How To Change The Icon Of An EXE File

Let's face it, some apps have really unattractive icons. Sure, you could make a shortcut to your EXE file and then alter the icon, but what fun would that be? Here's how to make the EXE file's icon changeable.

Because Windows doesn't have a built-in mechanism to alter the icon for EXE files, you'll need to download Resource Hacker for free first. Once that's done, open File Explorer and look for the folder that contains your EXE file. If you have a shortcut to the programme and don't know where it is, right-click it (or Shift+Right Click if it's on the taskbar or Start menu) and select "Open file location."

Once you've located the folder holding the EXE file, make a duplicate of it as a backup in case something goes wrong. Select the file, then click Ctrl+C to copy it and Ctrl+V to put it in the same folder.

When Resource Hacker was installed, it introduced a new option to the context menu that appears when you right-click files. Choose “Open using Resource Hacker” from the context menu of the original EXE file (not the duplicate you generated).

Select the “Icon” folder in the left pane of the Resource Hacker window. Then pick "Replace Icon" from the "Action" menu.

Click the “Open file with new icon” option in the Replace Icon box and go to the location of the icon you wish to use. An EXE, DLL, RES, or ICO file can be used as the source.

The icon is presented in the Replace Icon box after you've picked it. Then, from the list on the right, choose the icon you want to change. If there are many icons displayed, the top one is generally the main icon for the EXE file, but you should check them all to be sure. Click the "Change" button once you've chosen the icon you wish to replace.

When you return to the main Resource Hacker window, you'll notice that the "Icon" folder you choose now has many alternative sizes of the icon you chose as your replacement.

You may now save your file and quit Resource Hacker by replacing the original EXE file when prompted. When you're finished, open File Explorer and look at the new icon for your EXE file.

You may also restore the original file from the duplicate you created before you started if you ever wish to go back to the original—or if you have any problems opening the EXE file.