Hi all! Today we will look at basic knowledge Windows, without which you can’t go anywhere. All modern Windows operating systems by default hide system files and folders from our eyes so that you do not accidentally harm yourself or delete them. However, there are many reasons when access to these files becomes necessary - this is where the question arises of how to show hidden folders in Windows 10.

When might this be useful? For example, the hidden AppData/Roaming folder contains a huge amount of user data (the same toy saves). Or maybe you just don’t like that the system is trying to limit you - you can and even need to view hidden folders!

Many users use hiding various files and folders to protect information. It’s clear that the method is so-so, but I know people who have hidden the folder... and don’t know how to get into it (hid from themselves)

I decided to tell you about three ways to open hidden folders and files in Windows 10 (although it will work perfectly for any other Microsoft OS). In this regard, Ten has gone far ahead and it is possible to show the necessary files in a couple of clicks, without wandering through the system settings.

How to show hidden folders in Windows 10 through Explorer

The shortest way to get what you want is to use a small tweak in the standard and beloved Windows Explorer. Find the "View" tab and make sure that "Hidden Elements" is checked. That's all - the system will show you hidden files and folders.

Hidden files and folders in Windows 10 through Folder and Search Options

If the method above appeared only with Windows 8... then the second option has probably been around since the very first versions (By at least it was in Windows 98, but previously I didn’t even have a computer).

Click on the “File” tab and select “Change folder and search options” from the drop-down menu.

In the window that opens, go to the “View” tab and check the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” option, click “Apply”

This way we enabled the display hidden folders in Windows 10 - as you can see, everything is simply outrageous.

How to open hidden folders on Windows 10? - Control Panel

If the previous two methods seemed too simple to you, then meet the longest and most inconvenient option with displaying hidden files in Windows 10 (for those who like to complicate things).

You can enable showing hidden files through the Control Panel. In fact, we use the second method with setting up Explorer, but we do this not from the program interface, but from the global system settings.

Go to the Control Panel and for easier searching, change the view to “Small icons” and find the “File Explorer Options” item.

On the “View” tab, check the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” option and click the “Apply” button. From now on you will be able to see hidden files.

You will most likely be warned that showing hidden files is not entirely safe - edit them wisely and know what you are doing... (if you want to show system files, then uncheck “Hide protected system files”)

Bottom line

We have reviewed 3 different ways show hidden folders in Windows 10. Please note that system files are also hidden and simply checking the “Show hidden files” checkbox is not enough... you need to make the settings according to the third method in the control panel - then you will see everything!

Over time, the appearance of the “Desktop” can become quite boring. Many users limit themselves to simply changing the wallpaper. The fresh image of the main window, however, can be supplemented with new shortcut icons. We’ll look at how to change different types of icons in this article.

Standard or third-party icons in ico format

First, you need to decide what icons you need: classic ones from Microsoft, which are already stored in the PC memory, or third-party images. In the second case, you must first create a picture yourself or find an image on the Internet. The main condition is that it must be small and have an ico extension.

You can find ready-made icon files with different designs on third-party resources and download them from there, and then install them using any of the methods presented below, depending on the type of icon (folder, application shortcut or main Windows icon). To search, use Google services or Yandex: enter the request “Desktop icons for Windows 10” in the line. The variety of icons available for download on the Internet is quite large: copyrighted, themed, standard for certain versions Windows and stuff.

You can change the icons for all shortcuts at once using an icon pack - a separate collection of icons packaged in one file with a dll extension. Such packages can also be downloaded from various sources. However, be careful when searching for and downloading such files: trust sites that indicate that the files have been scanned by an antivirus. Otherwise, you risk downloading a malicious program along with the file.

Photo gallery: icon sets for the “Desktop”

Shortcuts on the “Desktop” may be non-standard, but they must be in ico format. On the Internet you can find many original icons for folders The Aero icon pack is suitable for users who love modern design The choice of icons on the Internet is large: from simple to thematic and custom ones

How to change the appearance of the main icons on Windows 10

Main Windows icons on the “Desktop” - icons with the names “Trash”, “My Computer”, “Network”, “User Files”, “Control Panel” and some others. They are placed on the “Desktop” by default after installation. You can independently determine which of them should be present on it and which should not. You also have the right to change their appearance in the system “Options” window or using third-party utilities.

