In this guide, we will make you aware of the location of the Windows 11 default icon files. The latest iteration of Windows has bought in a plethora of new and noteworthy changes. But the biggest among them is the major UI overhaul that it underwent. Be it the new taskbar, new Start menu, or the new icon styles, there’s a lot to forward to.
Talking about icon styles, the OS has always allowed you to change the default icon styles of its folders. While the icons are generally stored in ICO files, but that is not the case with Windows. This is due to the reason that one ICO file could only hold one icon. But since the OS has a plethora of icon styles, Windows would have required thousands of ICO files. To keep it simple, Windows instead opted for the DLL file.
The biggest advantage of this file format is that it is capable enough to hold hundreds of icons within itself (imageres.dll and shell32.dll are the perfect examples of the same). However, the biggest issue lies in finding the location of these DLL files. Well, in this guide, we will help you with just that. Given hereby are detailed instructions that shall help you find the location of the Windows 11 default icon files.
Table of Contents
Where are the Windows 11 Default Icon Files Located
We have broken down this guide into separate sections, based on the icon categories. So you may directly go to the required one. Moreover, while these icons are stored in DLL file format, but you wouldn’t need a DLL Extractor software. This is because Windows would directly be able to read the contents of the concerned DLL file and then bring up all the icons present inside that file.
You could then easily select and apply the desired one [Instructions for the same are given at the end of this guide]. So with that in mind, let’s get started with the journey to find the location of the Windows 11 default icon files. Follow along.
Folders/Hardware Devices/Peripherals/Actions Icons
File Name: imageres.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\imageres.dll
Internet, Devices, Networks, Peripherals, Folders, etc
File Name: shell32.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\shell32.dll
Windows 95 and Windows 98 Icon Packs
File Name: pifmgr.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\pifmgr.dll
Icons used by File Explorer [New and Old]
File Name: explorer.exe
File Location: %systemroot%\explorer.exe
Accessibility Features Icons
File Name: accessibilitycpl.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\accessibilitycpl.dll
Hardware Devices Icons
File Name: ddores.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\ddores.dll
Old Programming Language Icons
File Name: moricons.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\moricons.dll
Old Computer Management Icons
File Name: mmcndmgr.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\mmcndmgr.dll
Audio Devices Icons
File Name: mmres.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\mmres.dll
Network Icons
File Name: netcenter.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\netcenter.dll
Network Connections and Associated Hardware Icons
File Name: netshell.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\netshell.dll
Network Devices Icons
File Name: networkexplorer.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\networkexplorer.dll
Network Related Settings Icons
File Name: pnidui.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\pnidui.dll
Sensors Icons
File Name: sensorscpl.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\sensorscpl.dll
Setup Wizard Icons
File Name: setupapi.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\setupapi.dll
Multimedia Icons
File Name: wmploc.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\wmploc.dll
Portable Devices Icons
File Name: wpdshext.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\wpdshext.dll
Old Windows Hardware Icons
File Name: compstui.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\compstui.dll
Internet Explorer Icons
File Name: ieframe.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\ieframe.dll
Disk Management Icons
File Name: dmdskres.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\dmdskres.dll
Network Services Icons
File Name: dsuiext.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\dsuiext.dll
Remote Desktop Connections Icons
File Name: mstscax.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\mstscax.dll
Imaging Hardware Devices Icons
File Name: wiashext.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\wiashext.dll
Actions Icons
File Name: comres.dll
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\comres.dll
Network Related Icons
File Name: mstsc.exe
File Location: %systemroot%\system32\mstsc.exe
Action Center/Error/Info/Website/Users Icons
File Name: actioncentercpl.dll, aclui.dll, autoplay.dll, comctl32.dll, xwizards.dll, ncpa.cpl, url.dll
File Location: all the files are present in %systemroot%\system32 directory
How to Apply Icons from the DLL files in Windows
As mentioned before, you don’t need any standalone DLL File Extractor to get hold of the associated icons. Rather, you could directly do so via the Windows ‘Change Icons’ menu. Here’s how:
- To begin with, right-click on the desired folder whose icon you need to change and select Properties.
- Then go to the Customize tab and click on the Change Icon button.
- Now just copy-paste the desired DLL file address from the ones listed above and hit Enter.
- Windows will now bring up all the icons associated with that DLL file.
- Select the desired one from the menu and click OK. Now refresh the desktop once for the icon change to take place.
That’s it. These were the steps to find the location of the Windows 11 default icon files. Likewise, we have also listed all the icon’s DLL files and their locations. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.
jullius diamanto
Hi, I tried getting the icons out of the dll files in Windows 11 but it seems that they are not in the dll files. Rather, they are in the dll.mun files of the same name.
If you try copying the dll files and then opening them for icons using 7z, there is no icons folder. I also tried using the copied dll files to set icons for shortcuts, but that didn’t work either.
I was able to extract them using ResourceExtractor by Nirsoft (its free) after a lot of trial and error. So, please add this information in the article.
Solved in theorie you can use an netwrk replacer tool..
cya
Alphonse
Hi.
Is there a way to add an icon to Windows Settings so when it opens we can see it on the Taskbar?
Thank you. Thanks for one of the greatest sites I have bumped into… I think I’ll be parked here for a while since this is the 3rd article I’ve read today.
Muhammad
Hi, I tried getting the icons out of the dll files in Windows 11 but it seems that they are not in the dll files. Rather, they are in the dll.mun files of the same name.
If you try copying the dll files and then opening them for icons using 7z, there is no icons folder. I also tried using the copied dll files to set icons for shortcuts, but that didn’t work either.
I was able to extract them using ResourceExtractor by Nirsoft (its free) after a lot of trial and error. So, please add this information in the article.
Thank You