Windows 11 Folder custom Icon Issue

Keep Desktop Folders Closed - Go To:

Personalization – Themes – Desktop Icon Settings

Uncheck Allow Themes to Change Desktop Items

Create new folder, right click, customize, change

Scroll to MIDDLE closed folder icon next to cog icon, click it,

Ok, Apply.

This worked for me. Let me know if it helps please

Sorry, but this doesn't work. Did you ever have Windows 10, 7 or XP?

Apparently not. In those Windows Operating Systems, when you clicked "Customize/Choose a file to show on this folder icon," you could click a picture, in that folder and it would be FULLY displayed on the folder. Much like what I have attached. Unfortunately, my Windows 10 system isn't up now, so I cannot give an exact representation, but that is close. (Scott, by the way, you will find on an earlier page in this string.)

The way it used to be . . . (Thanks to azhotaz and Windows XP!

on page 3 of this thread . . .

See the pictures ON the folders?? Hello? That was the way it was!! That is what we want! Perhaps not 4 pictures, but 1 is good for me.

You could try the "Feedback Hub", but I don't know how you would access it on an XP machine, or report about lost functionality that was on an XP machine.

I kept an XP machine also, until years after Windows 7 was released. In my opinion, Windows Vista's U.I. was broken and never fully repaired. Windows 8 lasted on my machine for all of a day and a half. Welcome to Windows 11, with its broken functionality, hidden menu Items that take more "Clicks" to get to (when you can finally find them again) and missing (removed) or broken customization/functionality/productivity tools and options. Deja Vu?

Microsoft used to claim that they were removing "Bloat" as they took away customization, functionality and productivity tools, only to add "Graphic Bloat". I still have no idea why they would move menu options and functions from familiar places only to hide them somewhere else; often buried under sub menus or somewhere requiring extra "Clicks". I guess that the steep (re)learning curve is supposed to keep us on our toes.

Users should be able to customize windows for the way WE use Windows as individuals; rather than remove customization/functionality/Productivity tools and have someone else try to hammer us into THEIR mold. If folder visualization or other tools make my life easier and faster in Windows, who is someone else to tell ME that I'm "Doing it all wrong"?

The point of the above "what remains missing or broken in Windows 11" as pertains to this thread, is that folder customization along with other important tools are still broken or missing (Specifically: folder.jpg). The weak attempt to fix things instead of re-orienting the folders and bringing back functionality that is present in past Windows versions (previously completely removed from Windows 11) is beyond belief. I cannot believe anyone would look at that particular Customization/usability/functionality/productivity tool as it stands right now and call that acceptable. Are we really putting up with this continued substandard (broken) tool because someone in an office somewhere is standing on the idea that the graphic representation of a folder should have the tabs pointing up? Really?

Sorry @azhoatz, I was trying to give you a clue where to start to look, and one thing lead to another. I wound up expounding on a subject I'm a little passionate about. Thank you for putting up with my diatribe.

Hello Sir,

Thank you for your reply, however I do not use emoji's in the naming or in my folders in Windows Explorer. As I wrote on Page 1, post 3 or 4 of this thread, and was noted above, by Scott Malkin, there was a certain method to achieve the, "Choose a file to show on the folder icon."

Unfortunately, I am not on my Windows 10 system, so I cannot clearly show a Windows 11 v. Windows 10 contrast.

Needless to say, ![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/7646c2c9-e8b8-4a28-8db0-179327744b2b?platform=QnA is NOT the desired result!