change .exe icon file

[matiasht]

Hello guys I've been wondering...how can I change an icon to an .exe ?

For example in the dir C:\Windows there are several exe's that have horrible icons, for example the "Writer.exe" in that directory.
If I open it with Resource Hacker, I'm able to change the icon, but when I try to save changes it says that I can't...blah blah...
For me it was impossible to take ownership of the .exe file, but who knows... maybe I was doing something wrong, or that's not the proper way to treat with an .exe file :D

Salutes

[Big V]

have you tried coping the exe to your desktop after you take ownership of it then change the icon image with restorator and renaming the old exe to .old and repaste the new in it place after the renaming of the old one

[Big V]

you may also try opening the app then right click the icon in the taskbar then mouse over the app name in that context box and rightclick again and select properties and you should see a tab for change icon in property window

[matiasht]

In first place, I can't take ownership of the .exe file, I don't know why, with Universal Take Ownership it is imposibble it doesn't even appear in the contextual menu after I right click it, and manually I don't know, and about your second answer I didn't understand anything.

Salutes :)

[Big V]

ok 2nd option start the program you are wanting to change the icon for. next go to the taskbar and right click the icon for that program. now hoover your mouse over the name of the program in the context menu that just opened and right click a second time this will open a second context menu and you should see properties listed in the second menu now select it. in the properties window you should see a change icon tab

[matiasht]

But that won't change the icon of the .exe in system32 folder will it?