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A few weeks ago I asked Where are the folder icons generated with the folder properties kept in the Registry? and received some useful answers (from Nixda and Scott). Since then I've found that there must be another way of setting a folder icon other than by using a desktop.ini file. The mechanism is used by the PowerDesk file manager (I used version 6). It offers a "Change Folder Icon" option in its file menu.
This allows you to choose from a limited number of alternative icons without the use of a desktop.ini. Indeed, if you subsequently insert a desktop.ini for a different icon, it will override the Powerdesk icon. Delete the desktop.ini, and the Powerdesk icon reappears. It seems therefore that Powerdesk modifies the registry.
Pablo678
Posted 2013-12-08T14:01:28.677
Reputation: 135
Check the associated registry entries before and after and determine how (and if) PowerDesk is modifying it. I believe I heard of registry compare utilities that would make it easier to do this. – martineau – 2013-12-08T16:40:17.653
There's mention of some registry analysis utilities in the answers to the question How to log and compare Windows Registry data before and after any program installation?.
– martineau – 2013-12-08T19:57:41.333I used "WhatChanged" on three occasions, each time with a different result and none of them very meaningful. I'll have to try again tomorrow. – Pablo678 – 2013-12-08T22:52:28.890
I haven't been able to find where these data are kept but the question has become slightly academic as I have found a program (IconChanger from Shell Labs) which inserts the data. I'd still be interested to know where, though. IconChanger will not only assign an icon to a folder without resorting to a desktop.ini, but it will also assign an icon to an individual file, no matter what extension. – Pablo678 – 2013-12-13T09:00:56.833