Microsoft recently unveiled a fresh, modern look for its Office suite, breathing new life into the icons for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. A visual overhaul swept through the familiar programs, yet one stalwart remained unchanged: the classic Outlook icon, stubbornly holding onto its traditional appearance.
But a subtle rebellion is possible. Dedicated users can, with a little effort, bestow the sleek new icon upon their classic Outlook, completing the visual transformation. The process isn’t immediately obvious, however, as Microsoft intentionally complicates things with each Outlook update.
The key lies in locating the new Outlook’s installation folder – a moving target, as Microsoft creates a unique directory with every update. This requires a touch of technical finesse, specifically, a command within Windows PowerShell.
To begin, search for “PowerShell” in the Windows taskbar and launch “Windows PowerShell.” Then, carefully type or paste this command:Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.OutlookForWindows | Select-Object -ExpandProperty InstallLocation | Invoke-Itemand press Enter. This will automatically open File Explorer, revealing the elusive installation folder.
Within this folder, you’ll discover the covetedOutlook.icofile – the new icon waiting to be liberated. Copy this file to a convenient location, ready for the next step in the transformation.
Replacing the classic icon requires a few more clicks. First, unpin the existing Outlook shortcut from your taskbar by right-clicking and selecting “Unpin from taskbar.” Then, navigate to the Start menu, right-click the classic Outlook icon, and choose “Open file location.”
This will lead you to a folder named “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs,” where the Outlook shortcut resides. Right-click the shortcut and select “Properties.” A new window will appear, offering the opportunity for change.
Click “Change Icon,” then “Browse,” and navigate to the location where you saved theOutlook.icofile. Select the file and confirm your choice with “OK,” then close the Properties window. Windows may prompt for administrator permissions – grant them to finalize the icon swap.
Finally, return to the Start menu, right-click the newly adorned “Outlook (classic)” icon, and select “Pin to taskbar.” The transformation is complete, bringing a unified, modern aesthetic to your entire Office suite.
