How to Make an Icon for Windows 10 (From Any Picture)

To make your own icon in Windows 10, start with a square picture, save it as an .ico file, and then apply it to a shortcut, folder, or desktop icon through Properties > Change Icon. Windows can’t use a JPG or PNG directly as an icon, so the conversion step matters. A free image editor such as GIMP handles it in a few clicks. This guide covers making the icon from any picture and applying it everywhere Windows allows custom icons.

Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.

Step 1: Prepare a square picture

Icons are square, so crop your image first. Simple designs with bold shapes and few details work best, since icons are shown small.

1. Right-click the picture and choose Open with > Paint.
2. Click Select, drag a square around the part you want (watch the size readout at the bottom), and click Crop.
3. Click Resize, choose Pixels, tick Maintain aspect ratio, and set the width to 256.
4. Save it as a PNG. PNG keeps transparent backgrounds if your editor supports them.

Step 2: Convert the picture to .ico

Paint can’t save .ico files. The most reliable free option is GIMP, an open-source image editor:

1. Open the square image in GIMP.
2. Choose File > Export As.
3. Change the file name ending to .ico, for example myicon.ico, and click Export, then Export again in the options window.

Other image editors, such as IrfanView, can also save .ico files. Online converters work too, but avoid uploading personal photos to sites you don’t trust.

Save your icons in a permanent folder, such as Documents\Icons. If you move or delete the .ico file later, shortcuts using it go back to a blank icon.

Step 3: Use the icon

On a shortcut

1. Right-click the shortcut and choose Properties.
2. On the Shortcut tab, click Change Icon.
3. Click Browse, select your .ico file, and click Open.
4. Click OK, then Apply.

Programs themselves (.exe files) can’t have their icons changed this way, so first create a desktop shortcut to the program.

On a folder

1. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.
2. On the Customize tab, click Change Icon.
3. Click Browse, select your .ico file, then click OK and Apply.

Folder icons have a few extra options, such as the folder picture, covered in changing a folder icon in Windows 10.

On This PC, Recycle Bin, and other desktop icons

1. Go to Settings > Personalization > Themes and click Desktop icon settings.
2. Select the icon, click Change Icon, browse to your .ico file, and click OK.

Click Restore Default in the same window to undo it.

Use the built-in icons instead

Windows includes hundreds of icons. In the Change Icon window, browse to C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll or shell32.dll to pick from them without making your own.

Troubleshooting

The icon looks blurry

The source image was too small. Start from a picture at least 256 pixels square, with a simple design.

The old icon still shows

Windows caches icons. Press F5 on the desktop, or restart the PC, to refresh them.

Windows says the file contains no icons

The file was renamed to .ico rather than converted. Export it as .ico from an image editor as described in Step 2.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a photo as an icon?

Yes. Crop it to a square and convert it to .ico. Faces and simple objects work better than busy scenes.

Does this work on Windows 11?

Yes. The steps are the same, though Desktop icon settings sits in a different place when you change desktop icons in Windows 11.

How do I make icons bigger?

Size is a separate setting from the icon picture. You can change icon size on Windows 10 from the desktop’s right-click menu.

Summary

Crop a picture to a square, export it as an .ico file with an image editor such as GIMP, store it in a permanent folder, and apply it through Properties > Change Icon on a shortcut or folder, or through Desktop icon settings.