Through the Windows Settings window

The easiest way to change the appearance of the main icon is to go to the window with system parameters:

1. To make the “Settings” window appear on the display, the easiest way is to simultaneously press two keys: Win + I. But this combination may not work. In this case, there is another way: click on the “Start” button in the lower left corner of the screen, and in the menu itself, select the second icon from the bottom - the gear.
   Click on the gear icon in the Start menu
2. We find ourselves in a large “Options” menu with many sections. We need the last tile in the first row - “Personalization”.
   In the “Options” window, click on the “Personalization” section
3. The desired section with tabs will open. You can launch the same window in another way: click on the “Desktop” in an area free of icons, and in the context menu select the very last item - “Personalization”.
   Click on the “Personalization” item in the context menu of the “Desktop”
4. Go to the “Topics” block.
   Immediately go from the “Background” tab to “Themes”
5. In the right column with links to other windows and sections, click on the line “Desktop icon settings”.
   Click on the “Desktop Icon Settings” link on the right side of the window
6. A small window will open on top of the “Settings” - select the desired icon from the menu with the left mouse button, for example, “This computer”. Next, click on the “Change Icon” button.
   Click on the icon you want to change and click on the “Change Icon” button
7. In the third window, select an icon from the list of standard Windows icons or upload your own using the “Browse” button.
   Select an icon from among the available ones or upload your own using the “Browse” button
8. If you chose the second option (uploading your icons), the Explorer window will appear. We are looking for the folder with the desired icon file in ico format. Click on the “Open” button and then click OK.
   Search in Explorer required file ico and click on “Open”
9. In the “Icon Options” window, first click “Apply” for all changes to take effect. If you want to change the icon for other main Windows icons, repeat the same procedure for each of them. Click on "Apply" again and then on OK to close the window.

Using special utilities

There are many applications from various developers that allow you to change the icons of both main shortcuts and other icons, for example, folder icons, beyond recognition. In programs, you can change individual icons or all icons at once, that is, install an entire package.

IconPackager: convenient and fine-tuning the appearance of icons

IconPackager is a product from Stardock, which develops utilities for customizing the Windows desktop interface. This utility comes pre-installed with several icon packs. It is also possible to upload your own and change icons in the available collections, that is, create your own unique packages.

The utility supports Windows versions higher than version seven. The downside is that it is paid, but at the beginning it offers a month free testing. Although the interface is English language, using the application is quite convenient:

1. Open the official website of the application developer. To download the installer, click on the blue Try It Free button.
   Click on the blue Try It Free button to download the installer
2. Run the installer and install the program by following simple instructions in the window.
3. Click on the Finish button so that the application window appears on the display.
   Click on Finish to close the “Setup Wizard” and open the program window
4. To start using trial version, click on the Start 30 Day Trial button.
   Click on Start 30 Day Trial to start using the program for free for a month
5. If you want to download a third-party icon that you previously downloaded from the Internet, in the Look & Feel tab, click on the Icon Package Options drop-down menu. Select the penultimate item Add Icon Package, and then Install from disk.
   Click on Add Icon Package and then select Install from disk to download your collection
6. In Windows Explorer, find the file with the icon pack and click on “Open” - the collection will be added to the list of currently available ones.
7. You can also select a topic from those presented in the list. Let's try to install, for example, Delta.
   Click on the Delta package below
8. Click on Preview to preview all the icons in this pack. If you like them, close the second window and feel free to click on the Apply icons to my desktop button.
   Click on Preview to preview the entire icon collection
9. If you want to return the old ones Windows icons in place, just apply the first theme in the list - Windows Default Icons.
10. In the Colors tab you can change the color, hue, and brightness of the icons.
    In the Colors tab, configure the color scheme of the existing icons
11. Using the I want to adjust the color of my Icon Package item, you can adjust the icons to the theme of your “Desktop” and the color of the “Taskbar”. For example, they can completely change the color to red if there is a Windows theme with that tint. After all changes, click on Apply icons to my desktop.
    Icons can take on the color of the current Windows theme
12. In the Live Folders section you can put separate icons for folders - live icons. To do this, check the box to the left of Always use the Live Folder icons selected below. Then simply select the folder type.
    In the Live Folders block, select individual icons for folders
13. The Customize tab allows you to create your own icon packs. To change a specific icon, click Change this Icon.
    The Customize section allows you to create your own collections and change those presented in the program
14. In a new small window, select from the available ones or add your own icon using the Browse button.
    In the Change Icon window, select an icon from those available in the menu or upload your own using the Browse key
15. When all changes to the package have been made, click on Save Icon Package.
    Save changes to the icon pack using the Save Icon Package option
16. In the small window, confirm that you want to make changes to the package. After this, all settings should be successfully saved.
    Click "Yes" to confirm your intention to save the changes
17. In the Settings section there is additional settings. In particular, you can determine which Windows icons need to be changed and which ones should not be touched. Here you can enable changing the mouse pointer Cursors.
    In the Settings tab you can configure changes for certain types of icons: folders, files, main Windows icons and others

