How to Change or Restore Pictures Folder Icon in Windows
By default, your personal Pictures folder is located in your account's %UserProfile% (ex: "C:\Users\Brink") folder.
This tutorial will show you how to change or restore the default Pictures folder icon for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
CONTENTS:
- Option One: Change Pictures Folder Icon in Properties
- Option Two: Change Pictures Folder Icon in desktop.ini file
- Option Three: Restore Default Pictures Folder Icon in Properties
- Option Four: Restore Default Pictures Folder Icon in desktop.ini file
EXAMPLE: Pictures folder

OPTION ONE
Change Pictures Folder Icon in Properties
1. Open your
Pictures folder's current
location (ex: "C:\Users\Brink") in File Explorer (Win+E). (see screenshot below)
2. Right click or press and hold on the
Pictures folder, and click/tap on
Properties.
3. Click/tap on the
Customize tab, and click/tap on the
Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
4. Follow the steps below to select an icon: (see screenshots below)
The %SystemRoot\System32\shell32.dll and %SystemRoot\System32\imageres.dll files contain most of Windows default icons.
- Click/tap on the Browse button.
- Navigate to and select the icon library (ex: .dll) or .ico file you want to use, and click/tap on Open.
- Select the icon you want to use, and click/tap on OK.
5. Click/tap on
OK to apply (see screenshot below
step 3)
OPTION TWO
Change Pictures Folder Icon in desktop.ini file
1. Press the
Win+R keys to open Run, copy and paste
%UserProfile%\Pictures\desktop.ini into Run, and click/tap on
OK to open that file. (see screenshot below)
If you changed the default location of your Pictures folder, then you will need to substitute %UserProfile%\Pictures in the path above with the actual full path of your Pictures folder's current location instead.
2. In the
IconResource= line in the desktop.ini window, change the full path to the full path of the icon you want to use. (see screenshot below)
If you do not have a IconResource=<icon path> line, then you will need to add it.
3. Click/tap on
File (menu bar), click/tap on
Save (Ctrl+S), and close the desktop.ini window. (see screenshot below)
4. Restart the explorer process or
sign out and
sign in to apply.
OPTION THREE
Restore Default Pictures Folder Icon in Properties
1. Open your
Pictures folder's current
location (ex: "C:\Users\Brink") in File Explorer (Win+E). (see screenshot below)
2. Right click or press and hold on the
Pictures folder, and click/tap on
Properties.
3. Click/tap on the
Customize tab, and click/tap on the
Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
4. Click/tap on the
Restore Defaults button. (see screenshot below)
5. Click/tap on
OK to apply (see screenshot below
step 3)
OPTION FOUR
Restore Default Pictures Folder Icon in desktop.ini file
1. Press the
Win+R keys to open Run, copy and paste
%UserProfile%\Pictures\desktop.ini into Run, and click/tap on
OK to open that file. (see screenshot below)
If you changed the default location of your Pictures folder, then you will need to substitute %UserProfile%\Pictures in the path above with the actual full path of your Pictures folder's current location instead.
2. In the
IconResource= line in the desktop.ini window, change the full path to
%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll,-113. (see screenshot below)
If you do not have a IconResource=<icon path> line, then you will need to add it.
3. Click/tap on
File (menu bar), click/tap on
Save (Ctrl+S), and close the desktop.ini window. (see screenshot below)
4. Restart the explorer process or
sign out and
sign in to apply.
That's it,
Shawn