As discussed in the response to the first question in the column this week it is possible to customise the appearance of folders in Windows XP. If you right-click on a folder and select “Properties” the properties window for that folder will appear. Select the “Customize” tab which gives you various options for customizing the appearance of that folder, such as changing the picture which appears on a folder (when viewed in Thumbnail view) or changing the folder icon for other views (apart from Thumbnail view). Just remember that certain customisations will only display when you view the icons in certain display modes. For example, the picture on the folder will only display in Thumbnail view. Conversely, customised folder icons will display in all modes except Thumbnail view. The display mode can be changed by going to the “View” menu and selecting one of the options: Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List or Details.