Windows 7: Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to change, remove, or restore the default shortcut arrow overlay on all shortcut icons in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Warning

Removing the shortcut arrow will make it harder to tell which files are shortcuts or not.

You can still tell by right clicking or press and hold on the file, and click/tap on Properties to see if you have a Shortcut tab or not.

OPTION ONE

Using "Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover" Program

1. If you have not already, click/tap on the Download button below to download the Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover (Vista Shortcut Overlay Manager) program below for the 32-bit or 64-bit Windows you have installed. Save the .msi file to your desktop, and install it.

32-bit (x86) Windows


64-bit (x64) Windows

2. Double click/tap on the program's shortcut to run the program.

3. To Change, Restore, or Remove the Arrow for All Shortcuts

A) Select (dot) the arrow option you want for the shortcut arrow. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you selected Custom Arrow to change the shortcut arrow, then click on Select and navigate to and choose a ICO (icon) file you have downloaded to use as the shortcut arrow.

4. To Remove the "Shortcut" Name from All Shortcuts
NOTE: See also: Shortcut Extension - Remove or Restore

A) Check the box to also remove the - Shortcut name extension for new shortcuts that are created.

5. Click/tap on Apply.

6. Click/tap on Yes to log off to apply the changes. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If you like, you could also just restart explorer instead to apply your changes.

7. Log back on and your done.

   Warning

If you used the Light Arrow or No Arrow option and uninstall "Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover", then they will be undone the next time you log off/on or restart the computer/explorer.

The Arrow (default) and Custom Arrow options will not be undone if you uninstall "Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover".

OPTION TWO

To Change the Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon in Registry Editor

   Note

This option was provided by: Nosmo

1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and press Enter.

2. In regedit, navigate to the location below:
NOTE: If Shell Icons it is not in the left pane under Explorer, right click on Explorer, and click on New and Key. Type Shell Icons for the new keys's name, and press Enter.

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons

3. In the right pane of Shell Icons, right click on an empty area, and click/tap on New and String Value, and name it 29.

4. Double click/tap on the 29 sting value to modify it.

5. Type in the full path of the custom .ico file within quotes, OR copy and paste the path below for what overlay icon you would like to use, and click/tap on OK.

(Transparent) %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-50

%windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-30

%windir%\System32\imageres.dll,-154

6. Log off and on, or restart the computer to apply.

OPTION THREE

To Change the Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon using a REG File

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

Remove_Shortcut_Arrow.zip

2. To Remove the Shortcut Arrow

A) Open the downloaded ZIP file (step 1), and extract (drag and drop) the Blank.ico file, and the Remove_Shortcut_Arrow.reg to the desktop.

B) Right click or press and hold on the Blank.ico file, and click/tap on Properties. Under the General tab, click/tap on the Unblock button if there. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: If the Unblock button is not there, then the file is already unblocked. Continue on to step D below.

   Warning

If you do not unblock the Blank.ico file first before moving it in step 2C, then you will only get a default white icon instead of the blank transparent icon like below.

C) Copy and Paste the Blank.ico into the C:\Windows folder, then click/tap on Continue, and Yes (UAC) to approve the copy.

D) Double click/tap on the extracted Remove_Shortcut_Arrow.reg file to merge it.

E) Click/tap on Run, Yes (Yes), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

F) Go to step 4.

3. To Restore the Default Shortcut Arrow
NOTE: This step will only work if you had originally removed the shortcut arrow using step 2 in OPTION THREE above.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.

Default_LNK_(Shortcut).reg

B) Double click/tap on the Default_LNK_(Shortcut).reg file to merge it.

C) Click/tap on Run, Yes (Yes), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

D) In the C:\Windows folder, right click or press and hold on the Blank.ico file, and click/tap on Delete, Continue, and Yes (if prompted by UAC).
NOTE: This file will only be there if you used step 2 above to remove the shortcut arrow.

4. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.

5. You can now delete the downloaded files on your desktop if you like.