StampendousGraphics

Q: How do I change Finder folder color in El Capitan

Is there a native way to change the folder color in the finder in El Capitan, or must I download a separate app for that? If anyone has mentioned it on the web, I can't find it. It is not in Finder preferences, view options, display preferences, screensaver preferences, color utility, etc etc... it doesn't happen by ctrl click or opt click or  cmd click on folder.  Any other suggestions?  Thanks!!

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013), OS X El Capitan (10.11)

Posted on Oct 15, 2015 10:05 AM

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Q: How do I change Finder folder color in El Capitan

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  • by Bakhtina,

    Bakhtina Bakhtina Oct 15, 2015 11:26 AM in response to StampendousGraphics
    Level 3 (749 points)
    iCloud
    Oct 15, 2015 11:26 AM in response to StampendousGraphics

    The way I think of is to find is to get an image of a folder of another color, then apply OS X Mavericks: Change the icon of a file or folder

    I know the article is about Mavericks, but it still works, I just did it.

  • by StampendousGraphics,

    StampendousGraphics StampendousGraphics Oct 16, 2015 10:03 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 16, 2015 10:03 AM in response to Eric Root

    Thank you, Eric! I had found a few apps for changing them but was hoping for a native Finder solution. I do want a global solution as I can't stand that blue, but I super appreciate your various options for changing individual folders, too. I wouldn't have thought of that. Super wow on the English of that second choice. Oh my... but at least the concept is understandable! Thanks!

  • by StampendousGraphics,

    StampendousGraphics StampendousGraphics Oct 16, 2015 10:07 AM in response to Bakhtina
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 16, 2015 10:07 AM in response to Bakhtina

    Thanks, Bakhtina! I always forget about this one, too. But I really want to change ALL the folders system wide to a slightly less alarming color of blue... but I can't really go through and change all the folders on our network servers to different icons. Might have some fun with this on my desktop though! Thanks!!

  • by JimmyCMPIT,

    JimmyCMPIT JimmyCMPIT Oct 16, 2015 10:15 AM in response to StampendousGraphics
    Level 6 (8,013 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 16, 2015 10:15 AM in response to StampendousGraphics

    it can be done in preview as well

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coiE1W8fGOo

     

    Screen Shot 2015-10-16 at 1.14.49 PM.png

  • by flexmarketman,

    flexmarketman flexmarketman Nov 26, 2015 8:42 AM in response to StampendousGraphics
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Nov 26, 2015 8:42 AM in response to StampendousGraphics

    I had found a way for changing the system icons in Yosemite, which was not an easy task.  The neon blue annoyed me enough to spend an hour "fixing" Yosemite's color choices.  With El Capitan, it appears Apple locked out the back-door to do that. 

     

    Apple is, of course, a much better judge of what I should like than I am.

  • by flexmarketman,

    flexmarketman flexmarketman Nov 26, 2015 7:11 PM in response to StampendousGraphics
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Nov 26, 2015 7:11 PM in response to StampendousGraphics

    Stampendous:

     

    I've got some reading material for you in the links below.  Hopefully these will help you solve your problem.  I was able to re-arrange the furniture and put my living room exactly back they way I had it before.

    - Open the door

    - Walk Inside

    - Throw out the trash

    - But remember to re-lock the door behind you

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Nov 26, 2015 7:31 PM in response to StampendousGraphics
    Level 7 (32,122 points)
    iPad
    Nov 26, 2015 7:31 PM in response to StampendousGraphics

    You cannot change system folder icons in El Capitan (unless you choose to disable the newly added malware protection) which is explained here:

     

    About System Integrity Protection on your Mac - Apple Support

     

    You can still change user folder icons. I don't care for the blue color; however, since I never use Launchpad and prefer to open all Finder windows in Column View, I do not notice the icons all that much and the icons appearing in my dock are quite colorful (partial screenshot):

     

    Screen Shot 2015-11-26 at 7.29.05 PM.png

    You can get around the Application folder limitation by putting any (empty?) folder or app with a color folder in the first place which will then show up in the dock. In my case, I changed an Adobe folder to the red one above.

  • by valeriefrommullion helston,

    valeriefrommullion helston valeriefrommullion helston Dec 18, 2015 1:40 AM in response to Bakhtina
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2015 1:40 AM in response to Bakhtina

    I have changed the icon for an xls folder and put it on the desktop. Each time I open it ,then close it , the new icon has gone. I have to repeat the process of putting the icon on the clipboard,show info on the folder, and then paste . WHY ?does it fall off ?

  • by flexmarketman,

    flexmarketman flexmarketman Dec 18, 2015 4:46 AM in response to valeriefrommullion helston
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Dec 18, 2015 4:46 AM in response to valeriefrommullion helston

    I cannot replicate your problem on my machine, so it is something unique to your setup rather than a system issue.

  • by JimmyCMPIT,

    JimmyCMPIT JimmyCMPIT Dec 18, 2015 5:40 AM in response to valeriefrommullion helston
    Level 6 (8,013 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 18, 2015 5:40 AM in response to valeriefrommullion helston

    the preview process works for me (see six posts into this thread) it's using an Apple solution and there are no hacks to make it happen. I can drop those folders into NTFS NAS volumes and they work on other systems as well.

  • by Kenneth Collins1,

    Kenneth Collins1 Kenneth Collins1 Jan 13, 2016 7:14 AM in response to StampendousGraphics
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iWork
    Jan 13, 2016 7:14 AM in response to StampendousGraphics

    Here's how to fix the folders and other stuff:

    • You can fix the folders and just about anything else with XRevert, That's a unique name so it is easy to find it in Google. XRevert can't fix the unearthly blue in the rest of the UI, though.
    • The Dock in Yosemite and el Captain has regressed all the way back to 10.4 Tiger. You can bring the Dock back into the modern world with DockMod by SpyreSoft. It doesn't just repair the Dock's appearance, it lets you customize it too.
    • You can change any questionable icons in a non-Apple application. Right-click on the old version, show package contents, copy the icons in the Contents/Resources folder, and paste them into the same location in the new application. If you change the icons in applications that require permission to access the internet, you'll need to give them permission every time they launch, but that's not a bad price for esthetics.

    I recommend storing the icons on an external drive to repair future downgrades of the UI.

     

    The Hanna Barbera themed versions of OS X, Yosemite and El Captain, need esthetic repair, because they are too flat, they have colors not found in nature, and many of the icons are turning into unintuitive abstract symbols. They all make OS X less usable because it's harder to tell what's what. The UI looks like it was drawn on someone's kitchen table with a ruler and compass by a person with a color vision impairment. Fortunately, Apple hasn't locked us out of repairing it.

  • by flexmarketman,

    flexmarketman flexmarketman Jan 13, 2016 7:26 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jan 13, 2016 7:26 AM in response to Kenneth Collins1

    I think it is great that someone has developed a program to re-beautify the desktop.  Thanks for sharing Kenneth.


    It makes me a little nervous that the program requires you to disable the system protection. Is there anyone on this forum that has tested the software to see if it is not a trojan horse?

  • by Kenneth Collins1,

    Kenneth Collins1 Kenneth Collins1 Jan 13, 2016 7:39 AM in response to flexmarketman
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iWork
    Jan 13, 2016 7:39 AM in response to flexmarketman

    You only need to disable the system protection to install the changes. Disable the system protection, run the program, then re-enable the system protection.

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