Make an Icon Invisible

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The subject was brought up in another thread, so I’m posting the instructions of how to make a Desktop shortcut icon totally invisible on the Desktop. The process is a two step process of removing the shortcut arrow Windows adds to every shortcut icon and then making the remaining icon invisible. There are separate instructions for each step in the attached PDFs.

Remove-Shortcut-Arrow-from-Shortcuts

Make-an-Icon-Invisible

HTH, Dana:))

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wavy, rdleib, RetiredGeek

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Windows 11 doesn’t have that key.  I created the key, gave it the proper value, but it didn’t work.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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Drcard:))

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bbearren wrote:

Windows 11 doesn’t have that key.  I created the key, gave it the proper value, but it didn’t work.

Thanks for letting us know. I wrote that before Windows 11 ever came out. So it will work only on Windows 7 – 10 and not 11. I’m not surprised as I see more how much Windows 11 has changed from Windows 10.

HTH, Dana:))

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While the shell32.dll file may be different between Windows 10 & Windows 11, you can still remove the arrow using the special blank.ico file available at Remove Shortcut Arrow Icon in Windows 11.

FYI, Winaero tweaker also includes an option to remove the shortcut arrows that uses the same blank.ico file.

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Drcard:))

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n0ads wrote:

FYI, Winaero tweaker also includes an option to remove the shortcut arrows that uses the same blank.ico file.

Shortcuts display on my Windows 10 Pro 22H2 change with Microsoft’s mood.
Sometimes there are arrows, sometimes green check marks, sometimes Xs, sometimes none (like now)

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Now desktop shortcuts got green checkmarks

Which turned into X

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A green check mark mean it’s available both locally and from an online service such as One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

A grey X means it’s only available locally (i.e a copy hasn’t been uploaded to your online service.

Both the green check mark and grey X overlays can be removed as follows:

Open regedit and go to this location.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers

Deleting the keys for the specific online service you use (i.e. OneDrive, Google, Dropbox, etc.) will remove them.

Note: the deleted keys will most likely be restored if the software used to sync with the online service is updated/reinstalled.

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n0ads wrote:

A green check mark mean it’s available both locally and from an online service such as One Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

I have no cloud storage sync.

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Alex5723 wrote:

I have no cloud storage sync.

But Windows thinks you do which is why it keeps putting those green check marks/grey X’s on your shortcuts.

Suggest you check that registry location and delete the appropriate keys which should stop them from appearing.

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Alex5723

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n0ads wrote:

Deleting the keys for the specific online service you use (i.e. OneDrive, Google, Dropbox, etc.) will remove them.

I have no online service that I use but I do have entries in ShellIcon..

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Not sure about the Acronis and HitmanPro entries but, since you’re not using OneDrive, you should remove all those OneDrive# entries.

Here’s what that registry section looks like on my Windows 10 22H2 where I uninstalled OneDrive and removed all references to it from my system.

If you do that and the check marks and X’s still show up, maybe Acronis is using them to indicate whether it has or has not backed up the programs associated with the shortcuts??

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Alex5723

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