Windows 11 Folder custom Icon Issue

I agree! Joe Common would not know how to patch broken or faulty software. Users should not be forced into private patches and/or Reg file revisions to fix problems in a broken GUI, that MS knows exist yet ignores. Photographers, Videographers, Musicians and a whole host of others have literally thousands of folders that are now almost useless. Especially if the files are sorted by date, and the user relies on visual ques in a date range to select the proper file. Why MS is ignoring this critical issue that they themselves caused is beyond me. Customization and workflow tools that used to be in Windows but are now absent or broken is an issue that MS seems to be ignoring; despite a loud outcry from the public. At one time, MS said they listened to users. I'm beginning to think that that's a fabrication, and MS is trying to force users into a mold they dictate, rather than letting users tailor the GUI to a form that works best for the way they want to work. There are other issues outside the scope of this thread that are still very wrong in Windows 11. The outcry about what they have done with the Folder Views is very loud and clear. Why they continue to absolutely ignore cries to restore the full folder picture is beyond me. (shades of Vista that was never fully fixed). Eventually, support for Windows 10 will go away, forcing people into the MS mold if they want continued security updates. I have complained on the feedback tool. I encourage others to do the same. I just hope they fix this issue before people like me that stubbornly cling to Windows 10 are locked out of (Downgrading to?) a free Windows 11 transition. It is my opinion that Microsoft's refusal to correct a problem with the GUI that they caused; despite a huge public outcry, is just plain wrong.

@ScottMalkin Hi Scott! I totally agree. Though, it's my belief that Microsoft wanted Windows as a universal software. We started to see it in Windows 10. Remember, they had a cellphone, though I'm not sure if they still do. In creating Windows 11, leaving that error of Folder Customization open for literally the Life of the OS, is troublesome.

I have read it'll be used again in Windows 12. We'll see. Seeing half a pic' on the folder is stupid. In XP you could have 4! See my post just up a bit.

Hello Carolyn. I am trying to apply your advise, but I am not sure to understand your flow. I did create a new folder on my desktop, right clicked, and went to customize. But when I click on the "Change icon" box, I am not given any other choice than dll files, when I want to use any jpg that I find handy. Then, of course, from this moment on, all is totally opaque "Scroll to MIDDLE closed folder icon next to cog icon, click it, Ok, Apply.". The picture illustrating my folders are all called "folder.jpg" and this is what I have been using forever since I own a computer. Are jpg convertible in dll files? and if so, will I have to rename all those jpg?! Thanks

If you click the browse button you can select another Icon outside the DLL file. Using another file type other than .ico (as far a I know) will not work however.

Using your Web Browser to search for .jpg to .ico or .png to .ico (Depending on your file type) will bring up a few online sites where you can convert the pictures you have to .ico files for free and allow you download them to a directory, or automatically put them in the "Downloads" folder where you can easily find them. For people with literally hundreds or even thousands of folders this is an untenable solution to the folder.jpg issue. For people who just want to change a few, this works. There are drawbacks to doing this though. The ability to recognize the Icon as a folder rather than a program or shortcut goes away. ...but again, if you only have a few, and know what they are, this works. If you pick "Choose File" instead of "Change Icon", you should be able to use .jpg files and recognize the image as a folder, but the view may still truncated. I haven't tried that one yet.

Edit: Just a Note: I just tried the "Choose File" rather than just putting a folder.jpg image in the folder so I could actually see the result rather than quoting what it "should do". This is actually the first time I tried this, and didn't get any results. I don't know if it's just me or weather that option is broken too, but it didn't work for me

Edit to the Edit: To see your file extensions to determine what type of file you have; Go to Windows Explorer (or open a folder) Click on the View tab at the top, Go to "Options" and click "Change Folder or Search options". From there, click on the "View" tab and scroll down to "Hide Extensions For Known File Types", and uncheck the box. This will allow you to see your file extensions. To me, not being able to see the file extensions is a security concern. Why MS made extensions hidden as a default is beyond me. Once you determine your file type, if seeing Extensions doesn't suit you, you can always turn them off again by going back and rechecking the box. To me, I would rather see them. If you don't, you could see a file called (for example) Picture.jpg when the real name is Picture.jpg.exe, allowing a malicious executable file to run in the background while the screen displays something innocuous after you click on the file. Hope this helps.

Hello Franville',

As I have been saying since the start of this thread, at the start of Windows 11, Microsoft blocked the customization of a folder icon by placing a file ON IT, i.e. a picture file (.png, .jpeg, .bmp,etc.). The process was simple and had NOTHING to to do with REPLACING the icon, with a .ico picture. You actually pasted the whole pic' ONTO the folder.

As I wrote before and will KEEP ON writing goes -

Here is my standard reply (Nothin' about .DLL's!)

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.

I replied to Franville' too. It's not icon replacement we're looking for. We are looking back to Windows XP, 7 and 10,