By: Max Info
Submitted: 2010-04-15 03:07:10 | Word Count: 516
Microsoft has always been successful in changing the way we look at our operating systems. Right from the time of the Disk Operating System, it has been instrumental in enhancing operating systems and enhancing the user experience when it comes to Operating System. With Windows 7, it has taken the concept of Operating Systems to a whole new level.
The most visible enhancements that Windows 7 are the enhancements in the graphical user interface. The Windows 7 interface is like nothing we have ever seen, and yet a practical enhancement to the Windows XP interface that we are so used to. One of these enhancements is the Windows 7 icons.
File icons are the small images that are used to identify and describe the type of file. For example, if it is a Microsoft Word Document, it can be recognized by the now generic blue ‘W’ in a blue bordered box, complete with a blue box with blue lines inside it. It is a misunderstanding that file icons have only a cosmetic value. Icons are important for us to understand whether the file has been recognized by the Operating System and are therefore usable or not.
Changing icons was quite difficult during the time of Windows 98 and Windows XP. However, with the enhancements in Windows 7, changing icons is a fun and easy way to change the look of your operating system.
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In some cases, one can recognize whether a hardware like a scanner or a webcam has been installed and is usable or not, just by looking at whether the hardware has taken an icon from the operating system or not.
Though icons are such an important part of the operating system, it does not mean that you cannot change the icons from the generic icons that are available with Windows 7. You can either change the entire icon set, that means all the icons for all your files, or change single icons for your files. Icon files are also necessary for programmers and designers, as they are useful for giving a special identity to their product.
One can get a number of free Windows 7 icons, both for personal as well as commercial use. To change the icons on your Windows 7 OS, right click on your desktop, and select Personalization. Click on the second tab, which says Change Desktop Icons. A new window will open up, which will show you the default icons on your Operating System. You can select any of them and then change them to the icons that you want.
Though free Windows 7 icons are quite easy to get, you should be careful about which sites you get your icons from. Make sure to install an antivirus software that keeps you safe from the viri and malware that floats all around the Internet. Also, you would have to be sure about the icon sets that you are installing, because some executable file can actually corrupt your operating system.
