Remove arrow on desktop shortcut icons

[Guest]

I have seen a checkbox to remove the arrow on desktop shortcut icons
somewhere in XP Pro.
I am unable to find it again in either Home or Pro and would appreciate a
hint if anyone knows its location.

Thanks, Jon

 

[WTC]

I have seen a checkbox to remove the arrow on desktop shortcut icons
somewhere in XP Pro.
I am unable to find it again in either Home or Pro and would appreciate a
hint if anyone knows its location.

Thanks, Jon

TweakUI can do this. Download from the Microsoft.
Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

 

[Rafael T]

use tweakui from the powertoys. Probably need to download it.

RT

 

[~Maheshkumar.R]

It simple, You can tweak without any software. I hope you will aware about
registry.

Step 1:
Run > regedit
step 2:
select,expand > Hkey_classes_root

inside this you will find two folders named

Lnkfile and Piffile
step 3:
select,expand> Lnkfile folder, In the right pane you will get IsShortcut
key, just delete this.

step 4:
then select,expand > Piffile folder, In right pane you will get IsShortcut
key, just delete this.

Only these two deletion will remove the shortcut symbol,

Logoff and you will notice the difference.

happy tweaking !!
Mahes~
http://spaces.msn.com/members/cyberiafreak

 

[Guest]

Thank you all. I have TweakUI and must have seen it there.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I have seen a checkbox to remove the arrow on desktop shortcut
icons
somewhere in XP Pro.
I am unable to find it again in either Home or Pro and would
appreciate a hint if anyone knows its location.

No, there is no such checkbox built into Windows XP. However you
can get rid of the arrows with a registry edit, or more easily
and more safely by using the free TweakUI, downloadable as part
of Microsoft PowerToys at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp
(if you have SP1 or SP2 installed) or
http://download.microsoft.com/download/whistler/Install/2/WXP/EN-US/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe
(or if you don't have SP1 or SP2).

However, 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 either leave the arrows as
they are, or alternatively use the TweakUI option of light
arrows, which are somewhat less visible that the regular ones.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Jon,

To remove shortcut arrows:

Remove Icon Shortcut Symbols (Line 185)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Manual:

Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. Scroll on down to Pifile. In the right pane, rename
ISSHORTCUT to read SHORTCUT.

--
In memory of our dear friend, MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP)

Troubleshooting Windows XP
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com

 

[cpemma]

It simple, You can tweak without any software. I hope you will aware
about registry.

Step 1:
Run > regedit
step 2:
select,expand > Hkey_classes_root
named Lnkfile and Piffile
step 3:
select,expand> Lnkfile folder, In the right pane you will get
IsShortcut key, just delete this.

step 4:
then select,expand > Piffile folder, In right pane you will get
IsShortcut key, just delete this.

Only these two deletion will remove the shortcut symbol,

A Reg tweak for 98SE not dissimilar to that had the disadvantage that it
also killed the <ctrl><alt><?> keyboard shortcuts (which I like for
frequently-used programs); the Tweakui method uses an alternative gif file,
either wholly invisible or a fainter arrow, but you could also set to point
to your own overlay design.

It's in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Icons

Mine reads:

29 REG_SZ C:\WINDOWS\system32\tweakui.exe,3

 

[cpemma]

cpemma wrote:
the Tweakui method uses an alternative gif

file

Should say .ico file...

 

[Guest]

Ken when i open the "pif"file on the right pane i get

ab(Default) REG_SZ piffile.

is this the one i should delete to remove the arrows from the desktop icons?

 

[Galen]

In Mugur <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Ken when i open the "pif"file on the right pane i get

ab(Default) REG_SZ piffile.

is this the one i should delete to remove the arrows from the desktop
icons?

I'm sure Ken will answer in time but once again you should read what he
wrote. He recommends that if you do delete them (and I agree that most
people should not) that you do so by using an application. Editing the
registry manually is not the best solution - more so if you have to ask
questions. A simple rule, and I'm not poking at you, is that if you have to
ask questions you probably shouldn't. Use of one of the applications is the
safest method as it's been tried by countless other people and been done
without a problem. Not removing them is probably the best but seeing as I do
I'm not going to say you shouldn't. However I'd do so with an application
if I were you...

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[William C. Meyer]

Hi Galen
Load Tweak IU from MS and it will give you the ability to remove the
arrows and a lot of other nice features.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

In Mugur <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:


I'm sure Ken will answer in time but once again you should read
what
he wrote. He recommends that if you do delete them (and I agree
that
most people should not) that you do so by using an application.
Editing the registry manually is not the best solution - more
so if
you have to ask questions. A simple rule, and I'm not poking at
you,
is that if you have to ask questions you probably shouldn't.
Use of
one of the applications is the safest method as it's been tried
by
countless other people and been done without a problem. Not
removing
them is probably the best but seeing as I do I'm not going to
say you
shouldn't. However I'd do so with an application if I were
you...

Mugur, I completely agree with what Galen says here.

 

[Galen]

In Ken Blake <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

Mugur, I completely agree with what Galen says here.

