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Arrows on Desktop Shortcut icons

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mgmcc

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Posted October 6, 2006 at 4:59PM

The first thing I do after installing Windows is to remove the arrows from the Desktop shortcuts, usually with TweakUI. I hate them!

In the absence of TweakUI for Vista, does anyone know how to remove them, i.e. the registry entries to edit?

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ade.h

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Posted October 6, 2006 at 5:30PM

Hmm, me too. Annoyingly pointless things. The registry is probably very different so there's probably not much point in me providing the details of the reg hack that TweakUI performs. But just in case it turns out to have a relevant entry.... click here

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mgmcc

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Posted October 6, 2006 at 5:53PM

Thanks, I had already tried that registry tweak without success :(

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keja

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Posted October 6, 2006 at 6:27PM

TweakVI for Vista click here
This is NOT the Microsoft version.

Not a recommendation - haven't used it myself and some posters on another forum don't like it.

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mgmcc

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Posted October 6, 2006 at 7:54PM

Thanks. I've downloaded it and will have a look. I have a dual boot with XP and Vista, so I'm running Acronis True Image in XP to backup the Vista partition before I start "messing" with it. ;)

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mgmcc

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Posted October 6, 2006 at 8:48PM

TweakVI for Vista has got rid of the blighters, thanks!

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DieSse

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Posted October 7, 2006 at 2:55PM

Personally I think they're useful - they distinguish between what is only a shortcut, and can be removed with impunity - and what is a real file - and you might not want to delete.

How can a tiny arrow engender such strong feelings - (philosophical and rhetorical question only.)

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Forum Editor

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Posted October 7, 2006 at 6:26PM

Well, you might say so, but the point of them as far as Microsoft is concerned is that they enable you to discern the difference between a shortcut to something and a file.

Many people save files to their desktops, and then there are no arrows.

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Forum Editor

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Posted October 7, 2006 at 6:27PM

I didn't notice that DieSse was way ahead of me with that answer.

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ade.h

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Posted October 7, 2006 at 8:06PM

I would have thought it quite easy to readily distinguish between file icons and shortcuts. My desktops typically have a varying collection of work in progress and I have never had any problems. I'm sure most people seperate their icons according tp type anyway - files in one corner, for example. The only group of users who are likely to have such problems would be partially-sighted or blind users, and the small arrows are not going to help them very much. And they ARE ugly and annoying, so I'll stand by my comment.

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Forum Editor

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Posted October 8, 2006 at 2:31PM

Youm might be interested to know that the arrow size has been increased in Vista, and that this was done specifically as a result of feedback from users during the early beta stages.

Lots of people use the arrows to differentiate between shortcuts and files, and lots of people do not keep "files in one corner" as you suggest.

You may well stand by your comment that these arrows are "Annoyingly pointless things", but I assure you they're not. Microsoft keeps them there for a reason, and that reason is consumer feedback.

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