Video: how to install new icons using the IconPackager program

Se7en Theme Source Patcher: free utility and large selection of packages

The application is designed to replace all classic desktop icons, local hard drives, folders, and Control Panel icons. Initially, the program was created for the “seven”, but now it supports other versions of Windows, in particular, our “ten”.

The program uses the popular 7z compression format. The downside of the utility is that it does not initially have built-in icon packs. You need to download all collections on the same site from where you download the application, and then add them yourself to the utility database for further use. Nevertheless, the selection of packages on this resource is very large.

The advantage of this program is that it is free. Before replacing icons, the utility creates a restore point and backup copy system files so that you can return all Windows icons to the classic ones:

1. Let's move on to applications. Click on the “Download” button.
   Click on the "Download" button to download executable file programs
2. Your browser will download the archive - open it, and in it, right-click on the file and in the menu click on “Extract to...”. Select a folder and unzip the archive.
   Click on "Extract to" specified folder» in the file context menu
3. Find the extracted file, right-click on it again and in the context menu click on the “Run as administrator” link.
   In the context menu of the unpacked file, click on “Run as administrator”
4. Allow this application to make changes on your PC by clicking “Yes” in the system window that appears. The application does not require installation, so its window will open immediately.
   Click Yes to allow the program to make changes to your device
5. Pre-select and download the themes you like from the same site.
   Download your favorite icon pack from the developer’s website
6. In the application window, click Add a Custom Pack.
   Click on the Add a Custom Pack button
7. In Windows Explorer, select the downloaded archive with the icon pack and click Open.
   Find the file with the icon pack and click “Open”
8. The collection will appear in the menu. At the bottom of the window there will be a Start Patching button. Click on it. The utility will ask if you need to create a restore point. Be sure to create it - click “Yes”.
   Give permission to create a backup before installing new icons
9. Wait for the procedure to complete. After this, you need to reboot the device twice for the changes to take effect.
10. Icon packs from this developer contain not only icons, but also some other elements Windows interface, for example, pictures to replace the appearance of the clock, date, and even the Task Manager window. If you don’t need them, click on Extra before installing the collection. In the Option Menu, uncheck unnecessary items and click Save.
    In the Option Menu, remove unnecessary items that you do not want to change and click on Save
11. If you want to restore classic Windows icons, click the Restore button in the lower right corner in the program window. In the new window, check the box next to the first item and click OK.
    To return the default Windows icons, click Restore and then OK

You must install a new icon pack on a clean system, that is, on classic icon images in Windows, and not on third-party icons. Therefore, do a preliminary restoration using the Restore key if you have icons other than the standard ones.

Video: how to install icons using the Theme Source Patcher utility

IconTo: application with built-in instructions for use

IconTo- free application from the developer AleXStam, which can change icons for system elements, folders, sections hard drives or even their groups.

In IconTo you can change folder icons, system objects and hard drive partitions

It has the following advantages over other utilities:

1. More than 300 built-in icons. There is also the option to upload your own icons.
2. Instructions for installing icons: at the bottom of the window you will see hints.
3. There is a conversion of png, jpg, ico formats, as well as the option of extracting images from files in dll, exe and some other formats.
4. The program interface is entirely in Russian.