<g> And here I was agreeing with you! I'd say it's something about great
minds but, well, mine's not so great. In fact it's pretty forgetful, slowing
down in age, and generally full of the oddest things at the most
inappropriate times.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your fast replys.I am going to play safe and load Tweak ui.
I did .It is the 2.00.1.00 version.
I looked all over and found nothing about the arrows on the descktop
icons.Got stucked.
A little help?

 

[Sharon F]

Glad you got this resolved. However, take a note of the advice that Ken
already posted:

<quote>
However, 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.
</quote>

Last month I got a mail from one Mr.Peter, a tech in U.S, that one of their
customers had copied a file to floppy and submitted to them. Later the tech
found that their customer had copied the "shortcut" of the executable file,
rather than copying the actual executable.

I think a good compromise is using the "light" shortcut arrows - another
option in TweakUI. Still have the arrow for reference but it's not as
noticeable.

 

[Galen]

In Sharon F <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

I think a good compromise is using the "light" shortcut arrows -
another option in TweakUI. Still have the arrow for reference but
it's not as noticeable.

Personally I go ahead and get rid of them. I don't use them because I don't
like them AND because I do not EVER leave executables on the desktop, they
have folders made just for them... In fact most shortcuts end up in a
special folder on the desktop saying shortcuts. (It's my madness I tell you
but I like a clean desktop.) So I suppose if you keep tabs of where you're
leaving random shortcuts and have folders specifically for downloaded
applications (for instance non-installed apps that I keep I really DO put
into the program files as a folder and then put a shortcut where I want it -
it's more work but I like neat/organized) it doesn't tend to cause any
problems. I'm actually a bit anal about where I download stuff, where I
place stuff, and how I keep my systems organized now that I think about it.
Even my start menu is organized.

Then again I'm still figuring out a way to wash my monitor's electron
guns... I clean my firearms after I use them so they still work the next
time I use them. I should then, logically, clean my electron guns. I think
the slots at the top of my CRT monitor are probably for that fuel system
cleaner put out by STP. I'm still not sure what to do with the TFT displays
though. I'm beginning to suspect that they have advanced technology meaning
that I should probably press on the screen (with a cloth covered hand of
course, I wouldn't want to smudge it) to make the pretty colors appear and
that process shows that it's cleaning them.

Galen
--

"And that recommendation, with the exaggerated estimate of my ability
with which he prefaced it, was, if you will believe me, Watson, the
very first thing which ever made me feel that a profession might be
made out of what had up to that time been the merest hobby."

Sherlock Holmes

 

[Sharon F]

In Sharon F <[email protected]> had this to say:

My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:

[24 quoted lines suppressed]

Personally I go ahead and get rid of them. I don't use them because I don't
like them AND because I do not EVER leave executables on the desktop, they
have folders made just for them... In fact most shortcuts end up in a
special folder on the desktop saying shortcuts. (It's my madness I tell you
but I like a clean desktop.) So I suppose if you keep tabs of where you're
leaving random shortcuts and have folders specifically for downloaded
applications (for instance non-installed apps that I keep I really DO put
into the program files as a folder and then put a shortcut where I want it -
it's more work but I like neat/organized) it doesn't tend to cause any
problems. I'm actually a bit anal about where I download stuff, where I
place stuff, and how I keep my systems organized now that I think about it.
Even my start menu is organized.

Then again I'm still figuring out a way to wash my monitor's electron
guns... I clean my firearms after I use them so they still work the next
time I use them. I should then, logically, clean my electron guns. I think
the slots at the top of my CRT monitor are probably for that fuel system
cleaner put out by STP. I'm still not sure what to do with the TFT displays
though. I'm beginning to suspect that they have advanced technology meaning
that I should probably press on the screen (with a cloth covered hand of
course, I wouldn't want to smudge it) to make the pretty colors appear and
that process shows that it's cleaning them.

Galen

<g> Very impressed with your "techniques."

My weak spot: Internet shortcuts tend to get out of hand on my desktop.
There are so many sites that I would like to read more but don't always
have the time. So "right click> create shortcut" is a quick way to grab a
marker with the hopes of finding a block of time to return. If I bury these
in folders I tend to forget about them. The upside: when I reach a certain
tolerance level (starts Windows and am blinded by blue e's), I *make* time
to catch up on reading.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

My weak spot: Internet shortcuts tend to get out of hand on my
desktop. There are so many sites that I would like to read more
but
don't always have the time. So "right click> create shortcut"
is a
quick way to grab a marker with the hopes of finding a block of
time
to return.

I don't think it's a weak spot at all. I think doing that makes a
lot of sense. I do the same thing. My desktop has a lot of
shortcuts on it, but many of them are there only temporarily,
until I find the time to get there and investigate it more
thoroughly.

 

[Sharon F]

I don't think it's a weak spot at all. I think doing that makes a
lot of sense. I do the same thing. My desktop has a lot of
shortcuts on it, but many of them are there only temporarily,
until I find the time to get there and investigate it more
thoroughly.

GMTA?