Did you know that you have tons of icons on your computer and many of then you never see? Many EXE, DLL, and other files contain one or more icons, but getting these little buggers out of there is a problem – unless you have the right tool
Over the years we’ve had mixed results with icon extractors. The problem with most of them is that they only extract the smallest icons from complex icons. Since Windows has progressed from simple icons in 95 and 98 to complex icons in Windows XP and complexer (yes we know!) icons in Vista and even more complexer (quit picking!) in Windows 7, extract the tiny simple icons isn’t really helpful. On today’s big monitors 16×16 or 32×32 simple icons don’t look so hot. Well, it’s true. Vista and XP use icons that are complex and contain all sizes from 16×16 all the way up to 256×256 on Vista/Windows 7.
Icons From File (which isn’t a very creative name is it?) can extract some of the larger sizes from complex icons found on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 systems. This means you might actually be able to use some of the icons you extract because they’ll be big enough so that you can tell what the icon actually is.
Another nice feature, for those of you who like to decorate your blogs, Web pages, or emails, is that Icons from File can save the extracted and converted to JPEG format – a format you can use on any Web site, blog or HTML email. There might be thousands of icons hiding in files on your computer – and Icons From File makes it a snap to extract them all.
It couldn’t be much easier to use. Just scan your folders for icons that are locked away inside those EXE, DLL, and other files in which icons like to hide and let ‘er rip. Icons From File will show you what you’ve got. It’s sort of like combing the beach with a metal detector when you get old and move to Florida. You never know what you might dig up – and who knows? You might even be able to use some of the stuff you find to make pretty Web pages or spruce up your boring blog or email message.
OK, you get the idea by now. If you don’t then you don’t need Icons From File. Time to bring in the developer and let him tell you all about his program, because he’s far more succinct than we:
“Icons From File is a tool for extracting icons or icon arrays from files (EXE, DLL, OCX, etc.) with ability to scan folders to search for EXE, DLL and OCX files, which contain icons.
Extracted icons can be saved (exported) to file – all or selected icon to ICO, BMP, JPEG, EMF files and all icons as one picture to BMP, JPEG, or EMF file. There is an ability to extract and save all icons from all files in selected folder at once. Also, all icons from the selected file can be exported to HTML document (.htm, .html) or dBase 5 file (.dbf). Saving high color icons (which have more than 16 colors) is also possible. Export operations can be performed also via command line.
There is an ability to print extracted icons (all or selected only).”
If this sounds like something that would please the miner or artist in you, then we highly recommend you download Icons From File. It’s a great little freeware program, despite its very uncreative moniker. We hope you enjoy the program anyway – it’s our freeware pick of the week.
Don’t forget! FolderMagic lets you drag any icons you have into it – and change any folder icon easily!
Icons From File
For All Versions of Windows (32bit/64bit)
What is it? A tool for extracting icons from files
Download size: 564 KB zip file