IconTo is suitable for everyone Windows versions, starting with Windows 98 and ending with the modern “ten”. The size of the downloaded installer does not exceed 15.1 MB, so the utility can be used on computers with a small amount of memory. The application is available for download on the developer's official website.

How to change folder icon on Windows 10

If you want to highlight a folder against the general background of icons to make it more recognizable, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the folder shortcut. In the menu that appears, click on “Properties”.
   In the folder context menu, select “Properties”
2. A window with various sections will immediately appear on the display - go to the “Settings” tab. In the last section, click on the “Change icon” button.
   In the “Settings” tab, click on the “Change icon” button
3. Select an icon from the available ones: Scroll the list of icons to the right to see all the shortcuts. If you have your own image with in the required format ico and you want to install it, click “Browse”.
   
   Select an icon from those offered or click on the “Browse” button if you have your own icon
4. In the additional window " Windows Explorer» Locate the folder where the image is stored. Left-click on it to select it, and then click on “Open”.
   Find the desired icon as a file with the .ico extension in Windows Explorer
5. For a convenient search, you can use the line with a magnifying glass - just enter the name of the icon file or the ico extension.
   IN search bar enter ico and find the file you need
6. To save changes, click OK in the window with a list of available icons. After this, the folder icon will change.

How to replace all folder icons at once

To change the appearance of all folders, you need to resort to a more complex method - editing the registry in the system window. However, this method is not recommended for beginners: it is better to use special programs described in the section “Using special utilities" In this article. If you are already a confident PC user, then you can perform manipulations in the system window:

1. To open the “Registry Editor” system window, press the Win and R keys simultaneously - a small “Run” panel will open with a single line “Open”. In it we type the command regedit. For the system to execute it, click on OK or press Enter.
   In the Run window, type the command regedit
2. In the next window, click “Yes”. This will give permission to the “Registry Editor” to make changes on the computer.
   Click Yes to allow system utility make changes on the device
3. First, let's make a backup copy in case the registry was edited incorrectly. On the top panel, find the “File” item and left-click on it. In the menu that appears, click on “Export”.
   In the “File” menu, select “Export”
4. In the new window that opens, select the folder in which the copy will be stored. Give the appropriate name to the file. Then click “Save”.
   Name and save a copy in any folder
5. Now you can start editing yourself. Double-click on the third main branch - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
   Open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder by double clicking
6. We go one by one to the following blocks in the same left part of the window: Microsoft - Windows - CurrentVersion - Explorer - Shell Icons.
   The Shell Icons folder should be located in the Explorer section
7. If you did not find the last Shell Icons folder, create this section yourself: right-click on the Explorer section, select “Create” in the context menu, and then click on the “Section” item. Let's name it accordingly.
   If you don't have a Shell Icons folder, create one using the context menu of the Explorer section
8. Click on Shell Icons. In the right panel, right-click on an empty area to open the menu. In it, select “Create”, and then - “String parameter”. We indicate the number 3 as the name for the new registry entry.
   Click on “Create” and then “String Parameter”
9. Right-click on it and select “Edit”. You can also simply double-click on it with the left mouse button.
   Click on “Edit” in the context menu of the newly created parameter
10. In a small window, in the line for the entry value, insert the path to the file, where its name and ico extension must be indicated. Click on OK.
    In the “Value” line we write the path to the ico file, which should be set as an icon
11. If you have a 64-bit system, the path to the final Shell Icons folder in the left pane will be slightly different: Wow6432Node - Microsoft - Windows - CurrentVersion - Explorer. Next, we repeat the same steps as for the 32-bit system.
12. Close all windows and reboot the device. After starting the OS, you will see that the icons of all folders have changed.

