Freeware program StyleFolder can perform a handful of interesting folder customizations straight from the Windows right-click context menu, including changing the folder’s icon, using an image as folder background, and changing the font color used inside the folder. All customizations are saved into the folder itself and are preserved across PCs or over the network.
I’ve previously written about a couple of programs that change folder icons from the context menu on this site (Foldermarker, and FolderICO). What I especially liked about the latter (and what I like about Stylefolder) is that the folder icon changes are saved into the folder itself, making it possible to, say, put a folder on the network or on a USB drive and preserve the custom folder look when you access the folder from another computer.
Here are some more notes on this program:
Changing folder icon: can open any file to get icon resources (icon libraries, icon files, executables, etc.) It doesn’t offer pre-packaged icon sets like the programs mentioned above. If you are looking for free icons, however, check out this post.- Changing folder background: you can, it seems, use any image file as background to your folder. The image will be tiled in the background so ’pattern’ type images will work best.
- Changing font color: this would be the font color for the files/folders displayed inside your folder.
- Reverting changes: can be done with a single click. Its also possible to revert any single changed element (icon/background/text color).
- Context menu integration: can be turned on or off.
- Folder size: because the image/icon you use is saved within the folder itself, you will have empty folders that, once customized, will actually be a few kilobytes in size (corresponding to your image file and/or icons sizes).
Wish list (or how this program could be even better):
- Once you implement changes to a folder, all of your icons on your desktop get alphabetically re-arranged for some reason. It would be good if the program didn’t need to do that (but as it is I simply use a program like Shock Desktop to get all the icons back to where they should be).
The verdict: a nice little program, if for the context-menu icon changing ability alone. If customizing Windows’ look-and-feel is your thing you’ll probably love this one.
Version Tested: 1.0.1
Compatibility: Windows 9X/ME/2000/NT/XP/Vista
Go to the program home page to download the latest version (approx 1.36 megs). If unavailabe you can download version 1.0.1 here.
Broken link.
“The GeoCities web site you were trying to view has temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit”
i think it would be useful for everybody if author of this blog or someone else who already downloaded this software should reupload it somewhere (1.4mb is not too much i think).
otherwise this article is rather useless.
p.s. geocities is one of the most disgusting hosting
services i saw in web…
Link doesn’t work.
Samer,
Since you have a copy of it, maybe you could upload it to rapidshare or something of the like. Would be much appreciated.
who
I added a link to download the version I tested (1.0.1) above (where it says “download version 1.0.1 here”).
Keeping my fingers crossed that the author fixes his site and/or moves from Geocities.
Thanks Samer
Here is a link for you.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HI4OKZN3
thanks for the upload. cool apps.
There’s something on windows xp that does samething..?
utd
Authors site is working and has v1.0.2.
gooooooooooooooooddddddddddddddddddddddddddd man
Love it! nice one!
It seems that the author released v1.0.3 for this program but unfortunatly is webpage is definitly down and can’t find any good link to download this specific version. Is anyone who has got this version may upload it on fileshare service please ?
Thank you in advance
The website loaded just fine for me.
But just in case I uploaded v1.03 here:
http://www.divshare.com/download/7742514-86b
Thank you very much Raymond !
You’re right, the website is back now and can be access without problem.
http://xaviorsoft.freebasic.net/product/
the new website
I used to do this a lot (customize folder appearances) back in the day on my Windows 95 computer. I used the Microsoft “Customize Folder Wizard”: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/Customize_folder.htm . It works on 95/98/ME, and according to this site (which provides an archived copy of it) also works on XP, and so presumably on 2000 (and maybe NT?) too.
On Vista and Win7, you apparently can only use third-party programs like StyleFolder instead.
FYI, a later version is available on cnet:
http://download.cnet.com/StyleFolder/3000-2072_4-10971943.html?tag=mncol;lst
Hi I thought your application “StyleFolder” was a very useful tool, I thank you for your free release.
If it could be possible I’d like to know how exactly does it work, or better how does your application create a folder that has gone beyond hidden.
I understand that windows does that to the INI files when you change the icon to your folder, it hides it to the point that you cant see it even with the view hidden folders option.
I know that with the INI file you are able to change the background, icon and more to your folder but your application also creates a folder named “Folder Settings” that also has this setting of being hidden in this way, If it could be possible I would like to know how does your application generate such a folder.
thank you