remove shortcut arrows on icons windows 10

I hate those arrows. He has covered Windows Vista, 7, 10, and 11 topics within a multitude of guides for MakeUseOf and numerous other websites. I restarted explorer.exe and computer to check and everything was alright zoom it and zoom out icons. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Editorial Director for How-To Geek and its sister sites. Step 1: Open Registry Editor on Windows. I followed directions to the tee. In the Value data box enter (or copy and paste): %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-50 and hit OK when done. Youll be prompted to Restart the Explorer. Still, you are touching the registry so make sure you have backed up your PC just in case if you feel uncomfortable. 4. Creating a shortcut in Windows will automatically add an arrow icon overlay over the actual shortcut icon. Microsoft added a big search box in the task bar in Windows 10. In fact, rows of icons just reminds me of iPhones and iPads now. Click OK to bring up the Registry Editor. Let's see how to do it. Entering the wrong text here can result in a broken icon system, which means that clicking on your shortcut won't do anything, or the shortcut icon won't appear at all. And recently I got one amazing method that can change the arrows on the shortcut icon in the Windows 10. Both systems have windows 10 and are fully up to date. The desktop folder will still be accessible in Explorer. Make a tweak or two at a time andsee how they work, then come back for more. i did this. Steps to Remove shortcut arrows by editing the Registry manually:-. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a11d38e9f2dcab5 Afterwards, you should have a nice, clean desktop with no arrow shortcuts. Name the new value 29. This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. That might sound a little daunting, but a pretty straightforward registry tweak is all thats needed. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. The start menu does it all. While it isnt the easiest way, you can edit the registry yourself without downloading or running any extra software. If you want to undo your edits, delete the file in your Registry called "29". I've just used this method yesterday and it worked out fine. This is very helpful to restore the registry to the original state. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen, or press Win.2-Type reged. Click the small right-pointing arrow icon next to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE." I was perfectly fine with those shortcut arrows until I read this article. Generally, the arrow icon overlay on a shortcut icon helps you differentiate between a file or application and a shortcut at a glance. You can either shrink the arrow size for the arrow shortcuts or remove them altogether from your icons. A lot of effort for somehing I see only 3-4 times a month for a minute or two, I can't even remember the last time I actually clicked a desktop icon. It seems like your suggestion doesn't works on Windows 10 (no mutter 32 or 64 bit). Control Panel (or Settings) -> type "icons desktop" in the search box -> click/tap Show or hide command icons on the desktop. It's several revisions old, but still fun. A lot of homework to do! Its pretty quick and easy to remove the icon arrows with either of the methods above. I store all of my apps and such in the Start Menu but I have a backup of my music on my desktop and computer guff like Command Prompt and Notepad on the Desktop. what this article teaches is a shameless hack. I mean after editing the registry setting will it create a problem such as i need to restore my pc,,Cuzz i installed windows 10 on my pc. I can totally see where you're coming from! Wow you can do anything to Windows through the registry. Wish i hadn't done it because someone below said to just remove the 29 value, that way you don't have to go back to arrows. If theres not, youll need to create it by right-clicking the Explorer folder icon, choosing New > Key, and naming it Shell Icons. These methods should work in Windows 7, 8, and 10. The desktop is for housing running applications. Use ICO image file to hide the Arrow: Of course, you could go more advanced and define your own shortcut arrows or even change your system icons, but that is for another day. What other visual cue does it have to tell you it's a shortcut? Performance & security by Cloudflare. Double-click the new 29 value and type (or copy and paste) the following into the Value data box to remove arrows from shortcut icons: Click OK and exit Registry Editor. Thank you. Windows 10 is just the most obvious version to demo on and for. In Two methods we can remove the Shortcut Arrow in Windows 10. Alternatively, move the arrows ICO file into that folder after downloading it. Steps of How To Remove Shortcut Arrows In Windows 10 Without Software 1. Daniel, There must be a way to achieve this within Windows without having to resort to using non-microsoft software. Anyway, OCD person's nightmare. Yetserday I tried this and the icons on my desktop looked so good, but today they look like this. When you select that option, the Icons folder shown directly below will open from which you can select different arrows for the icon. All rights reserved. Have to admitlost a bit of respect for DRubino seeing him use desktop shortcuts for launching apps. Nevertheless, you can still remove those arrows from desktop shortcut icons in Windows 11/10 with the two alternative methods below. Just download it, run it, and start tweaking. I'm guessing you're Jamaican? Choose one of the four options from the list and click Apply. Aside from removing the arrow overlays, you can also change them to more appealing ones by selecting ShortcutArrow Changers Custom shortcut icon option. Yea,actually this tweak is not like in other builds of Win7 and Xp. Then Small Windows prompted Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your PC? Read: How to Center Taskbar Icons in Windows 10. If you attempt this method and get either transparent, black, or white boxes, you'll want to restore a backup of the Registry that you made. