Windows System Icon Browser

Find any Windows system icon: which file holds it - shell32.dll or imageres.dll - its index or resource ID, and the exact path to paste into Change Icon, desktop.ini or a shortcut. Want the actual image? Extract it from your own PC with the DLL Icon Extractor, or make your own with Image to ICO.

Icon list

43 icons
Select Look-alike glyph Icon File Number Path to paste Actions
Unknown file typeBlank page for files with no program shell32.dll 0index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,0
DocumentGeneric document with text lines shell32.dll 1index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,1
ApplicationGeneric program window, used for .exe files without their own icon shell32.dll 2index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,2
Folder (closed)Classic yellow folder shell32.dll 3index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,3
Folder (open)Classic open folder shell32.dll 4index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,4
5.25-inch floppy driveOld large floppy drive shell32.dll 5index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,5
3.5-inch floppy driveFloppy drive A: shell32.dll 6index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,6
Removable driveUSB stick, card reader, removable media shell32.dll 7index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,7
Hard driveLocal fixed disk shell32.dll 8index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,8
Network driveMapped network drive shell32.dll 9index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,9
Network drive (disconnected)Mapped drive that is offline shell32.dll 10index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,10
CD driveOptical drive shell32.dll 11index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,11
RAM driveRAM disk shell32.dll 12index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,12
Entire networkGlobe, used for the whole network and the internet shell32.dll 13index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,13
ComputerClassic My Computer icon shell32.dll 15index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,15
PrinterLocal printer shell32.dll 16index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,16
NetworkClassic Network Neighborhood / My Network Places shell32.dll 17index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,17
SearchFind files and folders shell32.dll 22index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,22
HelpHelp and support shell32.dll 23index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,23
Shut downPower button - the usual pick for a shutdown shortcut shell32.dll 27index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,27
Recycle Bin (empty)Classic empty Recycle Bin shell32.dll 31index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,31
Recycle Bin (full)Classic full Recycle Bin shell32.dll 32index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,32
Audio CDMusic CD in the drive shell32.dll 40index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,40
LockPadlock - a common pick for a lock-screen shortcut shell32.dll 47index %SystemRoot%\System32\shell32.dll,47
FolderThe modern Windows folder icon imageres.dll -3resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-3
This PCThis PC / My Computer on the desktop and in Explorer imageres.dll -109resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-109
Recycle Bin (empty)Default empty Recycle Bin on Windows 10 and 11 imageres.dll -55resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-55
Recycle Bin (full)Default full Recycle Bin on Windows 10 and 11 imageres.dll -54resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-54
NetworkThe Network desktop icon imageres.dll -25resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-25
Control PanelControl Panel desktop icon imageres.dll -27resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-27
User folderYour user files folder on the desktop imageres.dll -123resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-123
DesktopDesktop folder imageres.dll -183resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-183
DocumentsDocuments folder imageres.dll -112resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-112
DownloadsDownloads folder imageres.dll -184resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-184
PicturesPictures folder imageres.dll -113resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-113
MusicMusic folder imageres.dll -108resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-108
VideosVideos folder imageres.dll -189resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-189
FavoritesFavorites folder imageres.dll -115resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-115
LinksLinks folder imageres.dll -185resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-185
SearchesSaved searches folder imageres.dll -18resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-18
ContactsContacts folder imageres.dll -181resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-181
Saved GamesSaved Games folder imageres.dll -186resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-186
3D Objects3D Objects folder (Windows 10) imageres.dll -198resource ID %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-198

The small glyphs are generic look-alikes, not Microsoft’s artwork. Positive numbers are positions (counting from 0); negative numbers are resource IDs. Windows draws these icons differently in each version.

