Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore

How to Change, Remove, or Restore the Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon in Windows​

   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

Change Shortcut Arrow using "Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover"

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

Download



64-bit (x64) Windows

Download


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: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/804-shortcut-extension-remove-restore.html
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 Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon in Registry Editor

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.

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 your 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.

   Tip

If you like, you can download a transparent.ico file here to use instead.

(No arrow - Transparent) %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-50

(Classic) %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-30

(Default) %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-16769
6. Log off and on, or restart the computer to apply.

OPTION THREE

To Change Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon using a REG File

NOTE: This option does the same thing as OPTION TWO above, but automatically for you using a .reg file.
1. Do step 2, 3, or 4 below for what you would like to do.

2. To Restore Default Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon
NOTE: This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below, and go to step 5 below.

Default_Shortcut_Arrow.reg


Download


3. To Use Classic Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below, and go to step 5 below.

Classic_Shortcut_Arrow.reg


Download


4. To Have No Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below, and go to step 5 below.

No_Shortcut_Arrow.reg


Download


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

6. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Remove or Restore the "Shortcut" Name Extension in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Icon of a Shortcut in Windows 7
• How to Hide a Folder or Shortcut Icon in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Create a Shortcut of a File, Folder, Drive, or Program in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Remove the Lock Icon from Files and Folders in Windows 7

 

[Brink]

Hello Popeye, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Did you also do steps 2B and 2C with the Blank.ico file?

 

[snipermouse]

Thanx brink,

Had all the problems posted above and was scratchin my head WTF
The problem was WINRAR???
If I unzipped the files using winrar, it wouldn't give the option to unblock, and therefore my icons were covered by the white box. So I tried the default windows explorer unzip and presto the unblock box was there for me to tick and it worked first go......very strange that winrar was the problem

Cheers

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Snipermouse.

Strange, you may have just opened the files in WINRAR and didn't actually extract them to the desktop.'

Glad to hear you got it sorted though.

 

[kbronski]

Wouldn't this technically be "replacing" the shortcut arrow?

A brilliant idea nonetheless.

 

[Brink]

Wouldn't this technically be "replacing" the shortcut arrow?

A brilliant idea nonetheless.

LOL

 

[extrasmall757]

I downloaded the files and theres no Blank.ico There is a file called Blank, but its just a picture. What happened?

 

[Brink]

Hello Extrasmall, and welcome to Seven Forums.

That would be the correct file. Since you have known file extensions set to be hidden, the .ico extension part of the file name isn't displaying for you. That's all.

 

[Lode]

Hi!
I made the mistake of not unblocking the Blank.ico file first. After that I tried to solve it using the Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover 2.0 -on my Windows 7 64 bits laptop- and now have icons on my desktop that are mostly covered with file like overlays. What a mess I made, it looks ugly!

I am not pc savvy at all. But is there a way for me clean up this mess? I might need "click ...> ...>" instructions, but any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Brink]

Hello Lode, and welcome to Seven Forums.

No problem mate. Move the Blank.ico file back to the desktop, unblock it, then move it back into the C:\Windows folder. Restart, and see if the overlay icon is gone now.

If not, then do step 3 in OPTION ONE to undo it, then do OPTION TWO with the program.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Autlense]

Problems

Hello there Brink, i wanted to remove those anoying arrows for a long time, and now that i have my new computer i gave it a try with your method.

I followed the steps to the letter so i would not encounter the problems other people had.

i logged off and on a few times and it did not work, then i restarted and nothing, now i have this... i tried to restore and nothing, then i download again and followed the steps but i still have the same problem , Plz help

 

[Brink]

Hello Autlense, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Double check the items in my post above yours to see if that may help.

 

[Autlense]

WOOOW, you are amazing Brink i finally got the icon layout thing off, But i dont know if i should try to remove the shortcut thing again, because it was me who tried it and then my bro, twice each time and it didnt work.... is it my computer?

 

[Brink]

That's great new Autlense.

Before we blame the computer... , you might try OPTION TWO to see if the program will allow you to easily do so.

 

[Autlense]

i try downloading the Vista Shortcut Overlay Remover 2.0 but it actually is another program called; speed it up free 4.0

 

[Brink]

Sounds like you may have clicked on the wrong download link. Check to be sure that you clicked on one of these boxed in red below instead at the link in your post above.

 

[Autlense]

this is what happen... i clicked on the no arrow option

 

[Brink]

Autlense,

Uninstall the program, and download the new version I added to the tutorial for your 64-bit Windows 7. It should work for you afterwards. The other one doesn't work with 64-bit despite what it said.

 

[Autlense]

still no luck, i get the same warning box as the pic above

 

[Brink]

Autlense,

Did you uninstall the other version first, then install the FxVisor64.msi file for 64-bit Windows 7 (download button below)?

If so, do you have UAC turned on?

 

[Autlense]

Autlense,

Did you uninstall the other version first, then install the FxVisor64.msi file for 64-bit Windows 7 (download button below)?

If so, do you have UAC turned on?

Yes i unistallled the other version first, then install the new one.
IDK what is UAC, sry