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
    2012-11-01T22:28:01+00:00

    Ken, I disagree with you completely!  The arrow size it WAY TOO MUCH, TOO BIG.  I have tried using the several methods that I have found, including the one for editing the registry.  The later one is not correct, either.  I am using Windows 7 Home Premium Edition on an eMachine computer.  Before I had to do a restore to factory conditions, I had a program that took out the arrow on it.  I have no problems with mistaking what I should and shouldn't delete.  The warnings pop up with sufficient notice if I am screwing up.  The Arrow is ungly and detracts from the Icon for the program that I am trying to use.  I much prefer a clean screen to one with the excuse you are trying to promote with having the arrow stay there.  If I can find that program that I used before, I WILL change the screen back to something that isn't ugly!  Somehow, it seems to me that the program I used was for an XP rather than the Windows 7.  It worked fine and got rid of the overly large arrows.  I hope I can find it again.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-10-22T12:06:53+00:00

    jai 123, thank you so f***ing much for this.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-07-21T20:10:02+00:00

    BTW Guys you can change the big arrow you get on 7 to the tiny white arrow you get with Win XP through registry, it's more aesthetically pleasing and you can still see with ease whether it is a shortcut or not.

    Can't remember the directory in regedit you need to go but anyone with half a brain that knows how to use keywords on Google will find it in 5 minutes.

    Though this thread is old so you probably don't care now. :)

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