A not-so-well-known Windows trick lets you personalize folders with the desktop.ini file. This file stores a series of basic parameters, and the official editing method is through the Personalize tab in its properties. However, you can also create and modify .ini files for your folders with the freeware Desktop.ini Editor, which is very easy to use.
Personalizing our folders is an excellent way to tell them apart more easily. How many times have we tried to locate a folder on the desktop that gets lost among the rest because all of them use the same default icon? Personally, I spend many hours in front of the computer, and there comes a time when the classic folder icons turn into blurry yellow stains on the screen.
The desktop.ini file inside each folder is the key to its customization. Windows provides access to the parameters of that file with the Personalize tab in its properties, and Microsoft explains some additional details in an official document. However, you can create and modify .ini files for your folders manually with the help of Desktop.ini Editor.
How to Create and Modify .ini Files with Desktop.ini Editor
The program works in portable mode and does not have a traditional installer. Once you open its executable (Windows security will probably say something about it), the Desktop.ini Editor interface presents three general options: select the folder to edit, browse attribute examples, and apply changes.
The main attributes are the folder name, the InfoTip (that is, the information the user receives when hovering the cursor over it), and the icon. If you want to use an alternative icon, the format must be .ico, or you can choose one of the icons built into executables and Windows shell32.dll. The main page indicates that it also supports .bmp files, but I could not get it to detect them correctly in my tests.
Another interesting aspect is the CLSID association. This PC, Network, Printers, Recycle Bin, User Files, and Administrative Tools are some of the shortcuts available to assign to the folder, but there is also 'All Tasks', which is equivalent to the classic God Mode.
Finally, Desktop.ini Editor can be run from the system console, and if for some reason changes do not appear immediately, the program offers a command to force the icon cache rebuild. Give it a try!
Official website and download: Click here
