Windows' traditional desktop has provided good levels of flexibility and productivity over the years, but Microsoft hasn't made great strides in the way of personalization. While nothing prevents us from using other icons, fonts, and pointers, some features considered "basic" simply don't exist. For example, have you tried to change the color of a folder icon? The only way is to replace it entirely, and that's where Folder Painter comes in.
Many people at Redmond believe the Windows desktop should be retired entirely. Instead, what users want are superior customization options. Changing the position of the start bar is not enough. Adding official support for virtual desktops is not enough either (even if it's a step in the right direction). Something as simple as modifying the size of the fonts or using its "bold" version requires an external application in Windows 10 or extending those changes to "everything" in the system, which is ridiculous.
Now, let's say you want to change the color of the folders on your desktop. The "light yellow" has become boring, and you want something different, more vibrant. The problem is... that you have to replace each icon individually, or use some pack available on the Web. Shell32.dll has its limits, and honestly, there isn't much there as an alternative. So, what can we use? Our suggestion today is called Folder Painter.
How to change the color of folders on the desktop
Download the zip file, unzip and run the build compatible with your operating system (x86 or x64). Folder Painter offers "out of the box" three sections with 14 icons each. The first one focuses exclusively on changing the color of folders, while the other two offer different styles, including some with excellent 3D effects. All these shortcuts are placed in the context menu (select the menu you want, and click "Install"), but you can add more (with almost 300 additional icons) by following the instructions on the official page.
Other relevant options are the reconstruction of the icon cache (very useful in case there are problems), and the most important, "Copy the icon while it is in the folder". That means that the custom icon will accompany the folder if you decide to move it to another computer using a removable drive. In essence, what Folder Painter does is add a copy of the icon in .ICO format inside the folder so that the association doesn't break.
Folder Painter is free, has no strange dependencies, doesn't need to work in the background for the icons to keep their colors, and it's very easy to undo changes if you regret it. Download a copy and give it a try.
Official site and download: Click here