Changing the application shortcut icon

If you're tired of your programs' old shortcut icons, try replacing them. For example, let's take the shortcut for the popular Google Chrome browser:

1. We look for the desired icon on the “Desktop” (in our case it is the “Google Chrome” icon). Right-click on it to open a context menu with a list of options. Select the same item as in the case of changing the folder icon - “Properties”.
   Click on “Properties” in the context menu of the Google Chrome shortcut
2. You will immediately be taken to the desired tab - “Shortcut”. Click on the middle button “Change icon”.
   In the “Shortcut” section, click on the “Change Icon” button
3. A window similar to the one in the instructions for changing the folder icon will appear on the display. Here, however, there will not be such a large selection of icons. We do not indicate as a source system library, and the executable file chrome.exe. We make a choice, for example, in favor of the original yellow icon. Click on OK.
   Select an icon from the available ones or upload your own file with the ico extension
4. In the shortcut properties window, first click “Apply”. The system will ask permission to make changes. Click on the “Continue” button.
   Click on the “Continue” button to save all changes
5. After that, click on OK - the window will close and the icon icon will change.
6. If you want to change the shortcut icon to your own, use the Browse button to upload your own file with a third-party image.

How to create an icon yourself

If you want to set your image (drawn or downloaded from any site) with a png or jpg extension as an icon, you need to reduce its size if necessary using the standard Windows utilities Paint, and then convert it to an ico file using special services - converters.

An easier way is to use the services of online and software icon generators, which are already configured to create files with a specific format and other parameters, for example, image sizes. For example, let's take the IcoFX program, which combines an icon generator and a tool for drawing and editing pictures. It is paid, but its developer, IcoFX Software, provides 30 days of free use. We'll tell you how to use it in the instructions:

We launch the installer and select the language in the small window that appears. Unfortunately, there is no Russian there, so we put in English. Click on OK, and in the next window we agree to the terms of use of the application. Click on Install.

We wait for the installation to finish, then click Finish in the window with the checkbox next to Launch IcoFX.

In the utility window select Windows partition Icon From Image if you already have an image.
On home page program click on Windows Icon From Image if you want to load an image

Select the file with the image in Explorer.

A page will open with a set of tools for editing the image.

You will probably want to remove the background and leave only the item itself for the icon. To remove it, click on the magic wand in the left panel called Magic Wand.
Click on the Magic Wand on the left vertical panel

Double-click on the background and a dotted line will appear. In the left panel, select a paint tool, for example, Brush. On the right side of the window, click on the tile with the chessboard color.
In the right panel, select a tile with a checkerboard pattern to make the background transparent

With a brush we draw over the area limited dotted line. After this, the background will also change to an image with a checkerboard coloring. This will mean that it is transparent.

IN top menu select File, and then click Save as.
Click Save to save the edited image

We choose a place to store the icon and give it a name. Click on “Save”.
Find the folder in which you want to save the future icon and click on “Save”

If you want to draw the future icon yourself, click on New Windows Icon in the initial window. In the next window, decide on the quality of the colors (it’s better to set True Color) and the size of the icon.
Select the size and color quality of the future drawing

In the editor we draw an icon using the available tools: brush, pencil, fill and others. If you want it to be even, use Line.

When the drawing is ready, save it using the Save as option in the File menu and set it as an icon.

If you are no longer attracted by the look of the old icons on the “Desktop”, change them either to other classic icons for Windows, or to your own - any small images in ico format found on the Internet or drawn yourself. To change icons you can use them as built-in icons Windows tools, and third-party applications.

Many PC users know that you can change the default folder icon in Windows. For example, you can change the default folder icon in Windows 10 to look like Windows folders 7, or use third-party utilities to change the folder icon color.

But that's not all, we can also change or set the image for the folder. A folder icon and a folder image are two different things.

The folder image is the background image you see on a folder when the folder is shown in thumbnail view (tiles, medium icons, large icons, and huge icons).

Windows Explorer automatically creates a folder image for thumbnail viewing, using up to four image files per folder. If there are no files or files cannot be used as the folder image, Explorer will show the default folder image.

Sometimes, for convenience, you may need to customize your own image file for a folder in Windows 10. In this guide, we will look at two ways to change the image of a folder in Windows 10.

Method 1 of 2

Changing the appearance of a folder in Windows 10

This is probably the easiest way, but most people who use Windows for a long time don't know about it.

1. Open the folder for which you want to set the folder image.
2. Copy or paste the desired image into the folder
3. Rename the image file in the folder to Folder.gif to set the picture as a folder image.

If you don't see the file extension, go to the "View", press the button “Show or hide” → “File name extensions”.

It's easy!

If you try to rename an image file, you will receive a warning dialog. Click the button "Yes", rename the image file to GIF. If the image file doesn't open after renaming it to GIF, rename its extension back to its original.

