Why can't I change the icons displayed on the desktop.

[theBureau]

Why for Excel, Word, Outlook and IE you are not given the ability to change
the desktop shortcut icon in the properties window? I have customized my
desktop except for these. They look silly with the other icons I have.

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

Desktop icons are silly in the first place, and secondly, this is not an Office question, but one for your operating system.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, theBureau asked:

| Why for Excel, Word, Outlook and IE you are not given the ability to
| change the desktop shortcut icon in the properties window? I have
| customized my desktop except for these. They look silly with the
| other icons I have. o

 

[Jay Freedman]

Why for Excel, Word, Outlook and IE you are not given the ability to change
the desktop shortcut icon in the properties window? I have customized my
desktop except for these. They look silly with the other icons I have.

I don't know the details, but there seem to be two different kinds of shortcuts,
one customizable and the other not.

To get a customizable one, locate the executable file (typically in C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11 where the number at the end changes by version),
right-click it, and choose Send To > Desktop (as shortcut).

Delete the noncustomizable shortcut, and ignore the warning about "deleting this
shortcut doesn't remove the application".