January 3, 2014 
Some FileMaker developers, myself included, were disappointed that FileMaker Inc., did not alter the colour scheme of the new icon for FileMaker Pro 13. As a developer, I keep usually keep the last few versions of FileMaker Pro active on my drive. Lined up in my dock, I can’t tell which is FileMaker 12 and which is FileMaker 13 based on their icons. I also have this issue when I use Command Tab (Control Tab on Windows) to move back and forth between programs.
Now, thanks to Jamey Key of Jack Key Auto Transport, Inc., Dallas Texas, you can change your file icon with this alternatively coloured png file. Here is a link to the Photoshop file, if you don’t like Jamey’s colour scheme you can edit it with your own colour scheme. Personally, I kind of like the green blue combo he came up with, but now you can alter it to your heart’s content. Thanks Jamey!
2014-01-20 Update: Even better choices for icons from Herrfriedrich.com
TL;DNR Version
The Problem – FileMaker Pro 12 and 13 Share the Same Icon
Result: Confusion for developers who work with more than one version on their system.
- FileMaker 11
- FileMaker 12 (or possibly FileMaker 13)
- FileMaker 13 (or possibly FileMaker 12)
Same Issue on Windows 8
Windows developers will see the same problem. The screenshot above is from the Task Bar in Windows 8.
The Solution: A New Icon for FileMaker Pro 13
Too bright? Too garish? Not this year’s colours? It is distinctive however.
Macintosh users can replace the FileMaker Pro icon simply. Start by right clicking on the image above and select ‘Copy Image’.
Macintosh: ‘Get Info’ on FileMaker Pro 13 Application
- Open the Applications folder on your Hard Drive,
- Locate FileMaker Pro 13 or FileMaker Pro Advanced 13
- Right click and select ‘Get Info’.
- Click in the icon area at the top left and paste
- Restart FileMaker Pro 13
Windows Icon Switching More Complicated
Changing icons in Windows is a little trickier. Applications (.EXE files) on Windows have an internal .ICO file that’s added by the developer of the application. You will need to use a .ico version of the icon.
Apparently, Windows XP has the same ability as on the Mac, you just paste in a new Icon, but with Windows Vista on onward, it became more convoluted.
If you create your own icon based on the Photoshop file, you can convert it to a .ico file for free at this web site: ConvertIcon.com Be sure to export in a number of sizes, as Windows 8 seems to need more than one size. I am not sure which, so I clicked them all.
Windows 8 Task Bar
I found help on this topic of changing Windows icons here .
Right Click on FileMaker Pro. This will bring up a popup with two items.
Right Click Again this time on the words ‘FileMaker Pro’
- Right Click again on FileMaker Pro (or Advanced).
- This should bring up a contextual menu with Properties. Click on Properties.
Click ‘Change Icon’
Click “Browse” to Select the New .ico File
Select the New Icon File
Select an Icon from the Box and click OK
New Icon Displays
Looks good at this stage…
Ta Da! — Not
I ran through all the steps above and failed to make the icon change. Perhaps you will have better luck. Send me a comment or an email to let me know how it is done and I will include it here in an update.
Reverting to Regular FileMaker Icon
If you get tired of the new colour scheme, on the Macintosh, reverting is a simple matter, go back to the Get Info window, click on the icon and hit the delete key. The original icon will be restored. On Windows, simply unpin the icon from your Task Bar and repin it again. The technique described above was only altering the Short Cut icon, not the actual application icon.
FileMaker Pro 13 with a New Icon in the Dock
Anyway, back on the Mac, all is good and I am happy. One developer’s confusion is solved.
Addendum
Jamey notes: “I added some stuff to the Photoshop file in case you want a plain FileMaker Pro icon as well as the FileMaker Pro Advanced one above. Either use the first three layers or the fourth one. Also, if the icon is not lining up in the dock next to the pink 12 icon, you might consider opening it in Preview first and Select All and copying it. But when you do, make a square selection (mine is 521×521 and keep the open space at the top – see my screenshot). This has helped me keep the icons lined up horizontally better. You may have to experiment.”
2014-01-13 Update: Reader Jon Snyder reports:
Found a way to change the FileMaker Pro 13 icon on Windows 7.
1. Unpin existing shortcut from task bar
2. Copy ico to FileMaker folder in Program Files(x86) – this location may not be necessarily the only one.
3. Right-click the Desktop Shortcut for FileMaker Pro 13 (or create it) and select Properties.
4. Click Change Icon button
5. Browse to select “ico” file
6. New icon will display
7. Pin to Task Bar as a final step
2014-03-12 Update: Reader Janamavida says:
The icon must be in the folder where is filemaker:
?:\Program files\filemaker\xxx.ico
?:\filemaker\xxx.ico.
HomeBase Software 
When I click on any of the links to get the Photoshop file, I get a blank Safari page. Are these no longer available?
Check your downloads folder for the file.