How do I get Classic Folder Icons Back?

Anonymous

How can I get back the folder icons from windows xp? I need my folder icons to be flat square folders, which I can customize with one photo from inside the folder shown on the front? These open folders sitting sideways with documents and pictures falling out, are driving me crazy. I work with thousands of photos every day and need a quick simple way to identify what is inside each folder. Now I have to spend hours opening each folder and looking through the photos...such a waste of time. Why is such a simple folder icon gone in Windows 7? I need it back!

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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Volunteer Moderator

Try making the icons larger to accommodate the picture. For example:

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Anonymous

Periwinkleblue,

Hello, I’m afraid that changing the file displayed/icon would be the closest choices for customizing the folder in the way you would like, short of possible third party tweaks.

If this is a feature you would like reinstated, please leave your suggestion at Windows 7 Feedback.

Lisa

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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55 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-09-17T02:02:33+00:00

Shawn, try to imagine this. I have more than 1000 folders, each with a digital scrapbooking kit inside, which consists of at least 4 background papers and about 8-10 elements, as well as a contact sheet and a preview page of the whole kit that I used to use as the file that I chose to put on the cover of the folder in XP, so at a glence, I could see what the colors were if if there was something specific I needed in that folder, WITHOUT HAVING TO OPEN IT! Now, I have to open every folder cause all I can see is maybe one thing hanging out of the folder which usually dosent give me a clue as to what's in the kit inside of the folder! And in XP, I figured out how to enlarge the size of the folder so I could really see the preview of the kit on the cover of the foldeer. It was great!
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@CmdrKeene 90,631 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2010-09-16T22:43:10+00:00

I just don't understand the workflow. I've never had a folder with hundreds of images, yet represented by "absolutely 4" that was a make-or-break issue for me. If I wanted to know what was in a folder, I'd open it up and see everything, not just the 4 random icons that were on the preview. Although honestly I never used the thumbnails to view folders, I only used them to view actual things like pictures or PDFs. Obviously I'm not the target audience. But if I could understand how it was used, maybe I could better appreciate the need for such a feature.

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Anonymous

2010-09-16T18:43:10+00:00

I'm afraid the images above are not good examples. The vertical design doesn't allow you to pick four preview images.

At least, I haven't found a good way to do this. Throw in a few word documents with your photos, and you have a

muddled mess. With xp folders, you have control with which four pictures will be your preview, by the order you load

them. In Windows 7, you still have a problem with the skewed images. I want simple, flat, and four images,

which I can control, that will allow a preview on the folder. You see, it isn't about resistance to new things,

but rather resistance to a product that doesn't meet my needs.
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