Snippet builder

Turn an icon path into a ready-made desktop.ini, shortcut, drive icon or script. Press Use in the list, or type any path - your own .ico works too.

imageres.dll, resource ID 3 - Folder

desktop.ini 

            

            
    
        
    
    
    

    

    
    
        Related Tools
        
    
             DLL Icon Extractor
             EXE Icon Extractor
             Drive Icon Generator
             Image to ICO
             ICO Analyzer
        
    
    
    

    
    
        
    
            
     How to use a Windows system icon
    
            
      
                
    1. Find the icon. Search the list by name or number, or filter by group such as Folders or Drives.
      2. 
                
    2. Copy its path. Press Copy to get the full path with the number, for example %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-3.
      3. 
                
    3. Paste it into Windows. Use it in the Change Icon dialog, a desktop.ini file, a shortcut or a registry value - or press Use to build a ready-made snippet.
      4. 
                
    4. Refresh Explorer. Press F5 or refresh the icon cache if the old icon is still showing.
      5. 
            
    
            
    Prefer your own artwork? Turn a PNG into a proper Windows icon with PNG to ICO, then point Change Icon at that file.
    
        
    

        
    
            
     Where Windows keeps its icons
    
            
    Almost every built-in icon lives inside a DLL or EXE in C:\Windows\System32.
    
            
    Since Windows 10 version 1903 those DLLs are mostly empty shells. The artwork sits in matching .mun files in C:\Windows\SystemResources, for example imageres.dll.mun.
    
            
    You still use the System32 path everywhere - Windows finds the .mun file by itself.
    
            
    
                
    
                    
    FileWhat is inside
    
                    
                        
    imageres.dllThe modern Windows icons: folders, user folders, This PC, Recycle Bin, drives, devices. The biggest set by far.
    
                        
    shell32.dllClassic shell icons - folders, drives, printers, Recycle Bin. The default file in the Change Icon dialog.
    
                        
    ddores.dllHardware and device icons: keyboards, mice, phones, speakers.
    
                        
    mmres.dllAudio device icons such as speakers, headphones and microphones.
    
                        
    netshell.dllNetwork connection and adapter icons.
    
                        
    wmploc.dllWindows Media Player and media-type icons.
    
                        
    user32.dllThe standard message box icons: information, warning, error and question.
    
                        
    pifmgr.dll, moricons.dllLegacy icons from the Windows 3.x and MS-DOS days, kept for compatibility.
    
                        
    explorer.exeFile Explorer’s own icons.
    
                        
                
    
            
    
            
    To browse every icon in one of these files, copy it (or its .mun) to your desktop and open it in the DLL Icon Extractor. For programs, use the EXE Icon Extractor.
    
        
    

        
    
            
     Index or resource ID?
    
            
    An icon path is a file, a comma and a number: %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll,-112.
    
            
      
                
    • Positive number = index. The icon’s position in the file, counting from 0. It is what the Change Icon dialog saves when you click an icon.
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    • Negative number = resource ID. -112 means “the icon whose ID is 112”. Windows uses these in its own desktop.ini files, because IDs do not move when icons are added.
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    Both work in desktop.ini, shortcuts and the registry. %SystemRoot% expands to your Windows folder, usually C:\Windows.
    
        
    

        
    
            
     Change icons step by step
    
            
    
                
                
                
            
    

            
    
                
    Folder icon
    
                
      
                    
    1. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.
      2. 
                    
    2. Open the Customize tab and click Change Icon.
      3. 
                    
    3. Paste %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll into the box and press Enter, or browse to your own .ico.
      4. 
                    
    4. Pick an icon, click OK, then Apply.
      5. 
                
    
                
    Shortcut icon
    
                
      
                    
    1. Right-click the shortcut, choose Properties and stay on the Shortcut tab.
      2. 
                    
    2. Click Change Icon, paste a file path, pick an icon and click OK.
      3. 
                
    
                
    Desktop icons (This PC, Recycle Bin, Network)
    
                
      
                    
    1. Open Settings > Personalization > Themes and click Desktop icon settings.
      2. 
                    
    2. Select the icon, click Change Icon, pick a new one. Restore Default undoes it.
      3. 
                
    
            
    

            

            

            
    Drives have no Customize tab. Use the Drive or USB option in the snippet builder instead, and make a custom drive icon with the Drive Icon Generator.
    
