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
    2013-02-03T20:57:59+00:00
    1. Some of us got windows 7 recently.  I am one.
    2. When you carry the MS banner, people will assume your are an MS employee.
    3. Agree with answering the question as posed.
    4. Gee, how did we all keep from deleting importattn stuff by accident before Windows 7 and the big ugly arrow?
    5. How about a way to use the icon for the actual site to which an icon links like you could up until now?
    6. No wonder MS is losing the mobile OS battle. There are more alternatives there than on the desktop.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-02-03T21:20:31+00:00
    1. Some of us got windows 7 recently.  I am one.
    2. When you carry the MS banner, people will assume your are an MS employee.
    3. Agree with answering the question as posed.
    4. Gee, how did we all keep from deleting importattn stuff by accident before Windows 7 and the big ugly arrow?
    5. How about a way to use the icon for the actual site to which an icon links like you could up until now?
    6. No wonder MS is losing the mobile OS battle. There are more alternatives there than on the desktop.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-02-23T14:01:23+00:00

    I do not keep files on the desktop. I only have shortcuts to programs. The programs are stored in the program files. There is always a chance that I might accidentally delete something,

    but  I doubt that an arrow would have stopped me, being that they are so common that I just ignore them anyway. On the rare occasion that a precious file is deleted, wouldn't you be able to restore it from the recycle bin.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-05-23T12:45:07+00:00

    I know, old post, but I can't help myself

    I put all kinds of **** on my desktop - it's my default dumping ground for skype file transfers, chrome downloads etc etc.

    If, however I download something important, I put it somewhere sensible. I occassionally do a select all, delete on my desktop because I know there's nothing there but junk and shortcuts that I didn't want some random installer to put there anyway.

    shortcut arrows make the interface look unpolished/unprofessional. I hate apple as a company with a passion for their expensive-style-over-substance approach to products but it would be nice for SOME style to be present in a MS product ;)

    thanks to whoever-it-was for posting the shortcut arrow remover link. I'll have a play with that.

    Problem with MVPs (and us programmers) is we come up with an idea and program it and then get very upset if other people don't think it's as much of a good idea as we do. Like buying an energy efficient washing machine and the average user always using it on the hottest setting because it cleans better- why do the designers even bother? lol

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