How to change folder color in Windows 11/10

We can change the color of folders in Windows 10 & 11 using some third party software. Here we are going to explore how to use Rainbow Folders software to change the color of the folder in this tutorial.

There are 3 Steps

1. How to install Rainbow Folders
2. How to change folder color in Windows 10/11
3. Adjust permissions for folders where you can’t change folder color

1. How to install Rainbow Folders

Rainbow Folder software is a lightweight tool that you can install on most Windows platforms. This software allows you to adjust the colors for selected folders with the Hue and Saturation bars.

1. Download Rainbow Folder Software : Rainbow Folders
2. Extract rainbow_folders.zip file
3. Open extracted folder and double click on ‘Rainbow Folders.exe’ file to install it.
4. While installation process, check the Install system shell extension box.

2. How to change folder color in Windows 10/11

Method 1:

1. Open the Rainbow Folders program you just installed.
2. Click This PC in the folder selection to expand that category. Then select Local Disk (C:) to see your directory tree. Select a folder to change the color. You can select multiple folders by clicking on the Multiple select option. 
3. You can use the Hue and Saturation sliders to choose a color. Then press the Colorize button to apply the selected color.
4. Next, open the File Explorer window. Open the folder you changed the color to to see the result.

Method 2:

You can also open Rainbow Folders from the context menu. To do so, right-click the folder in File Explorer and select Show more options . Select Rainbow Folders to display the window.

You can now change the color of the folder you right clicked on. Note that you may have to close and reopen File Explorer for the color changes to take effect.

3. Adjust permissions for folders where you can’t change folder color

If the error message “Failed to write icon file” pops up and the color of the folder does not change, you may need to adjust the permissions for the folder. For Rainbow Folders to work, you must have full control over how to modify the folder.

1. Right click on the folder you need to change color and select Properties .
2. Go to ‘Security’ tab and click on ‘Advanced’ button on bottom.
3. In Advanced Security Settings window, click on ‘change’ link at the end of owner name.
4. Type Everyone (without space)  in the Select User or Group window and click the OK button.
5. Then check Replace owner on subcategories and objects box.
6. Then click on Apply to save the options.
7. Select OK to exit the Advanced Security Settings window
8. Click the Edit button on the properties window.
9. Click the Add button.
10. Type Everyone and click OK to exit.
11. Select the Everyone group.
12. Then select Full control  and Modify  under Permission for Everyone.
13. Click Apply and OK .
14. Finally, click OK in the properties window.
15. Now try to change the color of the folder where you changed the permissions.

thanks for reading this article. please share if you like it.