Share via

How to change the taskbar icons. Ever since the revision I have diffiuclty telling Word and Outlook apart

Anonymous
2022-02-08T23:00:02+00:00

A while back, the icons went through a redesign. Part of that redesign made the taskbar icons fro Outlook and Word much more similar-looking than they were in the past. Colours got closer and both have a small splash of white in the lower left.

I can distinguish the two if I sit closer and pay attention, but that's a poor work flow. I often end up opening one when I mean to open the other. Windows does an okay job of keeping them separate (i.e. I can move the Outlook to the top of the taskbar and keep Word windows lower down, but that doesn't always help because they get rearranged on their own. This is particularly problematic when I have six or more Word documents open.

The icon is just the equivalent to a small image file, right? Is it someone in the Office 16 directory that can be edited? Even changing the colours back to a clearly lighter blue would make a huge difference.

On a similar but side note, when I add a macro or other item to the ribbon, I have to choose from a limited set of icons. Most of these are unrelated to the macro I wrote. Back in the pre-ribbon days, Word had a utility that displayed a grid where you could effectively 'draw' your own icon. Is there something like that for Ribbon customization?

Thanks!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

8 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Jay Freedman 207.5K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2022-02-09T02:23:29+00:00

    The icons on the Windows taskbar are contained in the program files themselves, not in separate icon files.

    What you can do is create a shortcut on the desktop that starts the program. In the Properties dialog that you can get from the right-click menu of the shortcut, there's a Change Icon button. When you click that, you get a dialog box where you can choose from any of the icons in the program file (there are usually several) or browse for an .ico file of your choice. The shortcut can be pinned to the taskbar instead of the program itself.

    For instructions to create custom icons on the ribbon, see https://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/ribbon_custom_icons.html

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Charles Kenyon 166.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2022-03-08T15:41:48+00:00

    On a similar but side note, when I add a macro or other item to the ribbon, I have to choose from a limited set of icons. Most of these are unrelated to the macro I wrote. Back in the pre-ribbon days, Word had a utility that displayed a grid where you could effectively 'draw' your own icon. Is there something like that for Ribbon customization?

    Thanks!

    It can be done, not as easily as in the menu versions, but it can be done.

    Modify Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) Button Image or Text by Greg Maxey

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2022-02-10T17:30:37+00:00

    I didn't take your "tone" personally. I understand and agree with your frustration at MS.

    Personally, in Word I "hates mieces to pieces" (old cartoon character quote). I am much more a keyboard shortcut person. In a word document, let me keep my hands on the keyboard! I am a touch typist, "traditionally trained", on my mother's manual typewriter... <g>

    .

    To each his own.

    .

    I was about to suggest using virtual desktops, but I see you are already using the feature.

    .

    I have looked at programmable gaming mice over the years, just never tried going that route.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2022-02-09T00:07:17+00:00

    MS has made changing icons much harder. I don't know if it is possible.

    Personally I prefer using <ALT><TAB> to switch between tasks

    Image

    https://www.hongkiat.com/blog/switch-tasks-windows-10/ .

    Also in that article take a look at the idea of pinning Outlook to the taskbar then using the <Win><1-9> shortcut to access it.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2022-02-10T16:43:43+00:00

    Why on Earth would they make it harder to change icons? (Er, that's a rhetorical, frustrated question, I don't mean to be gruff-sounding).

    I typically have oodles of windows open on separate research projects, so alt-tabbing can be somewhat involved. Plus I usually have a virtual machine or two open so can get caught in a loop. Plus, come to think of it, I do a lot of highlighting and pasting and moving about with my mouse, so keyboard controls aren't always handy. I do have several spare buttons on my mouse though, so your suggestion is not in vain; I'll see how well I adapt.

    (On a side note, if you do a lot of work in Word etc al, consider one of those gaming MMOPRG mice with a set of buttons on the side. I have about twenty or thirty programmed to make life a lot easier. Most manufacturers have great program-specific customization options too.)

    0 comments