However with Windows 10 instead of having shortcut icons on the Desktop I just add then to the Start Screen where there are no arrows. Still, you are touching the registry so make sure you have backed up your PC just in case if you feel uncomfortable. After the restart, youll notice the shortcut icons on your desktop dont have arrows on them. However, some users have reported the Registry method to not work sometimes, especially on Windows 10. It should be in the setting like toggle button. Windows 10 is no different. 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. No matter what method you use, you should be able to get exactly the icons you want with minimal fuss. Click on Yes. because leaving it blank removes itcompletely, not justreplaces it witha transparecy icon that seems toget crappy black square after some time. Let's see how to do it. Click on the Yes/Ok button to continue if you see a prompt. To do this, go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar Behaviors.". Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes! Okay. it is obviously easier to access a shortcut from the desktop rather than searching through menus. Step 2: Navigate to the following key in Windows Registry Editor. 1) Delete the 29 string value in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons key. Its pretty easy to do. 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. It's mostly just a legacy from the days when Windows had a useful desktop metaphor, where real-world objects represented computer functions. I followed directions to the tee. 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. Time to use this technique to remedy that! After creating the string value, double-click on it. For more resources, don't forget to check our Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks page. If you ever want to revert, simply delete the 29 value you created in Step 6, and you are good to go. Then Right Click on the Shell Icon folder that we made or in the empty space inside the folder. However, this big box was removed with a small icon in Windows 11 to keep the interface clean. Step 5: Click again on the "Edit" menu, on "New", then on "String Value". 8. Readers like you help support MUO. after I've done this process the shortcut arrows became a black block after restarting the second time. I just never knew you could change something so miniscule as the arrow on an icon. If you've not done any registry edits since, it should open immediately to the Shell Icons file. So, download this zip file, open it, and extract the folder in it to the root of your C drive. Just follow the steps directly below for editing the registry exactly as specified. I want a clean desktop so i can see the background photo clear and clean. It looks like a real Window that shows just beautiful landscapes (soo peaceful). In the right pane of Shell Icons, right click on an empty area, and click/tap on New and String Value. We all have pet peeves. I want to make my icons bigger but not sure if I should do this thing.. thanks, I had the stupid black box after little bit and using your advice its gone! 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. Did anyone experience this? Did it work? Nevermind, I found a great reason for not using this method anymore. Thank you. This works! ok, I agree it's nice to have the freedom to tweak the system as you desire, and I did a lot of it back in the 98/XP, but since the smartphone boom most new users are too "user" to do this safely. There must be a way to achieve this within Windows without having to resort to using non-microsoft software. Go back to the shell icons 29 that you just made. Double click/tap on the 29 String Value to modify it. Everything worked just fine but after a second shut down it just shows a blank black space instead. Remove shortcut icons arrow in any windows 10 PC. This doesn't break anything. This article has been viewed 61,054 times. Ultimate Windows Tweaker automatically creates a system restore point for you when it starts, but if youre concerned about a tweak go ahead and back up your computer first. Now restart the PC or log off and in again to youll see the required changes. Not a good hack! This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Continue with Recommended Cookies. well, it didn't work for me. 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. He's authored or co-authored over 30 computer-related books in more than a dozen languages for publishers like Microsoft Press, O'Reilly, and Osborne/McGraw-Hill. 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 ! 3. It's several revisions old, but still fun. This string effectively removes the Windows. As most of the icons on your desktop will likely be shortcuts, however, those arrows are hardly essential. but leave it blank. 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. We select and review products independently. Next, select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer within the Registry Editor's left navigation pane. Peace :), Aaaaaaaaand completely ignore that, won't let me delete the comment. You also have another option, if youre so inclined. Darlene has experience teaching college courses, writing technology-related articles, and working hands-on in the technology field. Also read How to Fix Boot Manager Is Missing in Windows 10. I get a white rectangle over some of my icons with this "fix". :) I don't use the desktop anymore for app shortcuts. Both systems have windows 10 and are fully up to date. Choose Yes, Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Like I said, everyone has their thing that bugs them. You will receive a verification email shortly. So, lets see how to remove the shortcut arrow overlay on Windows. Theyre huge and kind of ugly, but there would be no mistaking which icons were shortcuts. Windows 11s default shortcut icon arrows arent especially visually appealing or important