Changing the VS2015 Icon in Windows 8/8.1

Originally posted on: http://geekswithblogs.net/cskardon/archive/2015/07/28/changing-the-vs2015-icon-in-windows-88.1.aspx

So – you install VS 2015, pin the icon to the start bar and ‘whaaaaaa???’ you discover it’s exactly the same Icon as for VS 2013, which is not handy.

Luckily, it’s pretty simple to change that bad boy.

Step 1

In the start menu, right click on the program you wish to change the icon for, and select ‘Open file location’ (in these pics, I’ve already done the update)

Step 2

Right click on the icon and select ‘Properties’

Step 3

Then click on Change Icon

Step 4

Pick a new Icon (I used one from: http://www.iconarchive.com/tag/visual-studio)

Step 5

If you have it pinned to the TaskBar, you’ll probably need to unpin and re-pin, if you don’t then the job is done – well done you!

Extra notes for those not on Win 8+

It’d probably work in exactly the same way for Win 7, but I don’t have it so :p