Change the icon of an Alias in macOS Sierra?

Hi, your explanation is good, but could benefit from a bit of clarification.

1. Create an appropriately sized graphic
2. Open desired icon image in Preview
3. Press ⌘C (or choose 'Edit - Copy')
4. Highlight (select) desired alias icon
5. Press ⌘I (or right-click icon and choose 'Get Info')
6. Click on alias small icon in top left corner of info box
7. Press ⌘V (or 'Edit - Paste)
8. (here's the important step!) Click on 'Select New Original...'
9. A Finder window will open. Navigate to where you want the alias to point to and click on 'Open' (there's no need to change the target / destination and then change it back!)
10. As you do the above the alias icon should change to be what you want.
11. I have found that this does not always survive a reboot so save your artwork (on iCloud?) and be prepared to repeat the process occasionally.
12. Enjoy your pretty new alias icon!

Hello,

i found a by-pass. 1/ Change the destination of the Alias. (in FR : "Sélectionner un nouvel original") 2/ Change the icon (it should work now) 3/ You can restore the right destination.

Hope it helps

hello again ...

if by pass don't work, here's another one :

01/ Customise the icon of the original folder you want to "alias" (you should be allowed to do this)

02/ Create an alias : this alias should look the same (same custom icon)

if you want the original folder to retrieve its default icon, you can do that too .

Hello,

I have had this problem three years ago. The bug ended up disappearing with the new versions and it comes back, it's quite desperate.

Since Sierra 10.12.5, it's even worse. I had solved the problem by using a formatted disk "NTFS" (yes it worked better with a windows format), but now even in "NTFS" it no longer works and worse, I can no longer access my disk Second to open a directory), this weekend I even had the right to 5 Mac reboots with Panic report, I had to remove Bitdefendeur to avoid these problems, and as a bonus I had the right to the Loss of 50% of the good operation of my alias, I forced to repair the USB key three times, I even tried on an external disk, but I was using it prematurely ...

I have more than 2500 aliases, so re-creating them all with each update is not simple.

Sorry for my English (google).

Jean-Luc

Hello again,

This afternoon I had the pleasant surprise of having found my "icns" on my alias. They reappeared after ejecting the disc, then disconnecting and reconnecting the disc. My working disk is a Seagate formatted in "Mac OS Extended".

So I just had a little experience.

1) If I start the Mac with the connected disk, you need an eject to have my icons.

2) If I start the Mac with the disk disconnected, it takes two ejections to get the icns.

It will have to provide for an extension of guarantee for the USB ports.

I like it when things turn out well

Jean-Luc

Just landed here. Same problem on 10.12.6

Why should we bother, we don't even have a decent Password manager on macOS.

Apple is too busy with Hollywood nowadays .. attention to detail went with Steve :(

I was looking for a solution too... and you put me on the right track!

No, you can't change the icon of an alias. You need to change it in the original, then create an alias and the the icon will display also in the alias.

Thanks!

The problem still exists when the alias folder in question is on the desktop or documents folder and syncs to another mac. When trying to keep the icons of an alias folder the same between macs, it is not possible. If one computer has the icon for the folder, it will not allow the other computer to use the show the icon for the same alias folder, for some reason. So the only way to have the same icon for a folder on two macs that are syncing files on icloud is to create two alias' and ignore the second alias folder on the other mac. If someone knows how to fix this issue I'd be very very grateful. I've tried everything. Micky Blue eyes suggestion works, but when applied to the icloud syncing I refer to above, though it will allow you to use the icon for the folder in question, when you go to the folder on the other mac that used to have the icon, it is gone. Weird, dumb, and I'm not sure it's fixable. If anyone has work around or another way of going about it I'd be happy to hear it. Please and thank you.

Fixed my own problem. Skipping the alias part and taking the folder out of the "icloud" folder and putting it on the desktop itself, which is part of icloud of course, but takes out a layer of icloudedness that clearly caused my issues. The folders match now have the same icon on both computers. Thank you, user name 99. Good work.

Thanks for your suggestion, it worked for me. I now have the correct icon instead of the plain "folder" icon.