Changing how your folders look in Windows 11 might seem straightforward, but since the OS doesn’t natively support folder colouring, you’ll need a bit of extra help from third-party tools. It can be a bit of a hassle, but once you’ve got it set up, your desktop will look way tidier—and honestly, a bit more fun. Knowing which colour means what can help you find files quicker and cut down on clutter. Plus, it’s pretty satisfying to customise your workspace beyond the standard options.
How to Change Folder Colour in Windows 11
Method 1: Using Folder Painter
This freebie, Folder Painter, is a popular go-to because it makes the job dead easy. It adds options right in the right-click menu, so you just select your folder, pick a colour, and voilà—your folder’s got a new look. It’s a quick fix for those sick of the plain blue folder icons in Windows. Basically, Folder Painter swaps out or overlays the icons with coloured versions, but doesn’t touch your actual files—just the icons, which is all you need.
Download Folder Painter
First up, grab it from a trusted source—Windows can be a bit of a pain, so stick to the official page or a well-known site. Here’s a link to the GitHub repo for Winhance. Download the latest version, which is usually a small ZIP or installer file. Avoid dodgy sites promising “free folder colours” with heaps of popups—that’s just asking for trouble.
Install the Program
Next, if you got a ZIP, extract it, then run the installer or executable. It’s a straightforward setup—just follow the prompts, maybe agree to a couple of things, and you’re sorted. It should add options like “Change Folder Colour” in the right-click menu. Sometimes, on the first run, it might throw up some errors or not show everything immediately—if that happens, restart your PC or Explorer. Usually, a quick reboot sorts it out.
Open Folder Painter & Pick Your Folder
Once it’s all set up, right-click any folder. You should see a new option—something like “Change Folder Colour”. Because of how it hooks into Windows, not all folders might update instantly—if you don’t see the change, try restarting Explorer (via Task Manager) or giving your PC a quick restart. The interface’s pretty simple: you’ll see a palette or a list of colours. Pick something bright or subtle—whatever helps you spot folders quickly.
Select & Apply a Colour
Click your favourite colour, then hit apply. The icon should update pretty much straight away—or you might need to refresh the window (press F5). If it doesn’t work, restart Explorer (Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, then click Restart). On Windows 11, some people find that a full reboot or log out/in cycle does the trick. Some setups work on the first go, others might need a couple of goes—Windows can be a bit temperamental with icon overlays sometimes.
Helpful Tips for Making It Work Better
- Always download from a reputable site—Windows malware scanners tend to flag dodgy downloads.
- If colours don’t stick, try running the app as an administrator (right-click > Run as administrator).
- Use contrasting colours for easy visual cues—bright for work, softer tones for personal stuff, etc.
- You can revert to the default icon by right-clicking, choosing “Change Folder Colour”, then selecting “Reset” or deleting the overlay info.
- Don’t go overboard with too many colours—that could end up more confusing than helpful, unless you’re all about being super organised.
Other software options? Yeah, there are a few:
- Rainbow Folders
- Folder Colorizer
But from what user reports say, Folder Painter tends to be a bit leaner and more reliable on Windows 11.
Recap of the steps
- Download Folder Painter from a trusted source (like the GitHub link).
- Extract it (if ZIP) and run the installer or executable.
- Right-click a folder, choose “Change Folder Colour.”
- Pick your favourite colour from the palette.
- See if the icon updates; restart Explorer or reboot if it doesn’t.
Final thoughts
While Windows 11 doesn’t let you colour your folders out of the box, this little workaround using Folder Painter is pretty handy. No one’s totally sure why it works—maybe it’s just overlays that Windows doesn’t block—but it makes a big difference. You get a faster visual way to find files, and it’s fun having a bit of a personal touch. Expect a few quirks—like needing to restart Explorer or your PC sometimes—but overall, it’s a quick win. Plus, it’s a bit satisfying to spice up your digital space with a small project. Think of it as giving your desktop a tiny facelift.
Checklist before you get started
- Download from a trusted site—check.
- If icons stay the same, restart Explorer—check.
- Pick contrasting, memorable colours—check.
- Revert colours if needed—check.
- Don’t go overboard unless chaos is your thing—check.