I’ve been keeping my eye out for some time now for some good, free icon resources. Here’s a number that I would like to share; remember, you can use Imagicon or IcoFX to convert any image into the ICO format in whatever icon size(s) that you need. If you want to create icon libaries check out BeCyIconGrabber. If you would like to edit or modify your icons, you would be hard pressed to find a better free tool than IcoFX.

Vistaicons.com: contains over 2000 high quality 256×256 icons (suitable for Windows Vista) in PNG and ICO formats. Freely downloadable.

Toolsbox PNG Package Deluxe: version 6.1 features 240 (128*128) High-Quality PNG Icons. The home page seems may be down but you can download it here (3.71 megs).

Iconaholic: this website has some amazing icons, wallpapers, and themes available for download; commercial use of these requires a licensing fee.

Crystal Clear Icon Pack: created by Brazillian artist Everaldo Coelho; view and download individual icons at Wikimedia commons crystal clear icons page or download collectively from the artist’s site.
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 2.4

Description: Imagicon is a small program that performs image to icon conversions as well as image conversions across all the supported formats (BMP, PNG, JPG and ICO). It features a simple drag and drop interface.

I was looking for a simple program to convert PNG’s and JPG’s into Icon (ICO) files and found this one. I chose to post this program over a number of others primarily because it supported converting a a number of popular image formats (BMP, PNG, and JPG), whereas most of the others I looked at typically converted a single format only (usually PNG). Here are some notes on this program:

• Simple interface: first define the output image settings you want (convert to icons by default), then simply drag and drop an image or multiple images onto the program dialog for the conversion to take place.
• Fast: very efficient conversions compared to other image-to-icon programs that I have tested.
• Icon settings: 32×32 by default, but can be set to any icon size setting (16×16, 48×48, 128×128, 64×64). You can also enable/disable transparency support within icons.
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 7.0.0.123 Final.

Description: DIManagerX saves the location of desktop icons, allowing you to restore them if their locations change

Imagine you’ve just cleared your desktop of all the icons you do not want and put in all the shortcuts and files that you typically like to work with, exactly the way you want them. Wouldn’t be cool to be able to save this configuration so you could always go back to it? With DIManagerX you could do exactly that.

There are a number of reasons why your desktop icons might change from the way you like them: you (or somebody else) may move them in the course of your work, a program such as a virtual desktop application may mess them up for you. Or, most commonly, it happens whenever there’s a change in screen resolution (which typically happens when launching games).

The main draw that this program has for me is that it works beautifully with Dexpot, my favorite virtual desktop program. Here’s what you need to know about DIManagerX:
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Rating: 5

Version tested: 2.1 beta

Description: Icon Phile is a small program that can be used to change Windows system icons (including desktop icons, cursors, drives, start menu and folders), as well as the icons for any document format/extension such as compressed files, MS offices files, graphic and media files and others.

Ever installed a really cool program such as an image viewing program, zip/compression program, etc., and really liked it but could not stomach the file icon at all? If so (yes I know it happened to most all of us) then Icon Phile is exactly what you need.

You can use Icon Phile to quickly change the icon not just of system icons but for any file extension that you want. Here’s a list of some of the coolest features: Read more »

Rating: 5 pick

Version tested:  2.20

Description: BeCyIconGrabber is a very small app that extracts icons contained in resource files (DLL, ICL, OCX, CPL, SRC, ICO and CUR). It also enables saving them singly in ICO, CUR, BMP, or PNG files, or collectively within resource libraries (DLL icon libraries or ICL cursor libraries).

There are many such freeware icon extracting programs. This one is my favorite, however, for the following reasons:

1. It allows you to save icons collectively to resource libraries. Most similar programs only feature saving icons singly.
2. It is very small and has a functional, simple design. Different icon sizes are viewable very intuitively through clicking tabs, and there is even a zoom function.
3. Icon search function; specific director(ies) or all directories
4. Favorites section for all the icons you hold dear

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Rating: 5

Version tested: 1.2

This is a nifty utility that I use at work. If you’ve ever felt like you’d like to differentiate some of the folders that you work with or make them stand out from the rest, this software can help.

Foldermarker is a very small program that allows you to change the color and/or appearance of your folders straight from the context menu. It also allows you to load and use your own custom folder icons. Very handy!

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