This tip was provided by Jacky Howe.

In Windows XP and Vista, you can remove the shortcut arrows that appear on your Desktop icons by making a change to the registry.

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Warning

The following instructions involve editing your system registry. Using the Windows Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that require the reinstallation of your operating system and possible loss of data. TechRepublic does not support problems that arise from editing your registry. Use the Registry Editor and the following directions at your own risk.

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Editing the registry

  1. Click Start | Run
  2. Enter regedt32 and click OK
  3. In the left pane, navigate to the following subkey: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile
  4. In the right pane, locate the value IsShortCut
  5. Right-click this value, and then rename it AIsShortCut
  6. Close the Registry Editor, and restart the computer

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