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The taskbar is always visible, the desktop isn't. The concept and implementation works for me. and that's not always a good thing, it's very dangerous to mess with the registry, I only do it for important things, and this arrows thing is not one of them, if there isn't an option in the settings, then I consider it's not meant to be. I always here that it's dangerous I believe it but I also think you should learn how to use it. To undo that change, you can delete the file called "29" from the folder you created. Does anyone else have a problem with a giant black box on each of their icons? Daniel, So I leave em. In the right pane of the Shell Icons key, right-click on any empty area, and select New > String Value. I hate how when I plug in a Bitlocker-protected external drive, the W10 notification category says "Calculator". Same thing happened to me. He clearly says "make sure you have backed up your PC". Its the easiest way to get rid of the arrow overlay. I just never knew you could change something so miniscule as the arrow on an icon. please send us a fix, Skip step 7. Do let me know in the comment section below. Research says that the "fix" may not work in newer versions of Win10. No, works on any version of Windows. Now well change the value. Here is how. it displays an icon with a arrow which l don't like and want to remove those arrows so that l can have only that icon on desktop without the arrow. If you want to bringthe arrows back, just delete the 29 value you created. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Press Enter Select the new Key in the Left Pane In the right pane right click on an empty area, and click/tap on New and String Value. There are some apps likes AVG PC TuneUp 2015 (opens in new tab), which I really like, that can do this and other things, in case you are interested. 3. Thank you for signing up to Windows Central. Back to arrows though, i'm gonna try a third party program like they mention at the beginning that way it's just an uninstall, i hope, job if theres a problem rather than wondering how to go back and fix what I didn't undersand in the first place as i just followed instructions lol. I have tried what you advise, however it just makes the wwhole icon disapear. 1. DELETE VALUE DATA! I clean it off once a week or so but I work on so many projects that I just start slapping files on the desktop left and right. But now I have black squares hiding all shortcut icons altogether. Did it work? Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes AIO Repack, 9. Keeps it nice and clean. Also the wallpaper looks so good without all the junc I see some people put on there. All you have to do is download and install an application named Winaero Tweaker. If you want a dumb-system all locked down, go to OSX. Step 2: Navigate to the following key in Windows Registry Editor. With the most recent Windows 10 update, this code does not work and will instead create transparent, black, or white boxes instead of arrows over the shortcut. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Windows Central is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Double-click the 29 entry to modify it. Sure, lots of it is habit. Get the best of Windows Central in your inbox, every day! Oh, and restart for the change to take effect. If you attempt this method and get either transparent, black, or white boxes, you'll want to restore a backup of the Registry that you made. Depends. Peace :). I leave them the way they are. For now, if you want a purer desktop with less clutter, just take the five minutes and make this registry change! Sometimes the icons display properly. Before editing the registry, make a registry backup. There's that app WinAero shortcut editor that does the same. That's a cool trick, although I'm not sure what the point of the desktop icons are when you can pin apps to start, taskbar, or search for them by name without having to minimize all your windows. Completely Uninstall Riot Games (Vanguard and the Riot Games Client), How to Change the Screen Brightness in Windows 10: A Quick Guide, Turn Off Microsoft Defender in Windows 10: Temporarily or Permanently, How to Use Function Keys Without Pressing Fn on Windows 10, How to Delete Temporary Files in Windows 10: A Quick Guide, How to Eject the CD/DVD Tray on a Windows 10 PC, 2 Quick Ways to Log In as Administrator in Windows 10, https://windowsloop.com/remove-shortcut-arrow-on-shortcuts/, Remover as Flechinhas de Atalhos da rea de Trabalho. Instead, we are going to show you how to do it the nitty gritty way through the registry. This is a simple hack that anyone can do, as long as you stick to the instructions. Windows 10 is no different. Wellsince YOU are the one creating the shortcuts, one would expect that YOU know they are such. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. 5. The program was called Easy Content Menu (v1.6 from 2015) I ran the program to adjust some of my Content Menu settings, then discovered that in the menu under Extras I could select Remove Shortcut Arrows. Had to reverse this. It's like the registry has no limit to it's reach throughout the OS. Apologies, folks, for the joke. Yet for me, it's my biggest nuisance. Thanks. This is how you can disable shortcut icon arrows with ShortcutArrow Changer. You can leave the Shell Icons key in place. The registry is one big database of configuration settings for Windows. I followed steps. Didn't you read the article? NY 10036. I don't treat my desktop as if it is a folder to store things. I run some apps that do not install and just run from a .exe. You can remove shortcut icon arrows by adding a new Shell Icons key to the registry. Click Continue when prompted. Just double-click the one you want to use, click through the prompts, and then restart your computer (or log off and back on). Follow the below steps, and you should be good.