When you use a Windows computer, almost everything has a file association and format for the operating system to understand. It usually comes at the end of the file name, too. You’re probably already familiar with an app like Microsoft Word, which uses the DOCX file association and format, but there are some more complex file associations, too for the inner workings of Windows that show up time to time. So, this is why you might be wondering what exactly is a Windows Icon File if you happened to come across it.
Well, the answer to that question is pretty simple. A Windows Icon File is what’s used for the operating system to visually represent the icon for your application that you might click to launch in places like the Windows Start Menu, the Desktop, and the Taskbar. An example would be the “W” that you see for the Microsoft Word icon. Under the hood, the Windows Icon File uses the ICO file format to present that icon, usually as an image. If you dig deep enough into the System32 folder, you’ll discover it.
You can actually change that image too using certain applications that can tweak the Windows Icon file. One of those is Simple Icon File Maker. The app does the hard work for you and lets you create icons in a few simple clicks. It’s available as a download in the Microsoft Store, and you just need to drag and drop the image you’d like to use to convert it over to an .ICO file for use in Windows.
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