How to Change Folder Color in Windows 11

Windows 11 doesn’t have a color picker for folders. The built-in way to make a folder look a different color is to give it a different icon: right-click the folder, select Properties, open the Customize tab, and under Folder icons select Change Icon. Pick an icon, or select Browse to use an icon file of a folder in the color you want, then select OK twice.

Applies to: Windows 11, File Explorer, ordinary folders on your PC.

What Windows 11 can and can’t do with folder colors

It helps to know the limits before you start, because many guides promise a “folder color” setting that isn’t there.

• There is no color setting. File Explorer has no option that tints a folder yellow, red or blue. The Customize tab in a folder’s properties only lets you swap the folder’s icon.
• A colored icon does the job. If the icon you choose is a picture of a folder in a certain color, the folder shows up in that color wherever File Explorer displays its icon. That’s what “changing a folder’s color” means in Windows 11 without extra software.
• It’s one folder at a time. Windows has no built-in way to recolor many folders at once. You repeat the steps for each folder.
• Only the look changes. The folder’s name, location and contents stay exactly the same.

Swapping the icon for any other picture uses the same dialog, explained in more depth in changing a folder icon in Windows 11.

Before you start: get an icon in the color you want

The Change Icon list starts with icons that come with Windows, but it isn’t a palette of colored folders. For a specific color, you need an icon file that shows a folder in that color.

• Use the right file type. An .ico file is preferred. Files with the .bmp, .exe or .dll extension that contain icons also work.
• Make it or get it from a source you trust. You can create your own colored folder icon in an image editor that saves .ico files, or use one from a source you trust. Avoid icon packs that ask you to run an installer.
• Store it somewhere permanent. Windows remembers where the icon file is; it doesn’t copy the picture into the folder. Put your icons in a folder you won’t move or delete, such as a folder named Folder Icons inside Documents.

Change a folder’s color with a colored icon

1. Open File Explorer. Select File Explorer on the taskbar or in the Start menu, or press Windows logo key + E. Go to the folder you want to recolor.
2. Open the folder’s properties. Right-click the folder (not inside it) and select Properties. A Properties window for that folder opens.
3. Go to the Customize tab. Select the Customize tab at the top of the window. If you don’t see it, check “The Customize tab is missing” under Troubleshooting.
4. Select Change Icon. Under Folder icons, select Change Icon. A list of icons appears.
5. Choose your colored icon. Select Browse, go to the place where you saved your icon file, select it and select Open. The icon appears in the list; select it. You can also pick one of the icons already in the list.
6. Save the change. Select OK to close the icon list, then select OK again to close Properties. The folder now shows the new icon in File Explorer.

Check that it worked

Look at the folder in File Explorer using a view with larger icons. In File Explorer, select View and choose a larger icon size so the color is easy to see. The new icon also shows on the desktop if the folder lives there.

If the folder still shows the old icon, give File Explorer a moment, close the window and open it again, or sign out and back in. Windows sometimes takes a little while to show the new icon.

Change the folder back to its normal color

1. Right-click the folder and select Properties.
2. Select the Customize tab, then select Change Icon.
3. Select Restore Defaults, then select OK and OK again.

The folder goes back to the standard Windows folder icon. Your files aren’t touched.

Ideas for color-coding folders

Colors work best when they mean something and you use only a few of them. Some simple schemes:

• By status: red for urgent, yellow for in progress, green for finished.
• By area of life: one color for work, one for school, one for home and finances.
• By project or client: one color per project, so related folders stand out in a long list.

Keep a copy of every icon you use in your permanent icon folder, so you can apply the same color to new folders later. For quicker access to your most-used folders, you can also right-click a folder and select Pin to Quick access, which adds it to Quick access in File Explorer.

What about the folder color option in OneDrive?

Some people see a folder color choice on folders that are synced with OneDrive, and Microsoft Community moderators report that this comes from OneDrive rather than from Windows itself. In Microsoft’s community forums, users also report the option appearing for some accounts and not others, and disappearing after updates.

Microsoft doesn’t document this option on its support site, so we can’t give reliable steps for it. If you see a folder color choice on a OneDrive folder, it only affects folders in OneDrive. For every other folder, the colored icon method above is the built-in route.

Troubleshooting

The Customize tab is missing

Not every folder offers the Customize tab. Try the steps on an ordinary folder you created yourself to see whether the tab appears there. If it does, the problem is limited to that one folder or location, and you can keep colored folders somewhere else.

On a work or school PC, an administrator can turn off the ability to customize how folders look. This is a setting the system administrator controls, so if the tab is missing everywhere on a managed PC, ask your IT department rather than trying to change it yourself.

The colored icon turned into a blank or generic icon

This usually means Windows can’t find the icon file any more. If you moved, renamed or deleted the .ico file, the folder can’t show it. Put the icon file back, or repeat the steps and choose the icon from its new location.

The color disappeared after a Windows update

Windows security updates released on or after June 9, 2026 can ignore folder customization settings that Windows doesn’t consider trusted, for example on content downloaded from the internet or copied from some network locations. Custom icons on those folders may disappear while the files stay safe. Workarounds are listed in Microsoft’s notice about custom folder icons not appearing after the June 2026 update. For folders you created on your own PC, reapplying the icon with the steps above is the first thing to try.

Other people don’t see the color

The setting is saved in a small hidden file named desktop.ini inside the folder, and it points to your icon file. On another PC, or on a shared folder, the color only shows if that icon file is available at the same location. An icon referenced with a relative path, such as an icon stored inside the shared folder, is available to people viewing the folder over the network, according to Microsoft’s desktop.ini documentation.

Some File Explorer commands are missing from the right-click menu

Windows 11 shows a shorter right-click menu. Properties is on it, but if you’re looking for an older command, select Show more options to see the full menu. The shorter menu is described on Microsoft’s File Explorer page.

Frequently asked questions

Can Windows 11 change folder colors without extra software?

Not with a color setting. You can get the same result by giving the folder an icon that shows a colored folder, using Properties > Customize > Change Icon.

Can I change the color of all my folders at once?

No. Windows applies a custom icon to one folder at a time, so you repeat the steps for each folder you want to color.

Does changing a folder’s color affect the files inside?

No. Only the icon changes. The folder’s name, location and contents stay the same, and you can switch back with Restore Defaults.

Can I change the color of a folder’s name text?

No. The custom icon changes the folder picture only; the folder’s name is displayed the same way as before.

Where does Windows save the folder color?

In a hidden file named desktop.ini inside the folder. You normally never need to open it. To see it, first show hidden folders in Windows 11. Windows marks desktop.ini as both hidden and a system file, so it can stay out of sight even when you show hidden items.

Will the color stay after I restart?

Yes, as long as the icon file stays where it was when you chose it. If you move the icon file, the folder loses its color.

Pick one folder you open every day, give it a colored icon, and once you like the result, apply the same color scheme to the rest of your important folders.