How to change the icon for a shortcut on the desktop in C# 2.0?

Question

Hi,
I would like to change the icon for a shortcut on the desktop in C# 2.0. How can I do that? Thanks.

Answer 1

Right Click on Desktop==>Properties==>Change Icon.

Some file extensions do not allow to do it. Cs should be able to.

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AlexB

Answer 2

You have to use Windows Scripting Host to do this.  Here's how:

1. Add your reference to IWshRuntimeLibrary:

• Right click on references in your project. 
• Click the "Browse" tab. 
• Browse to C:\windows\system32\wshom.ocx, and select it.
• This should add a reference in your application to "IWshRuntimeLibrary".

2. Add a using statement to the top of your code file:

• using IWshRuntimeLibrary;

3. Add your code like this, replacing the shortcutLocation value with your own shortcut, and the newIconLocation value with your own value. The comma and the number after the assembly name refers to the icon's placement in the file.  In this situation, it's the exclamation mark in the yellow triangle.

string shortcutLocation = @"C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Zune.lnk";

string newIconLocation = @"C:\Windows\System32\user32.dll,1";

WshShell Shell = new WshShellClass();

WshShortcut cl = (WshShortcut)oShell.CreateShortcut(shortcutLocation);

cl.IconLocation = newIconLocation;

cl.Save();

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David Morton - http://blog.davemorton.net/

Answer 3

Thanks for your suggestion. I use the followings and it works.

private void appShortcutToDesktop(string name)

{

String path = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.DesktopDirectory);

Shell32.Shell shl = new Shell32.ShellClass();

// Optional code to create the shortcut

if (File.Exists(path + @"\" + name + ".lnk"))

{

File.Delete(path + @"\" + name + ".lnk");

}

System.IO.StreamWriter sw = new System.IO.StreamWriter(path + @"\" + name + ".lnk", false);

sw.Close();

// End optional code

Shell32.Folder dir = shl.NameSpace(path);

Shell32.FolderItem itm = dir.Items().Item(name + ".lnk");

Shell32.ShellLinkObject lnk = (Shell32.ShellLinkObject)itm.GetLink;

// Optional code to create the shortcut

lnk.Path = @"a.exe";

lnk.Description = "aa";

lnk.WorkingDirectory = @"c:\";

// End optional code

File.Copy(Path.Combine(Application.StartupPath.ToString(), @"a.ico"), Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System) + "a.ico", true);

lnk.SetIconLocation(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.System) + "a.ico", 0);

lnk.Save(null);

}

Answer 4

Yes, but doesnt:

string shortcutPath = Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Desktop), "MyShortcut.lnk");

WshShell Shell = new WshShellClass();

WshShortcut shortcut = (WshShortcut)Shell.CreateShortcut(shortcutPath);

shortcut.TargetPath = @"C:\sol.exe";

shortcut.IconLocation = @"C:\Windows\System32\user32.dll,2";

shortcut.Save();

look so much cleaner and easier to maintain?

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David Morton - http://blog.davemorton.net/

Answer 5

It's "nobugz" , not "aa".  Shame on you.

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Hans Passant.

Answer 6

pleaes tell me:

ShellClass, Shell .... are in which namespace, if some one doesn't know how to create shortcut, absolutely doesn't know what is Shell and its namespace.

please help.

Answer 7

required name space : using IWshRuntimeLibrary;

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Thanks & Regards NVM Prasad * [e-mail] Skype ID: nvm.groups

Answer 8

        Hi,

            Check below code its work....

private WshShellClass WshShell;

        public void CreateFileShortcutIcon(string filepath)
        {
            string FilenameShotcut = string.Empty;
            try
            {
                WshShellClass WshShell = new WshShellClass();
                IWshRuntimeLibrary.IWshShortcut MyShortcut;
                FilenameShotcut = filepath + ".lnk";
                if (!System.IO.File.Exists(FilenameShotcut))
                {
                    MyShortcut = (IWshRuntimeLibrary.IWshShortcut)WshShell.CreateShortcut(FilenameShotcut);
                    MyShortcut.TargetPath = filepath;
                    MyShortcut.Description = "Launch My Application";
                    MyShortcut.Save();
                }
            }
            catch (Exception)
            {

                throw;
            }
        }

          

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Thanks & Regards NVM Prasad * [e-mail] Skype ID: nvm.groups