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

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Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore

How to Change, Remove, or Restore the Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon in Windows
Published by Brink
06 Feb 2009
Published by
Brink's Avatar

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


information   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   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.






Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore OPTION ONE Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore
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: 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.
Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore-frameworkx.jpg
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.
Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore-logoff_confirmation.jpg
7. Log back on and your done.


warning   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".





Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore OPTION TWO Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore
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.

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

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

Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore-xp_arrow.png (Classic) %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-30

Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore-arrow.png (Default) %windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-16769
6. Log off and on, or restart the computer to apply.




Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore OPTION THREE Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore
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.

Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore-arrow.png 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.

Shortcut Arrow - Change, Remove, or Restore-xp_arrow.png 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
23 May 2009   #1
Nosmo

Win 7 32 bit , Win xp Sp3
100 posts
 
 
Shortcut Arrow - Change
Note   Note
The shortcut icon arrows in Win 7 are actually overlaid icons. These icons live in the shell32.dll file. As it happens, the old winxp shortcut arrow also lives in this file.
warning   Warning
Please only attempt this if you are comfortable making changes to the registry. Usual disclaimer etc,etc.


1. Open the Start Menu, and type regedit in the search line and pres Enter.

2. In regedit, navigate to the location below:
NOTE: If Shell Icons it is not in the left pane under Explorer, then 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 a empty area and click on New and String Value, and name it 29.

4. Right click on 29 and click on Modify.

5. Type in C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll,29 and click on OK.
NOTE: The 29 is the XP standard shortcut arrow number. Substitute a different ‘number’ in the data value field for other overlays or set the path to an ico file somewhere else on the hard drive.

6. Restart the computer to apply the small XP arrow, or the one you have selected, will show on all your shortcut icons.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
23 May 2009   #2
noyb

XP MCE .... XP Pro 64 .... W7 U x64
1,054 posts
 
 
Much Better .. Many Thanks
My System SpecsSystem Spec
23 May 2009   #3
Nosmo

Win 7 32 bit , Win xp Sp3
100 posts
 
 
To whom it may concern.
Thank you very much for the work done on my post.
Much better.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
.

23 May 2009   #4
Brink

64-bit Windows 10 Pro
66,250 posts
 
 
You're most welcome Nosmo. Thank you for posting the tutorial.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
27 Jul 2009   #5
BleepingCrazy

Windows 7 Ultimate x64
28 posts
 
 
wow, much better than vista xD

thanks guys!
My System SpecsSystem Spec
31 Jul 2009   #6
araujo

Windows seven OEM Ultimate x64
2 posts
 
 
all that is past and too much work, so here I have discovered and made much more practical.

save to any name.reg
Quote:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"link"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer]
"link"=hex:00,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons]
"29"="%SystemRoot%\\system32\\imageres.dll,-121"
My System SpecsSystem Spec
17 Aug 2009   #7
nechan

win7.7100x64
37 posts
 
 
None of this is working in Windows 7 RTM. There is no folder "Shell Icons" anymore.

Is there any other (easy) way?
My System SpecsSystem Spec
17 Aug 2009   #8
noyb

XP MCE .... XP Pro 64 .... W7 U x64
1,054 posts
 
 
Read the Tutorial again ... You have to make the "Shell Icons" Folder .. If it's not there.

Quote:
NOTE: If Shell Icons it is not in the left pane under Explorer, then right click on Explorer and click on New and Key. Type Shell Icons for the new keys's name and press Enter.
Don't feel bad ... I missed this on my first pass also.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
26 Sep 2009   #9
Passa

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
1 posts
 
 
Not working for me. I put it in the keys listed here as well as in the explorer section of the "Wow6432Node" key which has the same structure. Running Windows 7 Ultimate RTM 64-bit.

I'm trying to link it to an icon called "larrow.ico" in "C:\Shortcuts", so the "29" bit has the data:
"C:\Shortcuts\larrow.ico,0"

Any ideas? I just want the same arrow that you get with a TweakUI'd XP.
My System SpecsSystem Spec
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