How To Easily Get Rid of Shortcut Arrows on Icons-Manual Method

Update: If you follow this guide, then you will miss “PIN to taskbar” feature on your O.S. I recommend you to try Easiest and Best Way to Remove Shortcut Arrow from Icons method instead.

Everyone place icons on the desktop for accessing to particular software or place to make their task easier. But when you place icons on desktop small shortcut arrows added automatically to those icons on the desktop. That small shortcut arrow looks so ugly on those beautiful icons. So have you ever tried to remove arrows from shortcuts? If yes, then you may noticed that there is no particular option to disable shortcut arrow in Windows 7 or windows vista or in windows XP. Here today in this post I will show you how remove arrows from shortcuts in all windows O.S without using any software.

The steps which I am going explain for removing shortcut arrows is by the method of REGEDIT. If you have some little knowledge about regedit then it is good or else no problem.

remove arrows from shortcuts

Before removing shortcut arrow in icons

Steps to Remove Shortcut Arrows (works on XP,Vista,Windows 7):

  1. Open REGEDIT by typing REGEDIT in run prompt (win+r).
  2. Click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT now without break press   LN in keyboard you will see lnkfile (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile) folder, in the right side you will see IsShortcut file just select and right click and select Delete option. removing shortcut arrows
  3. Now we have to delete another registry entry, to do select HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT in that without break type pi you will get one folder called piffile (HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\piffile) in that folder you will see IsShortcut file, Delete that IsShortcut file. disable shortcut arrow
  4. Now close regedit.

 

That’s it. After restarting your PC you wont see shortcut arrows on icons. This removing shortcut arrow method works fine on every windows O.S (xp,vista and windows 7) for 32 bit and 64 bit pc as well.
after removing shortcut arrows windows 7

Video Guide on Removing Shortcut Arrows From Windows OS:



Arun
 

Arun is the founder of this blog and a passionate tech blogger. If you like tech, then don't forget to subscribe to this blog for tech tips, reviews, guides, and exclusive deals.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 4 comments
Malcul - August 13, 2011

This is the first one I found that works with Windows 7. I wonder if it has anything to do with me being no longer able to ‘pin’ programs to the task bar?

Reply
    P.K.ARUN - August 13, 2011

    I have also tried few times to pin programs to task bar as you tried but failed many times even I search on the net for the solution for this and tried all those method but the result if FAIL. For me the way it worked is just going to the original set folder of that program i.e at C:\Program Files (x86)\PROGRAM FOLDER and check for the icon you want to place on task bar and their you try to pin. For me this method worked for one laptop and not worked for anther laptop..

    Reply
Joshua - May 9, 2012

This worked for me except trying to remove the arrow off self created icons that are interent shortcuts. I tried to look for urlfile dont think it exists. I will continue to search for the correct name for it in the registry, but if anyone already knows the answer to this it would be a great help. Thanks

JOSHUA

Reply
Joshua - May 9, 2012

I think I may have found the answer under

HKEY_CLASSES _ROOT\IE.AssocFile.URL

Reply

Leave a Reply: