Favicon Generator

Continue in the tool

More pages for this tool

ICO icon for a Windows folder

Create an .ico icon for a Windows folder or shortcut

Windows does not accept PNG or JPG as a folder or shortcut icon: the Change Icon window reads .ico files (and icons inside .exe and .dll). The page opens in ICO mode with the Windows size set already ticked (16, 24, 32, 48 and 256 px). You drop the image, download the file and follow the steps below to apply it.

Why five sizes and how to apply the icon

Explorer shows the same folder at very different sizes: in the details list, in medium icons, in extra large icons and in the address bar. Since an .ico holds several images and Windows picks the closest to what it needs, a file with 16, 24, 32, 48 and 256 px covers those contexts without the system having to enlarge a small image. The raw pixels of that set add up to 278,784 bytes, and the header plus directory take 86 bytes (6 + 5 x 16). The 256 size, the largest the format accepts, is the one shown in extra large icons.
To apply it to a folder, right-click it, open Properties, the Customize tab, and choose Change Icon, then Browse, and select the file. For a shortcut, the path is Properties, Shortcut tab, Change Icon. Windows stores only the path of the file, in a hidden desktop.ini inside the folder, not a copy: if you delete or move the .ico, the folder goes back to the default icon. So keep the file in a stable place, preferably inside the folder itself or in an icons folder you will not touch.
If the old icon keeps showing after the change, the reason is usually Explorer's icon cache. Closing and reopening the folder window fixes most cases. The same file also works as an app icon, as long as the tool consuming it accepts PNG inside ICO, which holds from Windows Vista onward. For the source image, prefer a simple square figure, because at 16 px fine details disappear and a strong silhouette reads better.

From PNG to the applied icon

Windows set

Input: pasta-projetos.png, 16, 24, 32, 48, 256
Expected output: pasta-projetos.ico, 86 bytes de cabeçalho e diretório

The file takes the PNG name, with the extension swapped to .ico.

Small source image

Input: icone.png, 48 x 48, conjunto Windows
Expected output: Aviso: o tamanho 256 será ampliado

Only the 256 starts from a smaller source; 16, 24, 32 and 48 come out sharp.

Apply to a folder

Input: Botão direito, Propriedades, Personalizar, Alterar Ícone
Expected output: O Windows grava o caminho do .ico num desktop.ini oculto

Moving or deleting the .ico makes the folder go back to the default icon.

Apply to a shortcut

Input: Botão direito, Propriedades, Atalho, Alterar Ícone
Expected output: O atalho passa a exibir o novo ícone

The change applies only to that shortcut, not to the target program.

Full tool FAQ

Which favicon sizes do I actually need?

The essentials: favicon.ico (16, 32, 48) for browsers, favicon-32x32.png and 16x16.png, apple-touch-icon.png (180) for iOS, and android-chrome 192/512 for PWAs. This tool generates all of them.

Do I need a square image?

Why does the .ico hold several sizes and which ones should I tick?

What is the generated site.webmanifest?

Where do I put the files and the snippet?

Can I use an SVG as the source image?

How do I convert PNG, JPG or SVG to ICO?

Does generation send my image to a server?

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a PNG directly as a folder icon?

No. The Change Icon window only reads .ico, .exe, .dll and .icl. That is why the PNG must be converted, and this page does it with the sizes Windows uses.

Does the icon work on Windows 10 and 11?

Yes. An ICO with PNGs inside has been accepted since Windows Vista, and current versions read it normally, including the 256 size of extra large icons.

Why did the folder icon go back to the default after I moved the file?

Because Windows stores the path of the .ico, not a copy of it. If the file moves, the path stops existing. Apply it again with the file in the new place.

How many folders can I customize with the same file?

As many as you like, and all of them point to the same file. The change applies only to each chosen folder, not to the subfolders inside it.

Next steps

Continue in the tool

Open full tool

ICO icon for a Windows folder

Create an .ico icon for a Windows folder or shortcut

Why five sizes and how to apply the icon

Explorer shows the same folder at very different sizes: in the details list, in medium icons, in extra large icons and in the address bar. Since an .ico holds several images and Windows picks the closest to what it needs, a file with 16, 24, 32, 48 and 256 px covers those contexts without the system having to enlarge a small image. The raw pixels of that set add up to 278,784 bytes, and the header plus directory take 86 bytes (6 + 5 x 16). The 256 size, the largest the format accepts, is the one shown in extra large icons.

To apply it to a folder, right-click it, open Properties, the Customize tab, and choose Change Icon, then Browse, and select the file. For a shortcut, the path is Properties, Shortcut tab, Change Icon. Windows stores only the path of the file, in a hidden desktop.ini inside the folder, not a copy: if you delete or move the .ico, the folder goes back to the default icon. So keep the file in a stable place, preferably inside the folder itself or in an icons folder you will not touch.

If the old icon keeps showing after the change, the reason is usually Explorer's icon cache. Closing and reopening the folder window fixes most cases. The same file also works as an app icon, as long as the tool consuming it accepts PNG inside ICO, which holds from Windows Vista onward. For the source image, prefer a simple square figure, because at 16 px fine details disappear and a strong silhouette reads better.

From PNG to the applied icon

Windows set

Input: pasta-projetos.png, 16, 24, 32, 48, 256
Expected output: pasta-projetos.ico, 86 bytes de cabeçalho e diretório

The file takes the PNG name, with the extension swapped to .ico.

Small source image

Input: icone.png, 48 x 48, conjunto Windows
Expected output: Aviso: o tamanho 256 será ampliado

Only the 256 starts from a smaller source; 16, 24, 32 and 48 come out sharp.

Apply to a folder

Input: Botão direito, Propriedades, Personalizar, Alterar Ícone
Expected output: O Windows grava o caminho do .ico num desktop.ini oculto

Moving or deleting the .ico makes the folder go back to the default icon.

Apply to a shortcut

Input: Botão direito, Propriedades, Atalho, Alterar Ícone
Expected output: O atalho passa a exibir o novo ícone

The change applies only to that shortcut, not to the target program.

Full tool FAQ

Which favicon sizes do I actually need?

The essentials: favicon.ico (16, 32, 48) for browsers, favicon-32x32.png and 16x16.png, apple-touch-icon.png (180) for iOS, and android-chrome 192/512 for PWAs. This tool generates all of them.

Do I need a square image?

Why does the .ico hold several sizes and which ones should I tick?

What is the generated site.webmanifest?

Where do I put the files and the snippet?

Can I use an SVG as the source image?

How do I convert PNG, JPG or SVG to ICO?

Does generation send my image to a server?

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a PNG directly as a folder icon?

No. The Change Icon window only reads .ico, .exe, .dll and .icl. That is why the PNG must be converted, and this page does it with the sizes Windows uses.

Does the icon work on Windows 10 and 11?

Yes. An ICO with PNGs inside has been accepted since Windows Vista, and current versions read it normally, including the 256 size of extra large icons.

Why did the folder icon go back to the default after I moved the file?

Because Windows stores the path of the .ico, not a copy of it. If the file moves, the path stops existing. Apply it again with the file in the new place.

How many folders can I customize with the same file?

As many as you like, and all of them point to the same file. The change applies only to each chosen folder, not to the subfolders inside it.