        
    

        
    
            
     Reset the icon cache
    
            
    Changed an icon and Windows still shows the old one? It is the icon cache.
    
            
    Quick refresh on Windows 10 and 11, in Command Prompt or PowerShell:
    
            
    
                
    ie4uinit.exe -show
    
                
            
    
            
    Full rebuild in Command Prompt. Save your work first - this restarts Explorer, so the taskbar disappears for a moment:
    
            
    
                
    taskkill /f /im explorer.exe
cd /d "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Explorer"
del /a /q iconcache_*.db
del /a /q "%LocalAppData%\IconCache.db"
start explorer.exe
    
                
            
    
            
    A file that is in use is skipped - a sign-out or restart finishes the job.
    
        
    

        
    
            
     Why there are no icon downloads here
    
            
    Windows icons are Microsoft’s artwork. This page tells you where they are and how to use them on your own PC, which is what the paths are for.
    
            
    Need the image itself, say for documentation? Extract it from your own copy of Windows with the DLL Icon Extractor, then check Microsoft’s terms before publishing it.
    
            
    For apps and websites, make original icons instead: Icon Maker, Image to ICO or the Favicon Generator.
    
        
    

        
    
            
     Frequently Asked Questions
    
            
    
                
    
                    
                    
    Mostly in two files in C:\Windows\System32: shell32.dll for the classic shell icons and imageres.dll for the modern ones.

    Since Windows 10 version 1903 the actual artwork sits in matching .mun files in C:\Windows\SystemResources, but you still point at the System32 path.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    shell32.dll holds the classic shell icons that have been around since Windows 95 - folders, drives, the old Recycle Bin.

    imageres.dll arrived with Windows Vista and holds the high-resolution icons Windows 10 and 11 actually show, including the user folders, This PC and the current Recycle Bin.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    A positive number is the icon’s position in the file, counting from 0. A negative number is a resource ID: -112 means the icon with ID 112.

    Resource IDs are what Windows itself uses in desktop.ini and the registry, and they survive updates better than positions.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    Right-click the folder, choose Properties, open the Customize tab and click Change Icon. Paste a path such as %SystemRoot%\System32\imageres.dll into the box, press Enter, pick an icon and click OK, then Apply.

    You can also use your own .ico file - make one with Image to ICO.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    Drives have no Customize tab. For a USB drive, put an .ico file and an autorun.inf with an icon= line in the drive root.

    For any drive letter, set the DefaultIcon value under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\DriveIcons. The snippet builder above writes both, and the Drive Icon Generator makes the icon.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    Windows caches icons. Give Explorer a few seconds, press F5, or run ie4uinit.exe -show.

    Still the old icon? Delete the cache files as shown in Reset the icon cache. For folders, also check that desktop.ini is hidden and system and the folder is read-only.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    No. The icons are Microsoft’s artwork, so this page only tells you where they live and how to use them. The glyphs in the list are generic look-alikes.

    To get the real images, open the file from your own PC in the DLL Icon Extractor - it runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
    
                
    
                
    
                    
                    
    Positions can shift when Microsoft adds or removes icons, which is why old lists often disagree. Resource IDs, the negative numbers, are much more stable.

    The quickest check on your own PC is the Change Icon dialog: paste the file path and the icons appear in index order starting at 0.
    
                
    
            
    
        
    
    
    


    









    
  
  
  

    



    
  
  
  

    


    
    
    
        
     Guides & Tutorials
    
        All 14 guides 
    
    
    
    
        
             Guide
            Old vs New ICO Files: Bitmap Icons, PNG Icons and Every Icon Type Explained
            Read the guide 
        
        
             Comparison
            ICO vs SVG: Which Icon Format Should You Use?
            Read the guide 
        
        
             Guide
            Complete ICO File Guide: Understanding, Opening & Converting Icon Files
            Read the guide