OS X users have long enjoyed the ability to right click a folder and apply a highlight, drawing prominence to it even in a long list of other folders. Folderico for Windows sets out to port this same functionality over. Folderico 4 works with Windows 7, 8 and 8.1, though it may also work with Vista. For Windows XP users, Folderico 3.7 provides the same functions; the steps below appear accurate for XP users as well.
Change Folder Icons
Download Folderico from Shedko’s website. For this tutorial, we’ll be downloading the Portable version, which does not require any installation and will not add any entries to the right-click menus. Extract the software using your tool of choice, whether WinRAR, 7-zip, the standard Windows archival tool, or something else. Extract the complete contents of the folder as it is all necessary: running the .exe from within the archive will not work properly. Run the Folderico .exe file once it has been extracted.
Choose the folder you intend to change the icon for from the tree of options. If you would like to test the functionality, you can also create a folder from within this window.
Select which icon style you wish to use. For the purposes of this article, we will be using the Windows 7 style; it also fits with the Windows Vista, 8 and 8.1 folder style. Choose the color which appeals most and then confirm your selection.
Upon returning to the main window of the application, click the “Apply” button.
By changing the icon for a folder, it makes it easier to identify at a later date. The change is visible at all icon sizes, meaning that it is an easy way to make a folder more prominent.
Restore Original Icons
Open Folderico; the installed version and portable version are both capable of restoring icons as well as changing them, so it does not matter which version you prefer to use. Find the folder you wish to reset using the navigational window. Click the “Reset Default Icon” button in the lower left corner. This will immediately restore the icon to the original yellow. While it may not seem like a necessary function, highlighting folders comes in quite handy. Considering how many games store files in the “Documents” folder, it may even be useful for gamers to color their personal folders differently to ensure they are not mixed up with those containing save files or other game utilities. Particularly impressive is the fact that the folder color remains as selected across all view types, and the icons remain sharp as well. Simply put, there is nothing to suggest that the functionality is third-party, which is rather high praise.
