How Do I Change My Hard Drive Symbol?

Changing your hard drive symbol, or icon, in Windows can personalize your PC and make it easier to identify different drives at a glance. One common method that applies the change for all users on the system involves editing the Windows Registry.

Changing a Hard Drive Icon Using the Registry Editor

This method allows you to specify a custom icon for a particular drive letter (like C:, D:, etc.).

Steps to Modify the Registry

Caution: The Registry Editor is a powerful tool. Incorrect modifications can cause system instability. It's recommended to back up your registry before making changes.

1. Open the Registry Editor:

   • Press the Win + R keys simultaneously to open the Run dialog box.
   • Type regedit into the Open field.
   • Click or tap on OK.
   • If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes.

2. Navigate to the Explorer Key:

   • In the Registry Editor window, navigate to the following path:
     HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

3. Create the DriveIcons Key (if necessary):

   • Right-click on the Explorer key in the left-hand pane.
   • Hover over New.
   • Click on Key.
   • Type DriveIcons as the name for the new key and press Enter.
     (This step is based directly on the provided reference: "If you do not have the DriveIcons key, then right click on the Explorer key, click on New, click on Key, type DriveIcons, and press Enter to create it.")

4. Create a Key for the Specific Drive Letter:

   • Right-click on the newly created (or existing) DriveIcons key.
   • Hover over New.
   • Click on Key.
   • Name this new key with the letter of the drive you want to change the icon for (e.g., C, D, E, etc.). Press Enter.

5. Create the DefaultIcon Key:

   • Right-click on the drive letter key you just created (e.g., C).
   • Hover over New.
   • Click on Key.
   • Name this new key DefaultIcon and press Enter.

6. Set the Icon Path:

   • Select the DefaultIcon key you just created.
   • In the right-hand pane, double-click on the (Default) value.
   • In the "Value data" field, enter the full path to the icon file you want to use. This can be a .ico file, or a file containing icons like a .exe or .dll.
     • Example: C:\path\to\your\icon.ico or C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll,X (where X is the index number of the icon within the file).
   • Click OK.

7. Apply the Change:

   • Close the Registry Editor.
   • Restart File Explorer (Task Manager -> locate "Windows Explorer" -> right-click -> Restart) or simply restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

After following these steps, your specified hard drive should display the new custom icon.