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'windowsloop_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',146,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-windowsloop_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Note: Both methods shown below will work in Windows 10 and 11. I always do that. There are a few easy ways to tackle this problem. 2. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. RELATED: How to Backup and Restore the Windows Registry. This wikiHow will teach you how to remove shortcut arrows on your Windows shortcut icon by changing a few things in the Registry Editor. Double click on 29, make sure the value is empty (it should still be, even if you're having a bug), and hit 'Okay'. But was one of the best ways to force my dad to let me clean install 7(his previous install was full of registry problems he created trying to move software to other drives , not uninstalling properly) for the w10 upgrade, Don't need to log out. I hate icons and since Windows 7 I have removed every icon from the screen. Finally, confirm with "OK" and . A crack is meant to bypass security. First I'm hearing of that issue. The tiny black squares remain. Tried this - on my machines the shortcuts disappeared - but were replaced by a square black box ! But it sure didn't sound like a joke no hard feelings, I know I can be harsh sometimes, I was just emphasising (maybe too much) how I think this kind of cosmetic changes, like the settings' dark theme, shouldn't need an registry editing. In the Value data box enter C:\Windows\system32\BlankIcon.ico or the path where you saved your Blank Icon. Jack has been a freelance tech journalist for more than a decade. Cool trick. You can replace the regular arrows with the super large, Vista-style arrows. i used this method.but after some times my shortcut geting black in squreshape.plz give me suggestion how to solve. We all have pet peeves. Just leave that box empty. Create a live tile or just an icon? Open up regedit (1) Type in regedit into the Cortana/search box and (2) select regedit at the top 2. I've just simply after a system reboot, I met no arrows, BUT all desktop icons turned into black squares! And any programs go on the taskbar or are accessed in the start menu. Answer yes When prompted Do you want to. Anytime you create a shortcut, it will automatically have an arrow icon overlay. Click the Key option on the submenu. Drag Modern apps from the app list to the desktop for a surprise. In the registry editor, copy the below path, paste it in the address bar, and press Enter. Registry Editor takes you to the target folder immediately. To remove BlackBox squares from icons. Open the start menu, search for Registry Editor, and click the result to open the Registry Editor. Name it 29. I always hated them, never thought there was something I could do about them. In the Value Data box, copy and paste the following: Click OK and exit Registry Editor . After installing ShorcutArrow Changer, double-click the desktop shortcut for that software. Type regedit and click OK. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Today when I powered up my laptop, the arrow thingy was replaced by a black square. I've heard, but have never seen for myself issue from doing this. Techwiser (2012-2023). Click the small right-pointing arrow icon next to "Windows." I never cared about arrows, but I might do this :), I keep my desktop empty except recycle bin. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. I don't like the arrows either. I only have skype on my desktop so i uninstalled it and then reinstalled it and it worked but then when i shut down and restart the black blank space returns. For more resources, don't forget to check our Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks page. Look Lenovo's way to find out. How to Remove Shortcut Arrow Overlay on Windows 10, How to Center Taskbar Icons in Windows 10, How to Fix Boot Manager Is Missing in Windows 10, How to See Saved Items on Facebook Marketplace, How to Get Microsoft Teams Status Change Notifications. Now I have a black box in place of arrows. East or West Daniel is the best. #JustSaying, I got a big ugly black square now too. The desktop is where I open and used my apps not for pining icons. She earned an MA in Writing from Rowan University in 2012 and wrote her thesis on online communities and the personalities curated in such communities. Do you have something easier? It's like spilling wine on a very nice collared shirt. At least you can now uninstall from the new Start Menu directly. but leave it blank. . Last time when i changed the registry for dark theme, Apps were not accepting data from hard drives*.so i wont change it this time again and there is no defaults for registry as well. Just follow the steps directly below for editing the registry exactly as specified. Just clean icons! This doesn't break anything. Select an arrow to download from there, and click the ICO button. thx, This stumped me for a while, go to step 4 and simply delete the 29 file leaving the default one. A hack is way around the intended process of the program. This is why the term 'FIRST WORLD PROBLEM' was created. It is that simple to remove shortcut arrow overlay from shortcut icons. For stuff I use frequently I put on the taskbar and for stuff I use less (or has live tiles) goes in the start menu. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. So names on options may differ.. U can delete the key to go back. Click to reveal Open Start Menu and search for Registry Editor Tap Yes, when prompted " Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your PC? Back in the old days that's how you set just about everything. Next, extract the remove_shortcut_arrow_icon.reg file. I wish I could keep my desktop clean. You can also use the Registry to bring back the oversized arrow from the Windows Vista days, just in case you like really ugly things. Also can't quit skype from the task bar. I think doing a system backup is more effort. Now ,perfect and clean my pc desktop. