How to Change a File Type Icon in Windows 10

Windows 10 does not have a built-in setting for changing only a file type’s icon. To give files such as .mp3 or .txt a different icon while keeping the app that opens them, use NirSoft’s free FileTypesMan utility and edit the type’s Default Icon value. Do not change the default app in Settings if your goal is only to change the icon.

Microsoft documents file icons as part of a file type’s association, separate from the app’s open action. The steps below use FileTypesMan to change that icon value without replacing the file association. Because the utility edits Windows file-type settings, first note the current icon and check whether the type is shared by other extensions.

Before you start

• Confirm the full extension. In File Explorer, open the View tab and turn on File name extensions. Make sure you select the right suffix, such as .mp3 rather than a similarly named format.
• Choose a permanent icon file. An .ico file is the simplest choice. Microsoft also documents icons stored in .exe and .dll files; if a file contains multiple icons, its path can include a comma and the icon index. Keep your chosen file in a folder you will not move or delete.
• Save the current value. When FileTypesMan opens the editor, copy the existing Default Icon value somewhere safe before replacing it. That gives you a direct way to restore the original icon.

Change a file type icon with FileTypesMan

1. Download and open FileTypesMan. Get the utility from NirSoft’s official FileTypesMan page. Choose the x64 download for a 64-bit Windows installation. FileTypesMan runs without an installer; extract the download and open the program. Give it a few seconds to load the registered extensions.
2. Find the extension you want to change. Use the Extension column to locate the target, for example .mp3. Right-click that row and choose Edit Selected File Type. Review any notice that lists other extensions which may be affected. If it includes formats you do not want to change, cancel and leave the shared type alone.

3. Record the existing icon setting. In the Edit File Type dialog, find Default Icon and copy its full value. The value may point to a Windows icon library or an app file, sometimes followed by a comma and a number. This field controls the icon; avoid changing the file type name, open action, or default application.

4. Choose the replacement icon and save. Click the ellipsis button beside Default Icon, browse to your .ico file, select it, and confirm the icon. Then click OK in the icon dialog and again in FileTypesMan. NirSoft notes that the Windows icon picker may stop responding on some updated Windows 10 systems. If it hangs, cancel the picker if possible and type the full path to the icon directly into the Default Icon field, then click OK. For an icon stored in an .exe or .dll, include the appropriate icon index after a comma.

Verify the change and restore the original

FileTypesMan automatically refreshes the desktop after a file-type change. Reopen or refresh the File Explorer folder and check a few files with the same extension. Their icons should change together, while double-clicking a file should still open it in the same app. If you do not see the new icon, use File > Refresh Desktop Now in FileTypesMan, then close and reopen File Explorer.

To undo the change, return to the same extension in FileTypesMan, open Edit Selected File Type, and restore the exact value you saved from Default Icon. Keep the replacement icon file in place until you have restored the old value. There is no need to uninstall or reinstall the associated app. Avoid FileTypesMan’s Replace File Type command for an icon-only rollback: it changes the file type association and can affect which app opens the files.

If the icon does not change

• The icon picker freezes: Use the full icon path in the Default Icon field, as described above. This is a documented Windows 10 issue with the system picker.
• Several extensions change together: They may share one registered file type. Restore the saved value and do not edit that shared type if you need separate icons for each extension.
• The old icon remains after a refresh: Some file types use an icon handler that can supply the displayed icon instead of the Default Icon value. FileTypesMan identifies an Icon Handler CLSID for affected types; the handler may need to be changed by the app that owns it.
• You also changed which app opens the file: In Windows Settings, open Apps > Default apps, search for the extension, and select the intended app. See Microsoft’s instructions for changing default apps. Changing the app can replace the icon again, so verify the association first and then reapply the icon if needed.

For more detail on how Windows associates an icon with a file type, see Microsoft’s DefaultIcon documentation. It explains why changing an icon is a different task from choosing the app that opens a file.