Method 1: Enable the Customize tab using the registry<\/h3>\n\n- Start the Registry Editor by running
regedit.exe<\/code>.<\/li>\n- Go to the following key:\n
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\FolderDescriptions\\{56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882}\\PropertyBag<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n - Double-click
NoCustomize<\/code> and set it to 0<\/code>.<\/li>\n- Exit the Registry Editor.<\/li>\n
- Open your Contacts folder only<\/strong> via the File Explorer navigation pane, not directly.
\n![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-folder-navigate-explorer.png\")
<\/li>\n- Right-click on the Contacts folder and choose Properties.
\n![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-customize-tab.png\")
<\/li>\n - You should see the Customize tab. Click “Change icon” and select your custom resource (.ico or .dll) file.
\n![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-customize-tab-icon.png\")
<\/li>\n - Click Apply, and click OK.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Important:<\/strong> In Step 5, you must use the Explorer navigation pane to switch to the folder instead of accessing the folder path directly. Or else the “Change icon” option would be missing.<\/p>\n![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-folder-change-icon-missing.png\")
<\/p>\n
Contacts folder icons – Before and after.<\/h4>\n
![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-folder-icon-before.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-folder-icon-after.png\")
<\/p>\n
\nMethod 2: Customize the icon manually using Desktop.ini<\/h3>\n\n- Find the Contacts folder path, just in case it’s relocated. To do so, open your C:\\Users\\USERNAME folder, right-click Contacts, and click Properties.<\/li>\n
- Click the Location tab and note down the folder path.<\/li>\n
- Right-click Start, Run.<\/li>\n
- Type the following:\n
notepad.exe PATH_TO_CONTACTS_FOLDER\\desktop.ini<\/pre>\nExample:<\/p>\n
notepad.exe C:\\Users\\Ramesh\\Contacts\\desktop.ini<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nCase 1: If the Desktop.ini file opens:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Replace the following line in the desktop.ini file:\n
IconResource=%SystemRoot%\\system32\\imageres.dll,-181<\/pre>\nWith the following (pointing to your custom icon – include the trailing “,0” as mentioned)<\/p>\n
IconResource=D:\\Icons\\contacts.ico,0<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
- Save the file.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Case 2: If the Desktop.ini file is missing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- If you see the following prompt when opening Desktop.ini using Notepad, click Yes:\n
Cannot find the C:\\Users\\USERNAME\\contacts\\desktop.ini file.\r\n\r\nDo you want to create a new file?<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
- Then, paste the following lines into the file and save it.\n
[.ShellClassInfo] \r\nLocalizedResourceName=@%CommonProgramFiles%\\system\\wab32res.dll,-10100 \r\nInfoTip=@%CommonProgramFiles%\\system\\wab32res.dll,-10200 \r\nIconResource=D:\\Icons\\contacts.ico,0<\/strong>\r\n[ViewState] \r\nMode= \r\nVid= \r\nFolderType=Contacts<\/pre>\nNote: The path “D:\\Icons\\contacts.ico<\/code>” is used as an example. Please use the correct IconResource<\/code> path (including the trailing ,0<\/strong><\/code>) in desktop.ini, and save the file. <\/em><\/li>\n- In a Command Prompt window, run the following commands to refresh the icons<\/a>:\n
attrib +r PATH_TO_CONTACTS_FOLDER\r\n\r\nie4uinit.exe -show<\/pre>\n
regedit.exe<\/code>.<\/li>\n- Go to the following key:\n
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\FolderDescriptions\\{56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882}\\PropertyBag<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n - Double-click
NoCustomize<\/code> and set it to 0<\/code>.<\/li>\n- Exit the Registry Editor.<\/li>\n
- Open your Contacts folder only<\/strong> via the File Explorer navigation pane, not directly.
\n<\/li>\n- Right-click on the Contacts folder and choose Properties.
\n<\/li>\n - You should see the Customize tab. Click “Change icon” and select your custom resource (.ico or .dll) file.
\n<\/li>\n - Click Apply, and click OK.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Important:<\/strong> In Step 5, you must use the Explorer navigation pane to switch to the folder instead of accessing the folder path directly. Or else the “Change icon” option would be missing.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Contacts folder icons – Before and after.<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nMethod 2: Customize the icon manually using Desktop.ini<\/h3>\n\n- Find the Contacts folder path, just in case it’s relocated. To do so, open your C:\\Users\\USERNAME folder, right-click Contacts, and click Properties.<\/li>\n
- Click the Location tab and note down the folder path.<\/li>\n
- Right-click Start, Run.<\/li>\n
- Type the following:\n
notepad.exe PATH_TO_CONTACTS_FOLDER\\desktop.ini<\/pre>\nExample:<\/p>\n
notepad.exe C:\\Users\\Ramesh\\Contacts\\desktop.ini<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nCase 1: If the Desktop.ini file opens:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Replace the following line in the desktop.ini file:\n
IconResource=%SystemRoot%\\system32\\imageres.dll,-181<\/pre>\nWith the following (pointing to your custom icon – include the trailing “,0” as mentioned)<\/p>\n
IconResource=D:\\Icons\\contacts.ico,0<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
- Save the file.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Case 2: If the Desktop.ini file is missing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- If you see the following prompt when opening Desktop.ini using Notepad, click Yes:\n
Cannot find the C:\\Users\\USERNAME\\contacts\\desktop.ini file.\r\n\r\nDo you want to create a new file?<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n
- Then, paste the following lines into the file and save it.\n
[.ShellClassInfo] \r\nLocalizedResourceName=@%CommonProgramFiles%\\system\\wab32res.dll,-10100 \r\nInfoTip=@%CommonProgramFiles%\\system\\wab32res.dll,-10200 \r\nIconResource=D:\\Icons\\contacts.ico,0<\/strong>\r\n[ViewState] \r\nMode= \r\nVid= \r\nFolderType=Contacts<\/pre>\nNote: The path “D:\\Icons\\contacts.ico<\/code>” is used as an example. Please use the correct IconResource<\/code> path (including the trailing ,0<\/strong><\/code>) in desktop.ini, and save the file. <\/em><\/li>\n- In a Command Prompt window, run the following commands to refresh the icons<\/a>:\n
attrib +r PATH_TO_CONTACTS_FOLDER\r\n\r\nie4uinit.exe -show<\/pre>\n
![\"contacts](\"https:\/\/www.winhelponline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/contacts-customize-icon-refresh.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/li>\n