Is it possible to display icons for Start Menu program list folders?

sleepless · 15 Jan 2017

Obviously icons are displayed in the program list when the shortcut is not nested inside a folder. But it seems windows will not display customized folder icons. The properties for the folder can be opened, and a custom icon selected, but it does not display. Not in the start menu, or inside the programs folder (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs). The generic folder icon is always displayed. This seems a real shame. I like to have my menu shortcuts nested in folders because it allows for quick access to help files, manuals and other related programs. Am I missing something or does microsoft simply not allow for this? A setting in the registry maybe?

dalchina · 15 Jan 2017

Hi, the answer is to use Classic Shell (free), often referred to here.

As I've commented many times in this forum, a hierarchically structured categorised start menu is not expressed correctly by the Win 10 start menu, which extracts shortcuts from subfolders and lists them alphabetically. The subfolders (or maybe sub-subfolders) vanish.

Classic Shell works as you'd expect, being extensively customisable, including its appearance and search feature.

Is it possible to display icons for Start Menu program list folders?-untitled.png

Edwin · 17 Jan 2017

sleepless said:

Obviously icons are displayed in the program list when the shortcut is not nested inside a folder. But it seems windows will not display customized folder icons. The properties for the folder can be opened, and a custom icon selected, but it does not display. Not in the start menu, or inside the programs folder (C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs). The generic folder icon is always displayed. This seems a real shame. I like to have my menu shortcuts nested in folders because it allows for quick access to help files, manuals and other related programs. Am I missing something or does microsoft simply not allow for this? A setting in the registry maybe?

It will display in that folder if you change the folder icon first, restart Explorer, then put stuff in it.

The icon image points to a .dll so, modifying that leaves you with one alternative only!

Barring a 3rd party application, your only alternative would be to create customized shortcuts of said folders, mind you, that would open the folders themselves and not a cascading menu: