Green check marks on desktop icons

Anonymous
2009-11-10T23:14:51+00:00

Suddenly all my desktop icons have green check marks on them.  What does it mean?  How do I fix them?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2011-02-14T02:55:52+00:00

Suddenly all my desktop icons have green check marks on them.  What does it mean?  How do I fix them?

Hi,

Do you use norton 360? Norton -> Settings -> Backup Settings -> Backup Status Overlays -> OFF -> Apply.  After you run your next backup (you can do it manually) the check marks will disappear.

Hope this helps.

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-03-06T04:03:17+00:00

    The original question was NOT how to get ride of them, the question is why are they there and what do the green check marks mean? Were the checkmarks put there by the Windows OS or by some app or service?

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-03-07T01:38:59+00:00

    I found the answer. Thanks to the comments on onedrive.

    This is caused by one drive which is now a part of Windows 10.

    The green check mark means one drive is backing/syncing these files.

    Right click on desktop and click on choose folders to sync. You will find your desktop along with all the windows folders synced.

    Yes by default after an update onedrive decided to backup all these folders without telling us.

    So I let them one as I would want to backup my desktop.

    So turning of Backup overlays or uninstalling Onedrive is not the correct solutions especially if you use onedrive.

    Simply deselect the desktop from sync, while at it also remove other folders you don't want to sync.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-03-07T01:40:34+00:00

    check my answer below in detail. Short version Onedrive is adding it because by default it syncs your desktop along with other folders like documents, pictures etc. Unchecking these folders from sync will remove the check mark

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  4. Anonymous
    2019-04-02T08:12:25+00:00

    I have the same thing going on. And no, I don't use Norton 360. I use Windows Defender.

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