Renaming the Network Icon in Windows 7



The My Network Places icon has been renamed to simply Network in Windows 7. If you are particular about the naming of your icons or you find it hard to get used to the Network icon after years of seeing My Network Places, you can change it. You can't simply click on the icon and rename it like other icons. You have to do it through a more advanced method by modifying the Windows Registry. Below are the steps to change or rename your Network icon:

1) Click the Start button from the Taskbar.

2) In the Search box, type "regedit", and then press Enter. If you are using the Windows Classic Start menu, you need to click Run, type "regedit", and then click OK.

Caution: Be very careful when modifying the Windows Registry. Mistakes can cause major problems. By major, I mean everything from a program failing to start to your computer being made unusable. One false move in the Registry can spell disaster, so be careful!

It is also a good idea to make a backup copy prior to making any changes to the Registry. To make backup, follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor by following steps 1 and 2.

2. In the Registry Editor, click File on the menu and select Export.

3. On the bottom of the dialog box, select the All option for the Export Range.

4. Browse, find, and select a location to save the registry. It is best to save it to a removable shortage device like a flash drive, floppy disc, or CD.

5. Enter your desired file name, such as Registry_Backup_DATE.

6. Click Save and wait until it is done which may take a few minutes.

3) Navigate to the following folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache , as shown in Figure 1:

Figure 1: Navigating to the MuiCache registry folder



1. Navigate to this folder.

4) Locate and double-click on the following Registry entry, as shown in Figure 2:

@C:\Windows\system32\NetworkExplorer.dll,-1

Figure 2: Opening the registry key properties



1. Double-click this entry.

5) Enter your desired name in the Value Data field, as shown in Figure 3, and click OK.

Figure 3: Renaming the Network icon



1. Enter the desired name here.

6) Close the Registry Editor.

7) To activate the new icon name, right-click anywhere on the desktop and select Refresh.

Now the new icon name will appear.