to keep. Cheers anyway (-: Lenovo's Surface-like IdeaPad Duet 3i packs the Intel N-series CPU but you won't find it in the US, Lenovo's new ThinkPad Z13 features a woven Flax cover made from plant fibers, Lenovo ditches old haptic touchpad tech for Sensels FusionUX stack heres why its a big deal. Click OK to bring up the Registry Editor. You can remove shortcut icon arrows by adding a new Shell Icons key to the registry. And I'm happy, Cool! That is it. Before we move ahead, its important to take a back-up of the registry. i used this method.but after some times my shortcut geting black in squreshape.plz give me suggestion how to solve. So interestingly enough, i got this to work on my desktop, but my laptops icons have the black square issue. I've heard, but have never seen for myself issue from doing this. First, we need a blank icon. How to Add Icons to the Desktop in Windows 11, MakeUseOf MWC Awards 2023: The Best Tech in Show. i did this. Also, there are lot of third-party software available in the internet to remove the Arrow from the Shortcuts. Microsoft added a big search box in the task bar in Windows 10. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. These hacks are really just the Shell Icon key we described above, exported to a .REG file. Please refresh the page and try again. Click the small right-pointing arrow icon next to "SOFTWARE." I used to have the Recycle Bin on there, but I now turn that off as well. Does anyone else have a problem with a giant black box on each of their icons? Thanks Daniel. Enjoy! Type the regedit Run command in the Open box. 7. what this article teaches is a shameless hack. Name it 29 . 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. What other visual cue does it have to tell you it's a shortcut? Thanks. Double click to bring up value data. Helpful tech how-tos delivered to your inbox every week! :-). Posted via the Windows Central App for Android. Tried this - on my machines the shortcuts disappeared - but were replaced by a square black box ! Wellsince YOU are the one creating the shortcuts, one would expect that YOU know they are such. 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. You can leave the Shell Icons key in place. You don't need an extra app and it doesn't take a lot of time. 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. Open the application and scroll to the Shortcut tab from the side panel. The little white arrows on shortcut icons can really mess up your aesthetic. I have a desktop menu on the task bar. It went blank after a day. Read also: What Is the Windows Registry and How Do I Edit It? There are a few easy ways to tackle this problem. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. I downloaded an old program I had used in Windows 7 that allowed me to control the Content Menu. ya those little arrows are my main reason why i don't put any app on desktop i don't like them i keep everything in startscreen. If you want a dumb-system all locked down, go to OSX. Open the start menu, search for Registry Editor, and click the result to open the Registry Editor. However, editing the Registry is risky since a single typo can corrupt your computer files and cause it to stop working, so you should make a backup before attempting anything. I always do that. If you don't like using the registry just use, But then how do you know what's a shortcut and what isn't at a glance? Thanks!!! You can do this. Daniel, Type or copy-paste HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer in given space in Registry Editor. I did everything detailed in this post. So the true String Value according (the since pre-AVG's ownership of. They can be completley hidden from the desktop's context menu. To remove arrows from shortcut icons with Ultimate Windows Tweaker, choose the Customization section on the left, click the File Explorer tab, and then click Remove Shortcut Arrows From Shortcut Icons. To put them back, follow the same process. Definitely keeping this in mind just in case "We just do not install apps to the desktop, so I am unsure why I need to be reminded 'hey, this is a shortcut, not the real app'". The location / process for changing this in the registry has not changed since XP either. You can either shrink the arrow size for the arrow shortcuts or remove them altogether from your icons. To do so, reopen the Registry Editor, right-click the 29 string for the Shell Icons key, and select the Delete option. 2) Download and merge the .reg file for the lnk item in the table in option 2 of the tutorial below. If you really want a clean desktop, just hide the icons! #JustSaying, I got a big ugly black square now too. Mine said something about 'Access violation reading memory address 0xF433D785. I had the same issue, I'm going to attempt to change the black squares to transparent ones. I also thought that.. And this will please Windows 7 gadgets lovers a bit. I leave them the way they are. Someone who sees his desktop regularly and hates the little arrows would obviously be making a different calculation. 10. Youll be prompted to Restart the Explorer. Yea,actually this tweak is not like in other builds of Win7 and Xp. To do that, Tap on File and select Export. One hack removes the arrows, one replaces them with large arrows, and one restores them to the default style. The new folder should be C:\BlankIcon\. This folder contains the blank.ico file. 9. Step 1: Open Registry Editor on Windows. It has consistently beenone of the first things I would change on an XP (or newer) installation. Anytime you create a shortcut, it will automatically have an arrow icon overlay. The icons include those arrows to highlight that theyre shortcuts for software and files. Incorrect. That's why Windows actually warns you that simply deleting a shortcut won't delete the program. Click the small right-pointing arrow icon next to "Microsoft." {"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":"