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I downloaded a nice windows app called PictureFlect as an alternative to the official photo viewer. I like a lot about it except for its ugly icon/logo. By exploring the windows app folder, I found that it keeps its image assets in a folder. I thought that I could make my own and replace the entire assets folder and that would reflect in the file icons shown in Explorer. However, that folder is very protected. I found this thread on StackExchange:

Editing/Creating files in C:\Program Files\WindowsApps

If you scroll down, you can see an answer given starting with "I've seen and tried many ways, but only one method has never disappointed me until now: MoveFileEx"

I have absolutely no experience using any of these commands. I looked at the documentation but it is over my head (and I cannot figure out what the difference is between MoveFile, MoveFileA, MoveFileW, MoveFileEx, MoveFileExA, etc). However, the example from that answer is a file, not a folder. The documentation says directories are possible to move as well.

So I want to know

  1. Is what I'm trying to do possible?
  2. What would the code be to replace a folder?

I want to move the folder "Assets"

from C:\Users\Name\Documents\File Icon Image Change\OUT (The Assets folder is inside the OUT folder)

to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\31258Ben48.BasicPhotoViewer_3.4.1.0_x64__2c5bccghv4cc2

A third question I have is that the answer given in that thread re-states the "test.txt" in the destination. But would it make sense to re-state the "Asset" folder name again in the destination? I've tried both ways and it is not moving after a restart. I've also tried it with the existing Assets folder there as well as deleted.

Thank you.

NicNamSam
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1 Answers1

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The simplest thing to do is to make a Desktop shortcut to the application, and cutomize the shortcut, changing the icon. This would not change the icon of the running app, only that of the shortcut.

You can also try taking ownership of the folder and moving the files with Explorer, or boot from WinPE and do so. That said, Microsoft has pretty much locked down apps from the store, and making changes to them is risky.

However, one can directly download the offline (i.e., full) installer from Picturereflect, as opposed to the MS Store version. That installer can be opened in a utility such as 7-Zip, and the various logo images can be replaced. This would create an installer with your preferred files, that can be used on any PC.

Logo assets

Caveat!

This might not work if the installer calculates it's own checksum, and finds a discrepancy due to the changed files.

DrMoishe Pippik
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