How to Change All Folder Icons at Once

1. Click on the desktop 'Start' menu. Enter 'regedit' into the search field at the bottom of the Start menu in Windows 7. Press 'Enter.'
2. Click 'regedit' from the results to open the Registry Editor. Select 'Yes' to allow the following program to make changes to the computer.
3. Find the 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Explorer' folder in the left pane of the Registry Editor window. To find the folder, click on 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' in the left pane to expand the menu. Select the 'SOFTWARE' menu. Click on the 'Microsoft' folder inside the SOFTWARE folder. Click on 'Windows' inside the Microsoft folder. Select the 'CurrentVersion' folder inside the Windows folder. Then right-click on the 'Explorer' folder inside the CurrentVersion folder.
4. Click 'New' and 'Key' from the drop-down menu after right-clicking on the Explorer menu. This will open a new folder in the Explorer menu.
5. Type 'Shell Icons' as the new folder name. Click 'Enter.'
6. Click the 'Shell Icons' folder in the left pane. Right-click in an empty space in the right-pane and select 'New' and then 'String Value.'
7. Type '3' and click 'Enter.' Right-click on '3' and select 'Modify.'
8. Type the path leading to the ICO image you want to use as your folder icon. If you want to use another icon stored in Windows, find the file name and enter the full path (e.g., C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll, -240). Click the 'x' to exit the Registry Editor window.
9. Restart the computer to initiate the new folder icon.