It should be in the setting like toggle button. This trick should work in every Windows version starting from Windows XP. Nice idea, though. Extract the BlankIcon folder to the root of the C drive. Do not do this if you have updated to Windows 10 20H2 which was released in Oct 2020. Seems silly to me to install an app for something that takes < 5 minutes and for which you will likely never use again. New York, but leave it blank. If you really want a clean desktop, just hide the icons! Please can anybody advice on how to fix this. Clearly it was perceived as mean, even though it was more a jab at humor. Click to reveal You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Click Explorer then right-click the Explorer folder. So, maybe you should remove, or at least change, the shortcut icon arrow overlay. 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. Sometimes a black box, sometimes ticks are placed over the icons. I hope its not like death pixels ones you notice them its Impossible not to see them ;-) and they bug you to death! well, it didn't work for me. Here's how to get rid of them. I hate icons and since Windows 7 I have removed every icon from the screen. Type the regedit Run command in the Open box. no black square after rebooting? This "how to" is not a PRO stuff but without stating BACKUP warning you show that you arent any pro either. The taskbar is always visible, the desktop isn't. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. 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. So, here were was how to remove the arrow shortcut overlay on Windows. 80.86.180.77 Name it 29. Step 2: Navigate to the following key in Windows Registry Editor. It is, therefore, NOT a hack. The tiny black squares remain. Thank you very much. Youll need to restart your computer (or log off and back on) to see the changes. Or at least put the damn arrow back into the icon. It worked for me. Not a good hack! Move everything to you documents folder and hide desktop icons. You can do this. It's several revisions old, but still fun. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published References To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Step 4: Name the new subkey "Shell Icons". Wow, so easy to do, the registry is like a huge list where the OS stores all it's constants' values, so if you change anything the system will assume that new value as true and trust it, even if it ends up being rubbish, so you can do a good mess if you want. Now they're an eyesore thanks to you Daniel hahaha. Now it looks like some robot took a square bite out of my icon :/ My icon sizes are larger if that makes any differences. . Does anyone here know what happened or how to remove those annoying arrows NOW? I hate those arrows. Read also: What Is the Windows Registry and How Do I Edit It? To open Run, press its designated Win + R keyboard shortcut. This action does not necessarily involve security. 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? The little white arrows on shortcut icons can really mess up your aesthetic. Right click on the Windows 10 Start Menu goes away. One of the biggest changes in Windows 11 is the placement of the Start Menu on the taskbar. For more resources, don't forget to check our Windows 10 help, tips, and tricks page. Step 1: Open Registry Editor on Windows. If you ever change your mind, open the Registry Editor, go to the below location and delete the 29 value. However, some users have reported the Registry method to not work sometimes, especially on Windows 10. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). omg thank you , really needed this . Go back to the shell icons 29 that you just made. One of the best is Ultimate Windows Tweaker 4 for Windows 10. For anyone looking for a solution with a simple click, this is the way to go. He's written hundreds of articles for How-To Geek and edited thousands. thx, This stumped me for a while, go to step 4 and simply delete the 29 file leaving the default one. 10. Neither have arrows! Right click on \Explorer and using the dialog menu choose New > Key and name it Shell Icons. Choose Yes, Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer. Hey Rubi Rubino. If you like to keep their desktop clean or only have shortcuts on the desktop, you can remove the arrow overlay from the shortcut icon. I had that initally and then it turned transparent, incuding part of the icon. But try deleting the value that you put in step 7 and everything should be fine. I followed directions to the tee. It looks like a real Window that shows just beautiful landscapes (soo peaceful). . 3. In the left Pane expand Explorer and right click on it , choose New - Key and name it Shell Icons. Are they the black squares I'm also experiencing right now? I go even deeper with my irrational nitpick and remove all icons from my desktop. Select the Shortcut arrow and choose No Arrow. (Don't really need it on the desktop.) Someone who sees his desktop regularly and hates the little arrows would obviously be making a different calculation. This easy step by step guide shows you how to get rid of them! Name it 29 . