Images From Icon

There are dozens of programs for Microsoft Windows that help users extract image files directly from icons (the ICO format). However, you may like a much more straightforward portable application that does that. Images From Icon is that program, and it comes from the same dev behind Image to Icon. But be aware that it comes with some issues.

The program is portable, so it doesn't have any installer. You can download it, extract the archive anywhere on your computer, and start the app. The first thing that strikes you is the lack of a user interface. All you have is an Explorer window that asks you to open an ICO file. If you have an icon ready to convert into an image, locate it and click Open or double-click it. Now, Images From Icon will turn the ICO file into a PNG image, and it will place the output in a new subfolder. As simple as that. But, there are some significant flaws that this program comes with, and some of them are quite annoying.

You might have imagined that a program like this one is capable of converting each type of icon into a PNG image. But that's not the case here because this application only works with Vista icons, of the "image/vnd.microsoft.icon" type. Trying to use the program with any other kind of ICO file is futile. ​​​​​​I have tested the application with many icons, and it only worked with some of the files I've tried. It will be hard for some users to figure out why other icons are not supported since the program doesn't give any notification or error message. In conclusion, you can use Images From Icon only with the Vista icon type ("image/vnd.microsoft.icon"). Otherwise, it is quite useless. Other programs are versatile and more straightforward to use.