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android. Yay! How to remove the shortcut arrow icon? I had that initally and then it turned transparent, incuding part of the icon. Copy or move blank.ico to your C:\Windows folder. In the registry editor, copy the below path, paste it in the address bar, and press "Enter." Registry Editor takes you to the target folder immediately. 2 Press the Win + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor. Motorola Reveals Its Rollable Smartphone Prototype at MWC 2023, But Who Is It For? It worked for me. 11. It worked - briefly. Step 7: Then double click on the key 29. This did absolutely nothingto get rid ofmy shortcut arrows. Manage Settings He writes about things he believes are actually helpful in some way to the user. I am not sure where this registry trick falls into, but shortcut arrows on the desktop drive me crazy. One of the biggest changes in Windows 11 is the placement of the Start Menu on the taskbar. In the field "Value data" enter the value below to remove the arrow from the shortcut icons. Game-Changing AI for the DIY Industry: GPT-4 Is Coming, The 8 Most Accurate AI Text Detectors You Can Try, Right-click a space within the right pane to select. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. 20 years as a technical writer and editor. Extract the four files including Shortcut Arrow Icon - Remove.reg, Shortcut Arrow Icon - Restore.reg, and blank.ico. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'windowsloop_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-windowsloop_com-banner-1-0');3. (1) Type in regedit into the Cortana/search box and (2) select regedit at the top, When prompted Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your PC? So for that click the new 29 value and type the text given below into the "Value data" box and this would remove arrows from shortcut icons- %windir . I get why it is there, at least for documents (you do not want to delete the original), but I think it makes less sense for apps. Now, if they could just fix that annoying "Unspecified Error" in Explorer.exe - I'd be extremely happy! Windows 11/10 doesnt include any built-in option with which you can disable shortcut icon arrows. Anyway to eacht their own. Navigate Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer 3. Arrow now disappeared but a box os there inplace of arrow with only white borders. New York, Sit in the library in the mornings before school finishing off any work, Yeah we've come along way I remember having to use login studio to skin vista whereas 7 had the option to do that. Click Explorer then right-click the Explorer folder. In Windows, icons for shortcuts have little arrows to remind you that what youre looking at is a shortcut. 7. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. :), Took two minutes, tops. An example, iTunes. That being, the arrow icon over the shortcut can look ugly at times. Without the arrow overlay, you will be hard-pressed to find the difference between an actual file and a shortcut. Vaibhav is a broadcast journalist with a keen interest in tech. No arrows that way :D, You can get rid of the Recycle Bin as well. Right-click Explorer on the left of the Registry Editor to select New . . this reg edit does not work in win 10, well it does until you reboot, then you have big black spaces that hide half your icon, looks worse than the shortcut arrows ! OP should revise his post so that people stop running into this problem. It no longer works after the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. And make win. This restores the arrow icon. I'd love to be able to put the Recycle Bin on the Task Bar instead, but I haven't figured out a way to do that. Fortunately, theyre pretty easy to remove. Nevermind, I found a great reason for not using this method anymore. I'd say it's because most users probably don't understand that. Step 4: Name the new subkey "Shell Icons". Your IP: This is the Icon we will use to remove the shortcut arrow icon in Windows 10 and 11. Step 5: Click again on the "Edit" menu, on "New", then on "String Value". It should be in the setting like toggle button. Click regedit and click Yes. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. I was looking for how to do this. There are many ways and the easiest two ways are listed below. This process could also be used to create a custom icon overlay graphic. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes! Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This also happened with previous versions of Windows when I tried to use a 3rd-party tool to do the same thing. Clear instructions are presented in this article so I don't think the danger is that great, as long as you are able to follow instructions. There is just something about making an otherwise nice desktop icon busier with those arrow overlays. Customize your desktop screen easy. Many many thanks for the article. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons 29 REG_SZ You should see a blank box called Value data. Removing those little arrows requires a tweak to the Windows Registry, but there are a few different ways of going about it. This registry change caused a problem in that it turned all my desktop shortcut icons into little black squares. 90% of the icons on my desktop are shortcut icons, and now I want to get rid of those arrows. His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. I'm glad I thought to go back and check the comments Should've checked before messing with my registry. This caused my destop icons to start showing up all black!!! Before we move ahead, its important to take a back-up of the registry. It looks like a real Window that shows just beautiful landscapes (soo peaceful). {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/0\/02\/Remove-Shortcut-Arrows-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Remove-Shortcut-Arrows-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/0\/02\/Remove-Shortcut-Arrows-Step-1.jpg\/aid11836538-v4-728px-Remove-Shortcut-Arrows-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":344,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":545,"licensing":"