Windows 10 Will Finally Get Rid of Windows 95 Era Icons
Microsoft's Windows 10 update 21H2 „Sun Valley” will refresh the look of the icons, which haven't changed much since Windows 95. The new icon design will be much more modern.
Windows 10 is expected to receive the 21H2 "Sun Valley" update in the fall. There's going to be a lot of visual changes and unification of the system's visual style. Microsoft is betting on a modern look, including "floating" start menu and rounded interface. Big changes are also waiting for folders in File Explorer. The folder will again be horizontal, there will be a lot of color and a simpler appearance, which should make it easier to distinguish the place where we keep our photos from the folder with documents. Disk and external media icons will be simplified and "straightened out".
One of the priorities has been the consistency of appearance, therefore icons in shell32.dll, which have not been refreshed for a long time, presenting folders, disks or external media will be changed. The icons will finally be consistent with the rest of the system and will abandon the style that has accompanied them since Windows 95.
Not all users employ these icons and some may not have even been aware that they exist. Looking at their appearance so far, they've also been forgotten by Microsoft, which won't say goodbye to the 1990s until late 2021.
The biggest changes concern external drives and media, which got a much refreshed look. Some people may not like the size reduction of the icon (floppy or CD), which may make it less readable. The refresh of icons associated with the Internet, on the other hand, is welcome.
There are big changes coming, which, at least in theory, should improve the use of the system. New icons, however, will have to face up to our long-standing habits. We will find out who will win this clash in October or November, this year.
