When creating an OrasiLabs lab template, it is a common technique to add Desktop shortcuts for the most commonly used applications and websites.  This makes it easy for students to access the systems on which you'll be training.  By default, all Windows Desktop website shortcuts use the default browser icon, but it is helpful to use application-specific icons so the students can easily see which shortcut applies to each website.

Luckily, Microsoft Windows can display any custom icon on Desktop shortcuts.  And, it's very easy to modify these icons.  The only wrinkle is that you need an ICO file, a special format designed specifically for application icons.  If you already have an appropriate ICO file, you can skip to the last step in this article and just add the ICO file to your shortcut.  If not, there are a couple of simple steps you can do first to create an ICO file from any graphics image.

If you don't already have a graphics file for the application you're using, simply find an appropriate image for the application anywhere.  It might be from the vendor's website, from your Windows Start Menu, or even just a picture you found on the internet.  Then, use the built-in Windows utility Snipping Tool (found in the Windows Accessories folder in the Start Menu) to copy the portion of the image you want to use as an icon.  Finally, save the image to a JPG format.

As mentioned earlier, Windows Desktop shortcuts require a file in the ICO format.  The image you just saved is a JPG format, which is slightly different, but it can easily be converted into an ICO format with any of the many free utilities on the internet.  One such conversion website is CloudConvert, a free website that can quickly convert any JPG to an ICO (at no charge).  Convert your image into an ICO and then save it on your local machine as a .ICO file.

Finally, once you have the ICO file, it's simply a matter of adding the custom ICO to the Windows Desktop shortcut.  To do this, simply right-click on the shortcut and select Properties.  Use the Change Icon function to locate the ICO file and Apply.  

Voila!  The visual icon for the Desktop shortcut will now be shown with the custom image you provided.  Using this simple technique allows you to create collections of Desktop shortcuts that students will be easily able to distinguish.