How can I use the images within shell32.dll in my C# project?

Question

Thomas Levesque · Accepted Answer · 2014-05-01T20:07:50.387

You can extract icons from a DLL with this code:

public class IconExtractor
{

    public static Icon Extract(string file, int number, bool largeIcon)
    {
        IntPtr large;
        IntPtr small;
        ExtractIconEx(file, number, out large, out small, 1);
        try
        {
            return Icon.FromHandle(largeIcon ? large : small);
        }
        catch
        {
            return null;
        }

    }
    [DllImport("Shell32.dll", EntryPoint = "ExtractIconExW", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    private static extern int ExtractIconEx(string sFile, int iIndex, out IntPtr piLargeVersion, out IntPtr piSmallVersion, int amountIcons);

}

...

form.Icon = IconExtractor.Extract("shell32.dll", 42, true);

Of course you need to know the index of the image in the DLL...

Tip, if you want to check the index of the image, you can use this site: https://renenyffenegger.ch/development/Windows/PowerShell/examples/WinAPI/ExtractIconEx/shell32.html — Gustavo Mauricio De Barros, Apr 06 '23 at 17:14

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 21 '20 at 20:44

The code in the accepted answer leaks one icon handle each time it's called, as it always asks for two icon handles and only gives one back.

Here is a version that doesn't leak a handle:

public static Icon Extract(string filePath, int index, bool largeIcon = true)
{
    if (filePath == null)
        throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(filePath));

    IntPtr hIcon;
    if (largeIcon)
    {
        ExtractIconEx(filePath, index, out hIcon, IntPtr.Zero, 1);
    }
    else
    {
        ExtractIconEx(filePath, index, IntPtr.Zero, out hIcon, 1);
    }

    return hIcon != IntPtr.Zero ? Icon.FromHandle(hIcon) : null;
}

[DllImport("shell32", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
private static extern int ExtractIconEx(string lpszFile, int nIconIndex, out IntPtr phiconLarge, IntPtr phiconSmall, int nIcons);

[DllImport("shell32", CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
private static extern int ExtractIconEx(string lpszFile, int nIconIndex, IntPtr phiconLarge, out IntPtr phiconSmall, int nIcons);

I was just re-reading my answer because someone commented on it, and I was realizing the same thing... 12 years later ^^ — Thomas Levesque, Apr 07 '23 at 01:35

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 29 '11 at 12:25

4

This thread on the MSDN developer forums offers a solution:

The typical way to implement these in .NET is to use the graphics provided in the ZIP file located at C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio X\Common7\VS200XImageLibrary.

You don't state which version of Visual Studio you have installed but you'll need to replace the "200X" with your version number.

answered Jul 29 '11 at 12:25

ChrisF

134,786
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"These graphics are not included with the Express Editions." – endolith Sep 19 '19 at 14:02
@endolith - I've had no need to revisit this answer in 8 years so if things have moved on I wouldn't have updated the answer. Perhaps we need to close this question as a duplicate of the one you've found. – ChrisF Sep 19 '19 at 14:12

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered May 20 '16 at 17:17

See this code. It will be help

public class ExtractIcon
{
    [DllImport("Shell32.dll")]
    private static extern int SHGetFileInfo(
        string pszPath, uint dwFileAttributes,
        out SHFILEINFO psfi, uint cbfileInfo,
        SHGFI uFlags);

    private struct SHFILEINFO
    {
        public SHFILEINFO(bool b)
        {
            hIcon = IntPtr.Zero; iIcon = 0; dwAttributes = 0; szDisplayName = ""; szTypeName = "";
        }
        public IntPtr hIcon;
        public int iIcon;
        public uint dwAttributes;
        public string szDisplayName;
        public string szTypeName;
    };

    private enum SHGFI
    {
        SmallIcon = 0x00000001,
        OpenIcon = 0x00000002,
        LargeIcon = 0x00000000,
        Icon = 0x00000100,
        DisplayName = 0x00000200,
        Typename = 0x00000400,
        SysIconIndex = 0x00004000,
        LinkOverlay = 0x00008000,
        UseFileAttributes = 0x00000010
    }

    public static Icon GetIcon(string strPath, bool bSmall, bool bOpen)
    {
        SHFILEINFO info = new SHFILEINFO(true);
        int cbFileInfo = Marshal.SizeOf(info);
        SHGFI flags;

        if (bSmall)
            flags = SHGFI.Icon | SHGFI.SmallIcon;
        else
            flags = SHGFI.Icon | SHGFI.LargeIcon;

        if (bOpen) flags = flags | SHGFI.OpenIcon;

        SHGetFileInfo(strPath, 0, out info, (uint)cbFileInfo, flags);

        return Icon.FromHandle(info.hIcon);
    }
}

score 2 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 29 '11 at 12:25

2

Some of them are available in %Program Files%\Microsoft Visual Studio 10.0\Common7\VS2010ImageLibrary - for others, you'd need to speak to Microsoft's lawyers about licensing them for redistribution in your application

answered Jul 29 '11 at 12:25

Rowland Shaw

37,700
14
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How can I use the images within shell32.dll in my C# project?

5 Answers5

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