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Can't Change Catalina Desktop Icons

Does anybody know how to change the desktop icons for attached external hard drives with macOS Catalina? The old way of "Get Info" and copy and paste the icon image doesn't work.


I am using a 2019 Mac Pro if that makes any difference. And macOS Catalina 10.15.5


Thanks

Mac Pro, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 6, 2020 3:45 AM

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Posted on Jul 7, 2020 4:22 AM

Open the image you want to paste on to the external drive in Preview.

Click on Edit> Select All, then Edit> Copy.

On the info panel for the external drive,

click on the icon top left to highlight it and then click on Command-v.

10 replies

Jul 6, 2020 7:13 AM in response to Canyonlight

The root (top) level of external drives seems to be locked down in some instances much like the startup drive. I haven't found any particular reason why it is unmodifiable on some externals, but not all.

Are you able to change permissions on that level of the drive?


What happens when you try to change the icon? Does the image paste but not show? Or, will it not let you paste the new image?

Jul 15, 2020 3:17 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thank you Eau Rouge.

But it didn't work.


I opened the RuggedUSB-C_TBT.icns file with Preview (downloaded this file from LaCie).

Clicked Edit>Select All, clicked Edit>Copy.

Then I went to the Get Info panel for the external hard drive and highlighted the icon image that I want to replace in the upper left (it was highlighted with a blue border).

Then I clicked Edit>Paste. Nothing.


Went back to Preview and clicked Edit>Select All, clicked Edit>Copy again.

Went back to the Get Info panel and made sure the icon image was selected. Clicked Command>V. Nothing.

Something is making what used to be very simple now very difficult. And frustrating.


Would appreciate any more suggestions.


Jul 15, 2020 3:41 AM in response to Canyonlight

That method does not work for .icns files, the original post is discussing image files such as jpeg, png, tiff etc.

.icns files are not image files.


If you want to do it with .icns files Command-i on the .icns file and make sure the Preview section of the info panel is open.

Command-i on the destination folder. Now simply click, hold and drag the Preview image to the top left icon image in the destination folder info panel.

Can't Change Catalina Desktop Icons

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