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October 30, 2009 11:33 AM PDT
Mac Trick (or Treat?): Easily change icons
So, without further adieu, follow these steps to change your icons:
- First, you will want to find some cool icons to change your folders or applications to. There are many free icon sets available on the Internet, including from Apple's Downloads pages. For this tutorial, I downloaded the Star Trek icons, currently featured on the front page.
- Once the file downloads and unzips, you will see the Icons folder (where the icon files are located).
- Find the icon you wish to use, highlight it, and press (Command + i) to "Get Info". You can also access the "Get Ifo" window by navigating to File > Get Info. I, of course, used the Enterprise icon.
- Now, find the folder for which you wish to change the icon. Press (Command + i) to "Get Info". You should now have two "Get Info" windows open on your Desktop.
- Make the Enterpise "Get Info" window active. Click on the icon in the top-left corner. You will notice a blue highlight appear. Now, press (Command + C) to copy the icon image.
- Make the folder "Get Info" window active. Click on the folder icon in the top-left corner. Press (Command + V) to paste the Enterprise icon image in place of the folder icon.
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Joe is a seasoned Mac veteran with years of experience on the platform. He reports on Macs, iPods, iPhones and anything else Apple sells. Before joining CNET, he even worked in Apple's retail stores. He's also a creative professional who knows how to use a Mac to get the job done.
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Please allow me to preface my comment above with some history. MacFixIt used to be an extremely helpful tool for troubleshooting your Mac. It always covered the latest products and OS updates as problems occurred. Whenever, a client of mine would complain of a strange symptom that I couldn't explain, MacFixIt was always there to help me out. Likewise, it used to be an excellent bulletin board of current issues that I would read daily like any news feed.
There is nothing wrong with sharing tips and tricks as well as helpful advice for novice users... as the author of a book for novice users, I can certainly appreciate that. However, MacFixIt was never geared toward novice users and thus it garnered a different demographic following... typically, experienced users... and I liked that.
With the new cnet version of MacFixIt, they seem to have changed their target audience and focus which ultimately has replaced the MacFixIt that I knew with something completely different... not bad... just different... and not what I signed up for.
Thus, my disappointment was delivered above. I meant no selfishness or disrespect for the many readers who enjoy the new MacFixIt... nor would I ever intend on my comments insinuating that I was somehow 'above' the rest of you... as I'm sure it must have seemed.
So, with that said, I stand by my original comment... I want my old MacFixIt back. :-(
I find it hard to believe that you cannot recognize our coverage of ongoing issues, tips, tricks, and product updates. We do that on a daily basis, so perhaps checking the site more frequently would help you see this. Just take a look at the current coverage on the front page: there are a couple of how-to articles, a number of pertinent and current "issues", and a couple of reviews and update announcements. I fail to see how this does not meet the description you have of the "old" site.
I do agree, however, that it would be convenient to have a ranking of sorts for articles, where more technical problems can be separated from simple tips. We do have to weigh this against the options we have with the CNET site resources, and with how much of our stuff will be for novices vs for techies. Additionally, we try to write articles so everyone can figure out the solutions, and not to just target a specific group.
Customize your Dock with Docker
Mac Trick (or Treat?): Easily change icons
I think these caught my eye and I made a rash judgement. Perhaps, with the new fancy look, I was over-sensitive to content changes.
Mac can't write to NTFS.
Unlock it and you should be OK.
As regards kristingreen's point about the lack of seriousness on the new MacFixit site, I think this is also a function of the growing popularity of Macs, whereas once upon a time (when I started using them) they were rather niche and exclusive and now they are selling better than ever, and bringing in more 'newbies', all of whom are experiencing for the first time some of the issues us older hands sorted out years ago.
As long as MacFixit also caters for the more experienced user, I can't see any point in leaving this resource just yet.
Macfixit was never good.
Ted Lewis, tedlewis40@gmail.com
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by jboroman
November 7, 2009 4:46 AM PST
- This 'how to' seems to have added an extra step, correct me if I'm wrong. I changed my icons by opening the Star Trek icons folder, Cmd+C an icon (eg Enterprise); Cmd+I a desktop folder; single click the upper left icon; then Cmd+V. Viola.
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(23 Comments)I also found the icons to be too small to enjoy. If I chg sys prefs for bigger desktop icons, then my volume icons become way too large. Any ideas? Thx!