Win 11 File Explorer Keeps Changing Colour

Short answer​

It’s mostly by design — Windows 11 uses different folder icons and thumbnail previews for special folders (Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc.), so the File Explorer icon/thumbnail can look different depending on which folder is open. ([1])

What you can do (quick fixes)​

• Stop folder thumbnails (so icons stay generic): In File Explorer click the three dots → Options → View tab → check "Always show icons, Never thumbnails". This forces the same generic icons instead of content-based previews. ([2])
• Set a fixed icon for a specific folder: Right‑click the folder → Properties → Customize → Change Icon… and pick a single icon. That replaces the thumbnail for that folder. ([3])
• Use a custom pinned shortcut with your own icon (keeps the taskbar icon stable): create a shortcut to explorer.exe (or to a folder), Change Icon on the shortcut, then pin that to the taskbar. That gives you a consistent taskbar image. ([1])
• If you want colorized folders system‑wide, third‑party tools like “Folder Color Changer” / Folder Marker can do it (but they’re external apps). ([5])

A note: OneDrive or shell integrations can also affect icons/overlays, so if you see weird changes tied to synced folders, that may be involved. ([6])
If you tell me which behavior you want (fully static taskbar icon, or keep previews but change the color), I’ll give step‑by‑step instructions for that option.

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Sources:
[1] windowscentral.com
[2] reddit.com
[3] elevenforum.com
[4] windowscentral.com
[5] foldercolorchanger.com
[6] reddit.com