Custom icons for **both** Windows and Linux

I know how to change the icon of a file/folder on Linux (using Dolphin in my case).

I know also how to change the icon of a file/folder on Windows 11, both directly in the parameters and using a desktop.ini file.

I'm more interested in this second option because I want to cusomize icons on an external sotrage unit (so the drive contains the icons it needs to display, and so I need to have the system look at the relative path --on Windows at least, with these stories about varying drive letters). But when I'm done creating (and hiding) all the desktop.ini files and my folders look all pretty in Windows, and I go back to Linux... The icons are the default icons. I expected that much, so I changed the icons the Dolphin way, in the naive hope that it wouldn't beak my "Windows setup".

But it did! On Windows the nice icons don't show anymore, the folders are back to default, even though the desktop.ini are still there and unmodified!!!

This is really anoying. The exact details: there a a few folders on my drive, and the first one (Backups) looks like this:


* Backups

\- desktop.ini:

[.ShellClassInfo]
IconResource=..\.icons\ICO\Backups.ico,0

\- .hidden:

System Volume Information
desktop.ini

\- and .directoy:

[Desktop Entry]
Icon=/run/media/myusername/Appendix/.icons/ICO/Backups.ico

(Appendix is the label of my pendrive).

So if anyone has tried this before, all help is welcome. I think I'm close but something's eluding me. I guess on the Windows side.

Thanks! (I hope the old Microsoft/Linux hostility will no lay against me as far as your advice here is concerned...)

ultome said:

[.ShellClassInfo]
IconResource=..\.icons\ICO\Backups.ico,0

Click to expand...

The tag should read IconFile, not IconResource.

iko22 said:

The tag should read IconFile, not IconResource.

Click to expand...

Would that make any difference to my problem? Like replace desktop.ini?

Well, from the Windows side, it might explain why Windows is not picking up your chosen Backups.ico file even though the desktop.ini file is still there and unmodified. Was that not the purpose of your question? Please explain further if you thought the question to be different.

iko22 said:

The tag should read IconFile, not IconResource.

Click to expand...

Both can be present, as in file below

OAT said:

Both can be present, as in file below

Code:

[.ShellClassInfo]
LocalizedResourceName=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-21790
IconFile=%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll
InfoTip=@%SystemRoot%\system32\shell32.dll,-12689
ConfirmFileOp=0
IconResource=%SystemRoot%\system32\imageres.dll,-108
IconIndex=-237

Desktop.ini Documentation - PeatSoft

Information about DESKTOP.INI with list of keywords, tips and examples

hwiegman.home.xs4all.nl

Click to expand...

Thanks. They look similar, but I don't think they are identical.
According to Wikipedia, ICO files "contain one or more small images at multiple sizes and color depths, such that they may be scaled appropriately."

And "Icon resources: Icons in Portable Executable (EXE or DLL) files are organised in resources ..."
Accordingly, the O.P. has an ICO file, not a resource. Which could explain the behaviour described in the Question detail.
ICO (file format) - Wikipedia

iko22 said:

Well, from the Windows side, it might explain why Windows is not picking up your chosen Backups.ico file even though the desktop.ini file is still there and unmodified. Was that not the purpose of your question? Please explain further if you thought the question to be different.

Click to expand...

I see what you mean. I'll try it out! Thanks!