Please note that you do not need to create a new GIF image file. Just rename any image JPEG or PNG V Folder.GIF to set it as a folder image.

Please note that the folder image will not show the animation in GIF images, even if you set an animated GIF as the folder image.

Method 2 of 2

Another way to change the folder image in Windows 10

NOTE. If the folder has a Folder.gif file, the custom folder image you set with this method overrides it.

1. Right-click the folder for which you want to change or set the image and click "Properties".

2. Go to the tab "Settings". In the Folder Images section, click "Select a file", select the picture or photo you want to set as the image for the selected folder, and then click the " Open».

Finally, click the button "Apply" to set the selected picture as a folder image. To restore the original folder image, click the button "Restore to default".

I hope you find this guide useful!

Windows 10, like many other operating systems, has many customizable settings, including adjusting and managing folders and displaying properties for their contents. Managing and configuring directories in Windows 10 contains more extensive functions than in other operating systems. There are several ways to enter these settings.

Directory settings in Windows 10 and where they are located

First of all, you should understand and distinguish between general parameters and personal ones. General settings are applicable to any folders on the computer, and personalized ones are used only for a specific directory. For selective folders, the adjustment of viewing modes is the same as in similar operating systems.

To do this, right-click on the required directory in the integrated explorer. If global configuration or changing key settings for a directory is necessary, other methods are used.

Opening manage all folders mode in Windows 10

IN operating system directory parameters are accessed in two similar ways, similar to each other. The easiest way to manage directories in Windows 10 opens in the installed Explorer by selecting the “File” item and selecting the “Options” section. The same menu can be opened using the “View” section (in the same explorer), after pressing the “Options” key.

The next method involves using, which can be easily accessed by entering the “control” command in the search menu or in the command line by pressing the “Win ​​+ R” keys. Having gained access to the snap-in, you need to select the “Explorer” settings section

where you can adjust and change folder properties in Windows 10 at your discretion. If you need to display hidden or system files by section, select the “Appearance and Personalization” category and go to the “Explorer” options.

Control options

Changing and managing basic settings is very extensive and opens up many possibilities for the user. In the general settings menu, you can configure the type of directory launch (with one or two mouse clicks, opening in one or other windows), enable the display of regularly used folders in the “panel” quick access"or in the file manager panel.

The most extensive range of options is on the “View” tab. Here, in addition to the already known parameters for hiding and showing an object, there are a couple of little-known user settings.

For example, to expand the scanning field antivirus system or search, turn on the display of system and protected files. Additionally, you can enable the “Explorer” call independently of other processes, and also use the “Shared Use Wizard”.

All changes made to parameters are applied only to the current location, unless you use the “For all folders” button.

In addition, in the search control in the corresponding section, you can select your preferred default settings using directory and directory analysis. In general, personalizing all folders and directories as desired is not difficult and convenient.

As in previous versions, folder settings in Windows 10 can be changed and adjusted to suit your needs. This allows you to make the computer OS as functional and understandable as possible.

Where to find folder properties

Displaying the hidden Folder Options item

If you have malware or viruses on your computer, the Folder and Search Options item may be hidden (if you need to show hidden files and folders, you can learn how to do this in the article “Showing hidden folders in Windows 10”). Check your device first antivirus programs, then proceed to restore the hidden partition.

Setting up shared access to folders and files

Accessing folders and files allows you to view and use data stored on another computer in home network. To use this feature, configure it first.

Working Group Check

If the computer has a different workgroup, change it:

System → About System → Change Settings → Edit → enter name working group and confirm the actions.

Selecting the required objects

You can select files and folders that group members can view. You can open access to individual directories or an entire local disk.

Security Settings

To open files on another device you need to enter your username and password account the main computer where these files are located. Users rarely install password protection on their home PC, but in accordance with the policy Windows security 10 for network access You cannot use empty passwords. Therefore, you need to disable password protection for network access or enable the use of blank passwords. After this, access to files on the other device will be open.

Disabling password protection

Conclusion

Configuring folder settings and opening access to them for home network users will make using the computer more convenient and functional. You can perform all actions without third-party utilities or programs using the Settings application.