Force Classic Folder Icons in Windows via Regedit

This guide explains how to use the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit) to force Windows File Explorer to display classic, static folder icons instead of modern live thumbnail previews. By making a few precise modifications to your registry values, you can restore standard folder visuals and ensure consistent icon behavior across all directories.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. Click Yes if prompted by User Account Control (UAC).

Step 2: Disable Thumbnail Previews on Folders

To prevent Windows from showing previews of files inside folder icons and revert to standard icon display:

  1. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

  2. In the right-hand pane, look for the DWORD value named IconsOnly.

    • If it exists, double-click it.
    • If it does not exist, right-click an empty space in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it IconsOnly.

  3. Set the Value data to 1.

  4. Click OK.

Step 3: Override Default Folder Icons with Classic Icons

To force Windows to use a specific classic folder icon design:

  1. Navigate to the following registry path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer

  2. Check if a sub-key named Shell Icons exists under Explorer.

    • If it does not exist, right-click the Explorer key, select New > Key, and name it Shell Icons.

  3. Select the Shell Icons key.

  4. In the right-hand pane, right-click an empty space and choose New > String Value.

  5. Name this string value 3 (this represents the default closed folder icon).

  6. Double-click the 3 value and set its Value data to the icon path of your preferred classic folder:

    • To use the built-in standard folder icon: shell32.dll,3
    • To use a custom .ico file: C:\Path\To\Your\ClassicFolder.ico

  7. Create another String Value, name it 4 (representing the open folder icon), and set its value to shell32.dll,4 or your custom icon path.

  8. Click OK.

Step 4: Restart Windows Explorer

For the changes to take effect immediately, restart the Windows Explorer process:

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the Task Manager.
  2. Locate Windows Explorer under the Processes tab.
  3. Right-click Windows Explorer and select Restart.

Your folders will now consistently display classic static icons throughout File Explorer. To revert these changes in the future, set IconsOnly back to 0 and delete the string values created inside the Shell Icons key.