driveIconPatcher

An interesting detail regarding the human brain that is worth keeping in mind is that the way it functions varies from one person to another. When it comes to an operating system’s user experience, developers need to take this fact into account while establishing the customization limits of core functions. To bypass these restrictions, dedicated utilities such as driveIconPatcher should come in handy.

By default, a computer’s internal and external storage devices are displayed within the ubiquitous PC folder alongside custom name tags, system- or user-assigned letters and the regular hard drive icon that gets dynamically updated with the relevant BitLocker encryption status, if applicable.

While the ability to change the title of the connected drives is sufficient for most users, others are usually accustomed to making the most of other types of visual cues in the form of logos and icons, which cannot be changed in the case of system-related utilities such as the local disks.

In a world dominated by graphical interfaces that need to change from time to time to follow in the footsteps of industry trends, such as the transition from skeuomorphic to a minimalist design in an attempt to improve on the accessibility factor for upgrading the user experience, very few utilities adopt the command-line structure of yesteryear’s software.

However, this latter layout provides users with keyboard-focused workflows with a more precise and straightforward way to execute commands, similarly to the app at hand. Once downloaded, opening a console window in the same directory and providing the drive letter alongside the path of the desired icon lets users change the symbol in an instant.

If you happen to work for the IT department of a company that tends to customize most of the employee OSes’ graphical elements, driveIconPatcher may be the fastest way to automate the process, thanks to its portable form factor.