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The context menu which appears when you right-click the Network icon on the Vista desktop doesn't have a Rename item. Is there any way to rename this icon using any other methods, or must it stay as "Network"?

How to rename the Network icon on the Desktop in Windows Vista

Question

The context menu which appears when you right-click the Network icon on the Vista desktop doesn't have a Rename item. Is there any way to rename this icon using any other methods, or must it stay as "Network"?

Answer

Yes. The icon can be renamed, but it takes a registry edit to do so. Use the following steps:

Click Start, type regedit.exe and press ENTER
Navigate to the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Classes \ Local Settings \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Shell \ MuiCache

Double-click the value @C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1
Type the new name for the Network icon, in the text box provided.
Exit Registry Editor
Press F5 to refresh the Desktop so that the change is applied immediately.

Notes

The change should be reflected in Windows Explorer folder pane as well.
The setting is applied to the current user account only.
In step #3 above, the value name may vary depending upon the path and drive-letter where you've installed Windows. If you've installed Windows in D:\Windows, the value name would be @D:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1