I have a batch script which you can use to change Windows 10 or Windows 11 folder icons.

OMG You Are God. Thank You. So Much. It works perfectly. I thought i never found a solution for this. Really Thanks.

FreeBooter · Apr 5, 2025

elemanuelox11 said:
OMG You Are God. Thank You. So Much. It works perfectly. I thought i never found a solution for this. Really Thanks.

You are very welcome!

NOIRS · Jan 12, 2026

I know this thread is old, but using the script or similar ones I only managed to replace default icons. Larger folder icons as well as folder icons with thumbnails are still yellow. Does anyone have an idea how do fix this in Windows 11? Thanks.

glasskuter · Jan 12, 2026

NOIRS said:
Larger folder icons as well as folder icons with thumbnails are still yellow.

This still works, thanks to our guy @FreeBooter.
To make icon for folder blue, put this subfolder at root of C: and run the bat file inside. I always run it as administrator.
You can use any icon as default folder icon, Just put the .ico file you want to use into the folder and name that icon 'Blue Folder'. Double-click the batch script.

Need help changing folder icons in explorer and regedit

Both in explorer and regedit, (especially regedit because they are so small) I have difficulty seeing the pale yellow folder icons. Prior to Windows 11 these icons appeared more of a mustard color and I could see them ok. I know how to change an icon for an individual folder and I have done that...

www.elevenforum.com

Rollback_Jockey · Jan 13, 2026

NOIRS said:
I know this thread is old, but using the script or similar ones I only managed to replace default icons. Larger folder icons as well as folder icons with thumbnails are still yellow. Does anyone have an idea how do fix this in Windows 11? Thanks.

Have a look at this:- GitHub - LesFerch/FolderThumbnailFix: Make Windows 11 show full-size folder thumbnails

Josey Wales · Feb 2, 2026

FreeBooter said:
You double-click the batch script and type 1 and press Enter key to change the Windows 11 icon for folders.

If you want to use different folder icon replace the Blue Folder.ico with your folder icon and rename your folder icon as Blue Folder and execute the script.

This is a great Custom Icon too.

change the yellow folders' icon for the whole system at once

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