Removing shortcut arrow from desktop icons?

[Poster Matt]

Hi,

Is if possible to remove the little arrow that appears on desktop
shortcuts in the bottom left corner of the icon?

It occurred to me that the icons would look better without the little
arrows, and I don't need reminding that they are shortcuts, after all I
created almost all of them anyway.

Thanks all.

 

[smlunatick]

Hi,

Is if possible to remove the little arrow that appears on desktop
shortcuts in the bottom left corner of the icon?

It occurred to me that the icons would look better without the little
arrows, and I don't need reminding that they are shortcuts, after all I
created almost all of them anyway.

Thanks all.

The easiest way is to get the TweakUI from t he Powertoys for XP.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It may look better to you but remember that you will not be ablle to tell
the difference between shortcuts and other programs and links.

 

[Holz]

It may look better to you but remember that you will not be ablle to
tell the difference between shortcuts and other programs and links.

Just say I do not know how.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

1. Start regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile
3. Delete the IsShortcut registry value.

You may need to restart Windows XP.

 

[Holz]

1. Start regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile
3. Delete the IsShortcut registry value.

You may need to restart Windows XP.

Which is the answer for the question, not your opinion. We all have
opinions, however posters come for help .

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What are you talking about? What opinion? I just gave the procedure.

 

[Poster Matt]

The easiest way is to get the TweakUI from the Powertoys for XP.

Thanks. But I can't find that tweak in TweakUI, are you sure? If so
where is it cos I can't find it and have just been through all the
options available, but maybe I missed it (I hope so)?

I'd prefer to use Tweak UI to do this, rather than Colin's registry
method, because of the ease of turning it back on again if I decide I
don't actually like it.

Thanks again.

 

[Poster Matt]

1. Start regedit.
2. Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTlnkfile
3. Delete the IsShortcut registry value.

You may need to restart Windows XP.

Thanks Colin, v. helpful.

Should I take it that I cannot remove the shortcut arrows on an
individual basis (remove for this one but not for that one)?

Will deletion of this registry key, remove all shortcut arrows for the
whole of windows? I was hoping just to remove them for the desktop icons.

It may look better to you but remember that you will not be ablle to
tell the difference between shortcuts and other programs and links.

I'm not too worried about that for my desktop because I group icons of
alike things together. On the screen's left I have application icons, on
the bottom right there's a few system utilities, then temporary
shortcuts like my 'currently working on' documents and temp web links
are grouped in the top right corner or in a temp folder I keep there too.

Thanks for the advise, I must admit I'm a bit more worried about it if
it removes the little arrow for shortcuts for the whole OS and not just
for the icons on the desktop. Is that the case?

Cheers.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

I believe that it is either or for all shortcuts. I don't know of any way
to just remove them from desktop icons. You can drag a shortcut around
anywhere in explorer so I should think the key is global.

 

[Owner]

Which is the answer for the question, not your opinion. We all have
opinions, however posters come for help .
What?????????

 

[Gerald Ross]

Thanks. But I can't find that tweak in TweakUI, are you sure? If so
where is it cos I can't find it and have just been through all the
options available, but maybe I missed it (I hope so)?

I'd prefer to use Tweak UI to do this, rather than Colin's registry
method, because of the ease of turning it back on again if I decide I
don't actually like it.

Thanks again.

Tweakui > Explorer > Shortcuts

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

I have a rock garden. Last week three
of them died. - S. Wright

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi,

Is if possible to remove the little arrow that appears on desktop
shortcuts in the bottom left corner of the icon?

It occurred to me that the icons would look better without the little
arrows, and I don't need reminding that they are shortcuts, after all I
created almost all of them anyway.

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

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.

 

[LVTravel]

In the program click on the + next to Explorer then click on Shortcut and
click on Shortcut Overlay to None.

You must be running the Tweak UI for Windows XP, (accessed from Programs,
PowerToys for Windows XP, TweakUI) and not an earlier version (which is
accessed in the Control Panel) which can be obtained here
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx.

Let us know if this helps.

 

[Stan Brown]

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:57:32 GMT from Poster Matt

Is if possible to remove the little arrow that appears on desktop
shortcuts in the bottom left corner of the icon?

TweakUI has a setting to do it, but I don't believe it works 100%.

 

[Poster Matt]

Tweakui > Explorer > Shortcuts

Thanks Gerald and Tony, got it. No idea how I missed it before, it
stands out like an elephant at a tea party.

 

[Poster Matt]

I believe that it is either or for all shortcuts. I don't know of any
way to just remove them from desktop icons. You can drag a shortcut
around anywhere in explorer so I should think the key is global.

It does seem to be for all or nothing... except I've got lucky. I've
turned the shortcut icon arrows off and much prefer how my desktop icons
now look. In the Explorer file manager the shortcut arrows are also gone
as expected. Except I don't use Explorer as my file manager, I use a
multi-tabbed enabled file manager called xplorer2 and it seems that it
displays the little shortcut arrow automatically and does not check the
registry entry. So I've got rid of them on my desktop where I don't want
them, but retained them in my file manager where I do. Happy Chappy!!

Thanks for the help everyone.

PS. BTW - xplorer2 is highly recommended esp. if at any one time you
usually have several Explorer windows open showing different
directories. With xplorer2 you can have as many tabs as you want open
each showing a different directory but all based in the same window. I
don't know how I lived without it. http://www.zabkat.com/ Please note
I have nothing to do with the company, am just a satisfied user.

 

[Swifty]

Thanks Gerald and Tony, got it. No idea how I missed it before, it
stands out like an elephant at a tea party.

I've never seen the connection between those arrows and "Explorer",
though. To me, this function would fit better under "Desktop". I know
that the icons can appear in other places than the desktop.

 

[Swifty]

You must be running the Tweak UI for Windows XP, (accessed from Programs,
PowerToys for Windows XP, TweakUI) and not an earlier version (which is
accessed in the Control Panel)

But if you are hooked on it being in the control panel there is a way to
get the current TweakUI back in the control panel. You'll have to find
it yourself though; I've lost my memory.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

They can and do appear in Windows Explorer in any folder where they have
been installed or created.