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Resolved Way to change icon for website link, on start menu

Discussion in 'Windows 7' started by psaulm119, 2012/06/30.

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  1. 2012/06/30
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    I have pinned a shortcut to a particular website on my start menu. The icon is simmply that for my browser.

    Is there a way to change th icon for it? The context menu for programs allows you to select properties and change the icon; the right-click menu for this just gives me two options: Open and Remove From This List. I'm assuming that this means that I can't change it, but there's always hope....
     
    psaulm119,
    #1
  2. 2012/07/02
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Yea, it is possible to change them.

    Open a command prompt and cd to %appdata%\microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\

    Note that pinned Start Menu items are under StartMenu, pinned Taskbar items under TaskBar.

    So in your case the full path is %appdata%\microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\StartMenu

    Now type the following command: rename *.website *.url. Now browse to the same folder using Windows Explorer, right-click the shortcut and on the Web Shortcut tab click the Change Icon button. Select the icon you want and press OK (2x).

    Go back to the command window, and run the following command: rename *.url *.website

    That's all.
     
    Arie,
    #2


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  4. 2012/07/02
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    I got to that point using the command prompt, but navigating to that place in Windows Explorer, I didn't see the shortcut, even though it is on the Start Menu.
     
    psaulm119,
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  5. 2012/07/02
    fdamp

    fdamp Well-Known Member

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    Back in the days of Windows 3.0, there was a program that allowed you to build icons yourself. I used it extensively while I was at Boeing to make airline icons that matched our customers' tail decor for our communication system windows. That was so long ago that I can't remember its name, but something like "iconograph" or "iconbuilder" rings a bell.

    It was embedded in Win3.0 someplace, but there may be a similar program out there today.
     
    fdamp,
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  6. 2012/07/02
    MrBill

    MrBill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    Have you tried finding an ICON you like and save it to your PC where you can find it and then right click on the one you want to change and go to Properties and then in the Shortcut Tab click Change Icon and then browse to where you saved it.

    If it is on your desktop, you can do it there also. There are several built into Windows. On the desktop one, right click it and go to Properties then to Customize then change ICON.
     
    MrBill,
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  7. 2012/07/03
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Then I doubt you are in the correct location. Just copy & past this in the Windows Explorer address bar %appdata%\microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\StartMenu and press [Enter]

    Even with Windows Explorer set to default settings (Don't show hidden files, folders, or drives and Hide extensions for known file types and Hide protected operating system files) these files are still visible.
     
    Arie,
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  8. 2012/07/03
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    We're talking about links placed on the Start Menu (in Windows Vista/7 called pinned sites). You do not have the option to change the icon of a pinned site (there is no Customize tab on the Properties context menu).
     
    Arie,
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  9. 2012/07/03
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Wonder what happens if you change the icon prior to pinning it??
     
    Steve R Jones,
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  10. 2012/07/03
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Arie, just to clarify, this is a shortcut to a website on the Start menu--not a shortcut to a particular program.
     
    psaulm119,
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  11. 2012/07/03
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    I copied and pasted the above address, and saw the same thing--shortcuts to a few programs, but not the shortcut to the site that I placed there.
     
    psaulm119,
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  12. 2012/07/03
    Arie

    Arie Administrator Administrator Staff

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    I know it is a shortcut to a website. You have to follow my instructions, they are pretty clear. 1st command prompt to rename extension, then Windows Explorer to change icon, then command prompt again to change back the extension.
     
    Arie,
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  13. 2012/07/03
    MrBill

    MrBill SuperGeek WindowsBBS Team Member

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    That was my idea even though I didn't put it that way.
     
    MrBill,
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  14. 2012/07/10
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    What is the difference between *website* and *url*?
     
    psaulm119,
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  15. 2012/07/10
    Admin.

    Admin. Administrator Administrator Staff

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    Believe me, there's a difference! Why don't you just try it? It works 100% as I explained. There's no need to know why, you have a problem, I posted a solution :eek:
     
    Admin.,
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  16. 2012/07/10
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Did you even read my last post? I'm asking you what the difference between two terms are. You want me to type in these two terms, and I'm asking for a clarification!
     
    psaulm119,
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  17. 2012/07/10
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    When you say *url* website and then *website*url, I'm not sure what the difference is. I'm assuming http://www.starfall.com is going to be in tehre somwhere, but I'm not sure what else you are looking for.


     
    psaulm119,
    #16
  18. 2012/07/10
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    DOT Website is a shortcut you can't change the icon on.
    DOT Url is a shortcut that you can change the icon.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #17
  19. 2012/07/10
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    OK, let me rephrase my question.

    I'm supposed to type in rename *.website *.url.

    Given that the site link is http://www.starfall.com, what is it that Im supposed to type?
     
    psaulm119,
    #18
  20. 2012/07/10
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    The rename command is only part of the process..You to be in the correct folder like the rest of Aries instructions...

    (is what you need to type)

    That is a wildcard command to rename ALL dot website files in a folder to dot url files.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #19
  21. 2012/07/10
    psaulm119 Lifetime Subscription

    psaulm119 Geek Member Thread Starter

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    Thanks for clarifying that.

    OK, when I am at the command prompt, I paste in %appdata%\microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\User Pinned\StartMenu, and hit Enter, but am told that C:\Users\Paul\AppData\Raoming\microsoft\Internet" is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
     
    psaulm119,
    #20
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