BYTETOOLS

ICO to PNG Converter

Convert a Windows .ico or .cur file to PNG and pull out every size stored inside it, with transparency preserved on each one.

Drop a .ico or .cur file to pull out every sizeParsed byte by byte in your browser — nothing is uploaded

A Windows icon file can hold several images at once. Choose one and every size inside it becomes a separate downloadable PNG with its transparency intact.

What is the ICO to PNG Converter?

A Windows icon file is a container, not a single picture. One .

  • Reads the full ICONDIR table, so no size hidden inside the file is missed
  • Handles PNG-compressed entries and 1, 4, 8, 24 and 32-bit BMP entries
  • Applies the AND mask so transparent corners really come out transparent
  • Works with .cur cursor files as well as .ico icons
  • Every size previewed on a checkerboard and downloadable individually
  • Runs entirely in your browser — the icon is never uploaded

How to use the ICO to PNG Converter

  1. 1

    Drop a .ico or .cur file onto the upload area, or click it to browse.

  2. 2

    Check the summary tiles for how many images the container holds, the largest size and whether it is an icon or a cursor.

  3. 3

    Look through the list — each row shows the pixel size, whether that entry is PNG or BMP data, its bit depth and how many bytes it takes.

  4. 4

    Click Download beside any size to save it as a PNG, or Download all PNGs to save every size in one go.

About the ICO to PNG Converter

A Windows icon file is a container, not a single picture. One .ico can hold a 16-pixel version for the browser tab, a 32-pixel version for the taskbar and a 256-pixel version for the desktop, each stored separately. This converter reads that directory, decodes every entry and hands each one back as an ordinary PNG.

Both kinds of entry are supported. Modern icons store their larger sizes as compressed PNG data, which is passed straight through. Older entries are Windows bitmaps with a separate one-bit AND mask for transparency, so the bitmap header is read by hand, the palette applied and the mask turned back into an alpha channel.

Everything happens on your own machine. The file is read straight from the drop zone with the browser File API and parsed byte by byte in JavaScript, so nothing is uploaded to any server. That makes it safe for a client's brand assets, an internal application icon or an icon you extracted from software you are inspecting.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert an ICO file to PNG?

Drop the .ico onto this page and every image inside it is decoded into a separate PNG you can download. You do not need Photoshop or an online converter that uploads your file, because the whole conversion runs in your browser.

Why does one ICO file give me several PNG files?

An icon file is a container that usually stores the same artwork at several sizes so Windows can pick the right one for each context. This tool extracts each of those stored images, which is why a single .ico often produces four to eight PNGs.

Does converting ICO to PNG keep transparency?

Yes. PNG-compressed entries keep their alpha channel directly, and for older bitmap entries the one-bit AND mask is applied so masked pixels come out fully transparent. The resulting PNGs sit correctly on any background.

Can this tool open .cur cursor files?

It can. A cursor uses the same container format as an icon with a different type marker, so the images are read the same way. The hotspot coordinates are not part of the image and are not exported.

Is my icon file uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is read locally with the browser File API and parsed in JavaScript on your own device. Nothing is transmitted, so you can safely convert confidential or unreleased artwork.

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