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 13. In the "Value Data" box, enter the following text: %windir%System32shell32.dll,-50 Click OK to save the change and close the "Edit String" window. This is why the term 'FIRST WORLD PROBLEM' was created. What now? :) I don't use the desktop anymore for app shortcuts. Tried this - on my machines the shortcuts disappeared - but were replaced by a square black box ! you don't need the shell32.dll linething, it's not necessary, onlycreate andname it 29 seems to be fine andenough and better to remove the arrows. Name the new folder as Shell Icons. This is where we need to create a new value that removes the shortcut arrow in Windows 10 and 11. Enter Shell Icons in the new key's text box. RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO NOT DO THIS REGISTRY CHANGE. >>>>\System32\shell32.dll,-50 Press the folder icon on the taskbar to bring up Explorer. For now, if you want a purer desktop with less clutter, just take the five minutes and make this registry change! I still don't get why people put crap on the desktop. Thanks Daniel. 3. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Hi Daniel, Thanks for amazing tip it was working great but right after 8 hour now my shortcut icon are invisible. Thanks. Using the Registry It's the easiest way to get rid of the arrow overlay. Select an arrow to download from there, and click the ICO button. I found a way to do it without black box or anything crappy shell32.dll crap that doesn't work after a restart or two. don't add \system32\shell32.dll,50. 2. I leave them the way they are. I did everything detailed in this post. i was so happy when w8 came out with the start menu. Before editing the registry, make a registry backup. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. But when I tried your string for the All Rights Reserved. Daniel, 2) Download and merge the .reg file for the lnk item in the table in option 2 of the tutorial below. Wellsince YOU are the one creating the shortcuts, one would expect that YOU know they are such. Double click/tap on the 29 String Value to modify it. To do so, reopen the Registry Editor, right-click the 29 string for the Shell Icons key, and select the Delete option. That might sound a little daunting, but a pretty straightforward registry tweak is all thats needed. Any workaround? 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. -- jim. Wouldn't have had a clue if not for you, 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. Truth be told, it is super simple and should take no more than 5 minutes. I hate how when I plug in a Bitlocker-protected external drive, the W10 notification category says "Calculator". Open the application and scroll to the Shortcut tab from the side panel. Your IP: It went blank after a day. 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! First I'm hearing of that issue. Windows 10 is just the most obvious version to demo on and for. But hey that's why options are a good thing right. Visual C++ Runtime Installer (All-In-One), View Essential System Details with myResources, Control When Windows 10 Updates with Kill-Update, How to Fix There Was a Problem Resetting Your PC Error on Windows 10, How to Turn on or off Recommended Troubleshooting in Windows 10, How to Remove the Shortcut Arrow Icon in Windows 10 & 11, Remove the Shortcut Arrow Icon in Windows 10 & 11, How to Split Your Screen in Windows 10 & 11, How to Create a Show Desktop Shortcut in Windows 10 & 11, How to Turn the Windows 10 Desktop Background Image On or Off, How to Show Your Windows 10 & 11 Version and Build Number on the Desktop, How to Create Safe Mode Desktop Shortcuts. To undo that change, you can delete the file called "29" from the folder you created. This is very helpful to restore the registry to the original state. Mine said something about 'Access violation reading memory address 0xF433D785. Now restart the PC or log off and in again to youll see the required changes. Click the small right-pointing arrow icon next to "Microsoft." The button will now be named Restore Shortcut Arrows To Shortcut Icons.. Heres how it works. Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Click the Key option on the submenu. Its pretty quick and easy to remove the icon arrows with either of the methods above. Techwiser (2012-2023). It is that simple to remove shortcut arrow overlay from shortcut icons. Readers like you help support MUO. Having said that, yeah, on all types of these articles we should have a warning. You can now either reboot the computer or log off and on back again to complete the changes. If you've not done any registry edits since, it should open immediately to the Shell Icons file. I've just simply after a system reboot, I met no arrows, BUT all desktop icons turned into black squares! Just sign out and sign back in. 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. Without the arrow overlay, you will be hard-pressed to find the difference between an actual file and a shortcut. By default, the Start Menu and apps pinned to the taskbar are centered. Needed something a while back while I was still on Windows 7. CCleaner seems to be having troubles with Edge. Download and Install the application from the link below. As most of the icons on your desktop will likely be shortcuts, however, those arrows are hardly essential. Use the method Daniel describes, not an old classic. Now I'm on Windows 10 and the only things I have on the desktop is the Recycle Bin and GodMode. The start menu does it all. ), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun. Yeah I can agree. This is how you can disable shortcut icon arrows with ShortcutArrow Changer. 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