There are tons of icons freely available on the internet. Just exercise some caution — plenty of sites prey on people looking for things like icon packs, and will install malware or potentially-unwanted-programs (PUPs) if given the opportunity.

Individual icons will typically be an ICO file if they were designed for use with Windows. That said, it isn’t unusual to download an icon in another image format, like PNG, SVG, or ICNS if it was designed to work with multiple operating systems. PNGs and SVGs are especially versatile since they can be readily converted into an icon for any operating system out there.

You should expect icon packages to come in some kind of archival file, like a ZIP, RAR, or 7Z file. The archive file should contain typical icon formats. Like before, if you see an executable or anything like one, stay clear.

There are a handful of big sites that have icons you can download:

• IconArchive
• DeviantArt
• IconFinder

If you’re looking for more specific icons, like those specific to a fandom or in a particular style, try a social media group on Facebook, Twitter, or Reddit dedicated to that topic. You might find some intrepid artist has already created what you’re looking for already.

You Can Make Your Own Icons

You’re always able to make your own custom icons if you don’t want to download an icon or icon pack from the internet. There really is no limit to what you can do here except your imagination — free tools like GIMP and Inkscape are completely up for the task. You can even make an icon out of an image if you wanted to — all you need is GIMP and a bit of spare time.

How to Change Your Desktop Icons on Windows 11

The major desktop icons — like “This PC,” “Recycle Bin,” “Network,” and a few others —  are the easiest icons to change. Windows 11 has options built right in to do just that.

• Right-click empty space on your desktop and click “Personalization.”

• Scroll down a bit and select “Themes.”

• Scroll down again, then click “Desktop Icon Settings.”

• Select the icon you’d like to change, then click “Change Icon.” This example will replace the “This PC” icon.

When you click “Change Icon,” you’ll see a whole bunch of other Windows icons you probably recognize. You’re viewing the contents of Imageres.dll, which contains several hundred default Windows icons. You can pick from any of those if you want, or you can load in other icons by clicking “Browse.”

• Navigate to wherever you saved your icon, click it, and then click “OK.”

• Once you hit OK, there is a preview that’ll show you what the icon will look like. If you like the change, click “Apply.” Otherwise, click “Restore Default.”

Icon Settings window at any time and hit “Restore Default” to undo any of your customizations.

Maybe you don’t want to change one of the major desktop icons. Maybe you want to change a specific program’s shortcut, the icon of a shortcut you made, or the icon for a folder you have. You’re in luck — it is even easier to change those kinds of icons than it is desktop icons.

• Find the folder or shortcut you want, right-click it, and then click “Properties” in the right-click context menu.

If you’re changing the icon of a folder, select the “Customize” tab along the top, then click “Change Icon.”

If you’re changing the icon of a shortcut, you need to click on the “Shortcut” tab instead and then click “Change Icon.” All of the other steps will be the same.