A few months ago, Microsoft redesigned the icons for its Office programs. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the rest can now be accessed via new, modernized icons. Only the classic Outlook was left out; it still appears with its familiar icon.
However, it is possible to give this program the icon of its successor too. First, please retrieve the new icon from the installation folder of the new Outlook. But where can you find this folder? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as Microsoft creates a new directory for every Outlook update.
To find the current folder, you’ll need PowerShell: Type power into the search box on the taskbar and click on the “Windows PowerShell” result. Now enter the following command in PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.OutlookForWindows | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InstallLocation | Invoke-Item, then press the Enter key.
This will launch File Explorer and show you the installation folder for the new Outlook. In this directory, you will find the file Outlook.ico, which you can copy to any other directory.
You can replace the Outlook (classic) icon with the version from the new Outlook. However, getting there isn’t quite straightforward.
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Now remove the classic Outlook shortcut from the taskbar by right-clicking it and selecting “Unpin from taskbar.” Open the Windows Start menu and right-click the classic Outlook icon.
In the context menu, select “Open file location.” You will then find yourself in the folder “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs,” where the “Outlook (classic)” shortcut is located. Right-click on it and select “Properties.”
In the window that appears, click on “Different icon” and, after clicking “Browse,” enter the path to the copy of the Outlook.ico file. Confirm your selection by clicking “OK” and close the window by clicking “OK.”
Windows may then request administrator permissions; clicking “Continue” will replace the classic Outlook icon. Now right-click on “Outlook (classic)” in the Start menu and select “Pin to taskbar.”
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This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and localized from German.
Author: Roland Freist, Contributor, PCWorld
Roland Freist is a freelance IT journalist covering topics related to Windows, applications, networks, security and the Internet.