How to create a high quality icon for my Windows application?

Question

If you are running Windows with a higher DPI setting you will notice that most application icons on the desktop look terrible. Even some high profile application icons such as G

Answer 1

Try enlarging your icons (Ctrl+MouseWheelUp) to a massive size and see if Windows picks up the larger icon, this will work even on standard DPI screen. (I use really really really large icons myself).

If using massive icons still only displays the lower resolution one, then it's a problem with the ICO file. Our graphic designer outputs icons containing 256, 64, 48, 32, 24 and 16 pixel sizes, each in True Color, 256 color and 16 color and that's working fine here on Win7 x64