Different icons for file extensions

Pierre de la Verre

it seem to be a general question, and I didn’t find the one and only answer.

On a PC without “notepad++ connections” I defined the icon for the file-extension “gsi” (using FileTypesman.exe from Nirsoft) and Explorer shows the icon I want.
On another PC with “notepad++ conections” I did the same, but the file extensions shows always the notepad++ icon. It seems that Notepad++ overwrites the icon-settings from the registry.

So the short question is:
How to define different icons for different file extensions, but all connected (to be edited) with notepad++?

PeterJones

@pierre-de-la-verre said in Different icons for file extensions:

file extensions shows always the notepad++ icon.

As does every other application I’ve ever installed which wants to or does handle a specific filetype. This is not a unique behavior to Notepad++.

How to define different icons for different file extensions, but all connected (to be edited) with notepad++?

Replace “Notepad++” with “Insert Generic Program Here”, and the answer is the same: you go into the Windows Registry and change things. Or use the Windows OS GUI features to change icons, etc (which is essentially editing the registry). Or you use a Windows administration tool/app to change icons (which is editing the registry behind the scenes). It’s a Windows question, not a Notepad++ specific, and it will depend on what version of Windows you have how exactly to go about it.

(I personally have built up a list of hints on such topics over the years, which are summarized here, but I do not do generic windows support personally, nor is this forum a place for generic windows support. I make no guarantees as to the efficacy or side effects of anything you may read on that page; it is for my own use, and I did not write it with other people in mind.)

Nicholas

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.css\OpenWithProgids]
"Notepad++.css"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Notepad++.css]
@="CSS Source File"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Notepad++.css\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft VS Code\\resources\\app\\resources\\win32\\css.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Notepad++.css\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Notepad++.css\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Notepad++.css\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Notepad++\\notepad++.exe\" \"%1\""

Replace .css with the file extension you want. Set the DefaultIcon path to what you want to use. If using x64 version of Notepad++ then remove the (x86). Save the file with a .reg extension and then run it.

Next time you open a file you will be prompted to choose an application open with. Select Notepad++ and then the icons should update.