How to set the icon of an application EXE file programmatically? - c++

Question

How to change the default application icon to a custom icon Programmatically, i.e. without using a resource file (just putting an icon beside the EXE file).
I only know a way that uses a resource file, but I want to know a way that does that programmatically (code and external icon).
Also, I have tried the following code:
HANDLE hIcon = LoadImage(0, L"icon.ico", IMAGE_ICON, 0, 0, LR_DEFAULTSIZE | LR_LOADFROMFILE);
HWND hwnd = GetConsoleWindow();
if (hIcon) {
//Change both icons to the same icon handle.
SendMessage(hwnd, WM_SETICON, ICON_SMALL,(LPARAM) hIcon);
SendMessage(hwnd, WM_SETICON, ICON_BIG, (LPARAM) hIcon);
//This will ensure that the application icon gets changed too.
SendMessage(GetWindow(hwnd, GW_OWNER), WM_SETICON, ICON_SMALL, (LPARAM) hIcon);
SendMessage(GetWindow(hwnd, GW_OWNER), WM_SETICON, ICON_BIG, (LPARAM)hIcon);
}
But that code just changes the icon that at the left corner of the window, not the application EXE file.
How to set the icon of an application EXE file programmatically?

Answer 1

An EXE cannot change its own icon programmably at runtime (it can only change the icon displayed in its UI windows, as you discovered). The EXE's icon must be stored statically in the EXE's resources, that is where the OS looks for the icon. And the EXE's resources cannot be altered while the EXE is running.
However, you CAN create a shortcut to the EXE and then change the icon of the shortcut.