how do you remove shortcut arrow from desktop icon

Anonymous
2011-01-18T14:51:03+00:00

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?

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Anonymous
2012-02-09T17:39:38+00:00

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.


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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-08-12T13:37:16+00:00

    why do assh0les always have to answer a question with another? If you dont know the answer, then keep quiet!

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-06-27T08:46:23+00:00

    it seems win7 supports both symbol link and junction to a folder. so when i open this kind of folder shortcut, it just looks like twin of original folder. so i was hesitating on deleting this shortcut. i tried. it is safe to delete this kind of shortcut( a junction to folder).

    BTW, you can use command to create this kind of shortcut( a junction to folder):

    mklink /j "Desktop\Doc" c:\Doc

    so the shortcut on top of Desktop just act as a real folder except you can delete it without worrying losing real content.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-06-22T06:53:43+00:00

    Remove arrow icon through tune up utility

    Download and install trial version and follow this Procedure

    http://www.thegeeksolutions.in/2012/02/how-to-remove-shortcut-arrows-from.html

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-06-05T02:27:38+00:00

    I have had this question before and on a new install googled the key words which led me here first.  I remembered the solution before getting past page one here, but read on to see where this ridiculous thread went.  So I want to help shorten other peoples' queries.

    .

    ANSWER: VISTA SHORTCUT MANAGER WORKS

    .

    It does the job and works for 7 both 32 and 64 bit systems.

    http://vista-shortcut-manager.software.informer.com/

    .

    This is mentioned elsewhere in the thread, but since Microsoft does not seem to monitor their threads, multiple posts are excusable. i.e, jumping to the end of threads is where I typically find solutions.

    .

    SUMMARY: Ken, if you really work for microsoft, you do them shame. For every "member" who signs in, there are thousands of people passing through looking for answers. Jai's response is righteous in both senses of the word. Individuals who begin by asking "why" to strangers on almost any type of computer question are pretentious and should have their mouse and keyboard taken away. To presume you understand all the desired uses and applications of a PC undertaken by hundreds of millions of users worldwide simply demonstrates the intellectual aspirations of a twit.

    In short, with bigger monitors and more desktop space, intelligent people are able to organize files and icons separately without a problem.  Deleted files aren't lost until user chooses to lose them. I hope you have been able to figure this out in the last two years.

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