The Customize tab of the file properties dialog in File Explorer can be used to view and change folder template and the icon for a folder. By default, the Customize tab is not visible in the Folder Properties dialog for the Desktop folder, so you cannot customize it. Here is how to add it there.
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File Explorer in Windows 10 has five folder templates - General Items, Documents, Pictures, Music and Videos. When you see the Customize tab of a Library or of a folder, you will see these templates. This adds more flexibility to view your personal data.
For instance, even if you prefer, say, List view for Documents, you may want your Music Library to be shown in Details view and you would want your Pictures and Video Libraries to be in icon-based views such as Medium, Large or Extra Large icons.
However, you cannot customize there options for the Desktop folder. It doesn't have the Customize tab.
Here is how to add it.
To add the Customize tab to the Desktop folder in Windows 10, do the following.
- Download the following ZIP archive: Download ZIP archive.
- Extract its contents to any folder. You can place the files directly to the Desktop.
- Unblock the files.
- Double click on the Add_Customize_tab_to_Desktop.reg file to merge it.
- To remove the Customize tab (restore defaults), use the provided file Remove_Customize_tab_from_Desktop.reg.
You are done! Now you have the Customize tab in the Desktop folder properties dialog.
How it works
The Registry files above modify the Registry branch
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}\PropertyBag
Tip: See how to go to a Registry key with one click.
To add the Customize tab, create a new 32-bit DWORD value NoCustomize under the mentioned path and leave its value data as 0. Note: Even if you are running 64-bit Windows you must still create a 32-bit DWORD value.
To remove the Customize tab from the Desktop folder properties dialog, set the NoCustomize value to 1 (this is used by default in Windows 10).
That's it.
Related articles.
- Remove Security Tab From File Properties in Windows 10
- Remove Details Tab from File Properties in Windows 10
- Remove Customize Tab From File Properties in Windows 10
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Your are great men. Thank you a lot. I really appriciate your free service to people. Thank you..
This did NOT work!
It works. The screenshots are mine. I have done the steps above myself.
Hi Sergey… love you work.
And in your example… the “after” picture of the customize tab for the Desktop Icon is still missing the “change icon” button. Yes customize tab with “change picture” is there… but change icon button is still not visible (compare to your first screen shoot of a normal customize tab.
Any idea how to get the change icon button to appear on the customize tab for folders like “desktop”?
Windows is preventing the user from changing icons for certain folders.
If I am correct, it is not possible to change the icon for c:\Windows too.
Try to change the hidden
desktop.inifile and set the IconFile/IconIndex values.