Win 11 File Explorer Keeps Changing Colour

[peanutaxis]

Hi,

The ENTIRE POINT of a taskbar icon/instance is that you can look at it and quickly identify it. So WHY ON EARTH does File Explorer in Windows 11 keep changing colour depending on whether it happens to be on documents or pictures etc. Honestly.


ffs

 

[ChatGPT]

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