Windows desktop shortcuts have piffling arrows on their icons. The icons include those arrows to highlight that they're shortcuts for software and files. As most of the icons on your desktop will likely exist shortcuts, notwithstanding, those arrows are hardly essential.

Some users might prefer to remove those arrows from desktop shortcut icons. Windows 11/10 doesn't include any built-in option with which you can disable shortcut icon arrows. Nevertheless, you can still remove those arrows from desktop shortcut icons in Windows 11/10 with the two alternative methods beneath.

How to Remove Shortcut Arrows by Manually Editing the Registry

The registry is 1 big database of configuration settings for Windows. Yous can remove shortcut icon arrows by calculation a new Shell Icons key to the registry. That might sound a little daunting, but a pretty straightforward registry tweak is all that's needed. But follow the steps straight below for editing the registry exactly as specified.

  1. To open Run, press its designated Win + R keyboard shortcut.
  2. Blazon the regedit Run command in the Open box.
  3. Click OK to bring up the Registry Editor.
  4. Side by side, select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer within the Registry Editor's left navigation pane.
  5. Right-click Explorer on the left of the Registry Editor to select New.
  6. Click the Key selection on the submenu.
    The New > Key options
  7. Enter Beat out Icons in the new key'due south text box.
  8. Select the new Vanquish Icons registry primal.
  9. Right-click a infinite inside the right pane to select New and String Value.
    The String Value option
  10. Enter 29 when naming the new string.
  11. Double-click the 29 string to view its Edit Cord window.
  12. Input %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-l in the data text box.
    The Edit String window
  13. Click OK to save changes.
  14. Exit the Registry Editor, and select the Restart Start menu selection.

After the restart, you'll notice the shortcut icons on your desktop don't take arrows on them. You tin can restore the shortcut arrows at any time. To do so, reopen the Registry Editor, right-click the 29 cord for the Shell Icons central, and select the Delete option.

Desktop shortcut icons that don't have arrows

How to Remove Arrows From Shortcuts With Third-Party Software

It might be slightly simpler to remove arrows from desktop shortcut icons with tertiary-party customization software. ShortcutArrow Changer is a freeware customization app that enables users to remove the shortcut icon arrows in Windows xi, 10, 8, and 7. This is how you tin disable shortcut icon arrows with ShortcutArrow Changer.

  1. Open the ShortcutArrow Changer download page on Softpedia.
  2. Click the Download At present push, and select the Softpedia Secure Download (United states) option.
  3. Press the folder icon on the taskbar to bring up Explorer.
  4. Navigate to and open up the folder that includes the ShortcutArrow Changer setup file.
  5. Double-click "[bti soft] shortcutarrow changer setup" to open up the installer's window.
  6. Click the Next pick, and select the I accept the understanding radio button.
  7. Select Side by side again a couple of times.
  8. Press the Browse push to choose an installation folder for ShortcutArrow Changer, and click Next to keep.
    The ShortcutArrow Changer setup window
  9. Click Side by side a few more times to reach the Install option.
  10. Press the Install button.
  11. After installing ShorcutArrow Changer, double-click the desktop shortcut for that software.
  12. Select the Remove shortcut icon arrow radio push button shown straight below.
    The ShortcutArrow Changer window
  13. Click Apply to remove the desktop shortcuts' arrows.

Aside from removing the arrow overlays, yous can besides change them to more appealing ones past selecting ShortcutArrow Changer's Custom shortcut icon pick. When yous select that option, the Icons binder shown directly below will open up from which you can select different arrows for the icon. Cull an alternative icon there, click Open, and press the Apply button.

The Icons folder

You tin also get more arrow overlays for shortcut icons from the IconArchive website. Enter shortcut pointer icon in that website'southward search box to discover more. Select an pointer to download from at that place, and click the ICO push.

Save it to the C:\Program Files (x86)\BTI Software House\ShortcutArrow Changer folder. Alternatively, move the arrow's ICO file into that folder after downloading it. Then y'all can select to add your downloaded pointer to shortcut icons with ShortcutArrow Changer.

The IconArchive website

Get Rid of Windows 11's Shortcut Icon Arrows

Windows 11'due south default shortcut icon arrows aren't especially visually appealing or important to keep. So, perchance you should remove, or at to the lowest degree change, the shortcut icon arrow overlay. It'due south pretty quick and easy to remove the icon arrows with either of the methods in a higher place.

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About The Writer

Jack Slater (77 Articles Published)

Jack has been a freelance tech journalist for more than a decade. He has covered Windows Vista, seven, 10, and 11 topics within a multitude of guides for Make Employ Of and numerous other websites.

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