ICO File

What are ICO files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening an ICO file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your ICO files.

What is an ICO file?

ICO files have multiple uses, and Windows Icon is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Windows Icon

The ICO file format is a Microsoft image file format used for icons on Windows PCs. ICO files contain small images in multiple sizes and color depths, allowing Windows to scale them as needed without loss of quality.

In Windows, ICO files are used when displaying links to executable files and folders on the Windows Desktop, Start Menu, Windows Explorer, etc.

How to open ICO files

We have identified six ICO openers that are compatible with this specific type of ICO file.

Programs that open Windows Icon files

Last updated: January 3, 2024

All known file formats using extension .ICO

While Windows Icon is a popular type of ICO-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .ICO file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

OS/2 Icon

Similar to the Windows ICO format, this icon file format was made specifically for the IBM OS/2 operating system.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested ten different ICO openers which you will find listed below.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of ICO files. Remember, different programs may use ICO files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about ICO file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.