How to change the app icon displayed at the windows taskbar during runtime?

[Mith]

hi,

at the load event of my form i use the API SendMessage with WM_SETICON to set the 16px icon (ICON_SMALL) for the form and the 32px icon (ICON_BIG) for the taskbar/app-switcher.

If i use the API SendMessage with WM_SETICON & ICON_BIG later during runtime the icon at the windows taskbar doesnt change anymore. But the 32px icon at the app-switcher (ALT+TAB) is changed!

Does anyone know how to change the app icon displayed at the windows taskbar during runtime?

[yokesee]

I use this I do not know if it will work for you.

Private Declare Function GetSystemMetrics Lib "user32" (ByVal nIndex As Long) As Long

Private Const SM_CXICON = 11
Private Const SM_CYICON = 12

Private Const SM_CXSMICON = 49
Private Const SM_CYSMICON = 50
   
Private Declare Function LoadImageAsString Lib "user32" Alias "LoadImageA" (ByVal hInst As Long, ByVal lpsz As String, ByVal uType As Long, ByVal cxDesired As Long, ByVal cyDesired As Long, ByVal fuLoad As Long) As Long
   
Private Const LR_DEFAULTCOLOR = &H0
Private Const LR_MONOCHROME = &H1
Private Const LR_COLOR = &H2
Private Const LR_COPYRETURNORG = &H4
Private Const LR_COPYDELETEORG = &H8
Private Const LR_LOADFROMFILE = &H10
Private Const LR_LOADTRANSPARENT = &H20
Private Const LR_DEFAULTSIZE = &H40
Private Const LR_VGACOLOR = &H80
Private Const LR_LOADMAP3DCOLORS = &H1000
Private Const LR_CREATEDIBSECTION = &H2000
Private Const LR_COPYFROMRESOURCE = &H4000
Private Const LR_SHARED = &H8000&

Private Const IMAGE_ICON = 1

Private Declare Function SendMessageLong Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, ByVal lParam As Long) As Long

Private Const WM_SETICON = &H80

Private Const ICON_SMALL = 0
Private Const ICON_BIG = 1

Private Declare Function GetWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal wCmd As Long) As Long
Private Const GW_OWNER = 4


Public Sub SetIcon(ByVal hWnd As Long, ByVal sIconResName As String, Optional ByVal bSetAsAppIcon As Boolean = True)
Dim lhWndTop As Long
Dim lhWnd As Long
Dim cx As Long
Dim cy As Long
Dim hIconLarge As Long
Dim hIconSmall As Long
      
   If (bSetAsAppIcon) Then
      ' Find VB's hidden parent window:
      lhWnd = hWnd
      lhWndTop = lhWnd
      Do While Not (lhWnd = 0)
         lhWnd = GetWindow(lhWnd, GW_OWNER)
         If Not (lhWnd = 0) Then
            lhWndTop = lhWnd
         End If
      Loop
   End If
   
   cx = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXICON)
   cy = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYICON)
   hIconLarge = LoadImageAsString(App.hInstance, sIconResName, IMAGE_ICON, cx, cy, LR_SHARED)
   If (bSetAsAppIcon) Then
      SendMessageLong lhWndTop, WM_SETICON, ICON_BIG, hIconLarge
   End If
   SendMessageLong hWnd, WM_SETICON, ICON_BIG, hIconLarge
   
   cx = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CXSMICON)
   cy = GetSystemMetrics(SM_CYSMICON)
   hIconSmall = LoadImageAsString(App.hInstance, sIconResName, IMAGE_ICON, cx, cy, LR_SHARED)
   If (bSetAsAppIcon) Then
      SendMessageLong lhWndTop, WM_SETICON, ICON_SMALL, hIconSmall
   End If
   SendMessageLong hWnd, WM_SETICON, ICON_SMALL, hIconSmall
   
End Sub

Use:

Private Sub Form_Load()
    SetIcon Me.hWnd, "AAA", True
End Sub

[Mith]

I use this I do not know if it will work for you.

I use a similar code but the code (SendMessageLong & WM_SETICON & ICON_BIG) works only at the form_load event.
After the form is loaded the code doesnt change the icon at the windows taskbar anymore.
You can try it yourself. I tested the code with Win8/10/11.

I just hope there is another API to change the icon at the windows taskbar at runtime (after the form is loaded)...