how do you remove shortcut arrow from desktop icon

Thanks davidhk129.  The howtogeek.com solution points, for the 64-bit solution, toUltimate Windows Tweaker. Is that what you arepointing me to?  What is the risk you are referring to?

Read the link carefully.......

1. It does not specify which Vista version.
2. It specifically says that it does not work for 64-bit.

excerpt :

Note: We’ve tested this and it works perfectly in Windows 7 32-bit as well, but does not work in 64-bit..

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For the benefits of others looking for answers, please mark the suggestion as Answered if it solves your problem.

It works perfectly in most respects, however, the check box to remove the arrows from desktop icons is greyed out and does not work on Windows 7 64-bit.

On Tue, 18 Jan 2011 14:51:03 +0000, bigyan adhikari wrote:

i have win7 pro 64bit .....and i want to remove shortcut arrow from desktop icon....plz can u suggest me how to do it.....which registry have to be deleted?

Although it's possible to remove the arrow, my recommendation is that

you do not do this. The arrows serve an important

function--providing quick visual identification of a shortcut. If you

remove the arrows, you run the substantial risk that sooner or later

you will delete something you wanted to keep, thinking that you were

just deleting a shortcut to it. I would leave the arrows as they are.

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Ken Blake (MS MVP)

I think there are valid situations for this.  I would like to remove the arrow for shortcuts on the Desktop that I keep to certain folders.  I have file extensions on and don't keep installers on the Desktop, so I don't see the harm in removing the arrow from my "Documents" shortcut.  I won't ever think Documents is actually stored on the Desktop.  And if anything, it would only make me more hesitant to delete a shortcut, not more likely to delete a real folder.  I wouldn't advocate removing the arrow systemwide, but it would be useful for specific Desktop icons.  This is obviously the case, because Microsoft decided to remove the arrow for the "User's Files" folder added through the "Desktop Icon Settings" panel. 

If you are not going to answer the question, why waste space with an unwanted opinion?  The question was How do i remove the arrows, NOT Should I remover the arrows.

Why would one save files to the desktop (which is not a desk top, but just a screen)?  I began working with computers about 55 years ago, and I have owned or used personal computers for about 30 years.  I do not save files to the desktop.  And if I accidentally delete a file, I just restore it.  I recognize that there is an option to immediately delete files rather than just sending the to the recycle bin that I have renamed trash.  I have never lost a file from my desktop, but I have prematurely deleted some emails that I might like to have kept.

With respect to Winaero, see "cons" comments here --> http://dottech.org/114537/windows-review-windows-shortcut-arrow-editor-program/  (of course, that was written in 2013, so things may have improved since then).

For other methods, see http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3606-shortcut-arrow-change-remove-restore.html