Shortcut icons have gray X's

Hello,
I recently purchased a new Windows 10 laptop, and it has an odd issue which my old Windows 10 machine didn't...

All the icons on the desktop (except the Recycle Bin) are showing shortcut overlays (little blue arrows on the lower-left corner of the icon) - whether the icon is an actual shortcut (just a pointer to a file/folder stored elsewhere) or whether it is a file (stored in the "C:\Users\MY_USER_ACCOUNT\Desktop" folder).

This is really irritating me, since I frequently use the desktop for temporary files (like downloads, etc) and like to clean it up every so often.

I have attempted to "restore" the default shortcut behavior via registry settings (Shortcut Arrow Icon - Change, Remove, or Restore in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials ) but that didn't change the issue I am seeing.

I would like the overlays to display properly - with overlays on actual shortcuts, and no overlays on files/folders located in the "Desktop" folder on disk.

Has anyone else experienced this behavior? Any ideas on how to fix it?

Thanks in advance!
~Heather

Can change folder and shortcut icons with XP features, but is there an XP feature or 3rd party software package (possibly freeware) that can change (all extension types) file icons ?
Am looking at shareware (about $20) 'IconChanger 3.7' but not sure what file extensions it can work with (have emailed IC tech support for that list, but have not yet heard back).
Any ideas ?
 

this is a new build. i have 3 x asus monitors. all 3 monitors are working, but on monitor #3, there is a small rectangular dark gray box (sort of near the center of the screen) with two light gray arrows on the bottom right of it. the box is not clickable or moveable.system specs:windows 7 pro 64bitasus p8z68 deluxe mobocrucial m4 128gb ssdsilverstone 1000w atx psug.skill ripjaws x series ddr3 1866 16gbintel i5 2500k cpuasus vw246h monitor x 3what i've discovered so far:if i change the order the monitors appear in windows, the dark gray box will always appear on monitor #3, so i don't think it's monitor-related. if i go into the monitor menu and select system setup, then splendid demo mode, and select on, the dark gray box turns light gray on the left side. this has been the only way i've found to interact with it.here's a screen shot (i've cropped the image, but the box actually appears near the center of the screen and about 3 inches from the top of the screen):http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1064/graybox.jpg

Is there anyway to remove the arrow in shortcut icons WITHOUT screwing over the favorite links folder??

thanks!

Hi TechSupportGuy,
When I boot up my computer I get a warning that the specific Module CTMBHA DLL is missing.
My shortcut icons on my screen have turned white and I cannot access some sites such as Facebook.
I would appreciate if you could help me sort this out.

Regards
Tony
 

I have just read on anothers string, that I could put all my shortcut icons from my desktop, onto the taskbar (the area beween the Start button and the System Tray)and then have a completely clean desktop.Please, before I do so, have I understood correctly or not? It makes for neatness and if so, it would suit me.Advice guys please

Hi
I hope it is OK to just ask a question here - apologies if I breaf forum etiquette!
When I create a new desktop shortcut to a webpage, I like to assign a distinctive icon to it - either an ICO file, or it seems possible to assign a BMP bitmap image.
Trouble is, windows keeps changing it back to the default internet shortcut icon.
Any ideas why, and how to stop it?
Thanks!
Trev

My shortcut icons on my desktop are too big, I'd love to have the MAC style where they are sort of hidden on the left and right sides and sort of wheel around, ( can we do that), but either way, how can I make them smaller...........

Is it possible to place different sets of icons on different desktop ?
For example, having desktop 1 empty, desktop 2 full of files, desktop 3 with shortcuts to programmes/games, etc.
Also is there a way to have a different wallpaper on each desktop, to tell them apart faster ?

My guess is all of that is not possible, given that additional desktops are not supposed to be "permanent", but rather added/deleted quickly. But maybe with a bit of tweaking ?

I hope I'm in the right area of the forum and also hope that it's okay that I am here even though I run windows vista home premium. I have a gateway LX8610-01 with XFX GF6800 XT gpu, Intel core 2 quad q8200 2.34 ghz processor, Antec VP450 psu, MCP7AM01G1 mobo, vista x64 home premium, and use Mozilla Firefox browser.

I'm having a problem with my shortcuts that I create on my desktop. To create a shortcut I just drag the little icon that looks like the planet earth up in the address bar (left side) and place it on my desktop. What happens is I get a cosmetically unappealing shortcut icon. The link works, but it's just terrible to look at. I inserted a screenshot of my desktop so you can see the yahoo fantasy basketball and the 7forums shortcuts I made; they look hideous. I've researched online for a fix, but have not been successful in fixing the issue. Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Hi!
I am quite a new user of Windows Vista (not because I have ever wanted to use it, but because I was forced to do so -> standard laptop equipment).

I have a problem with icons. Recently, having installed some video codecs (_probably_ because of that), I found that my explorer (and desktop as well) icons of shortcuts crushed. It means: there are still those beautiful big and so on icons, but in their left bottom corner there is another, standard "unknown" icon present. To make it more clear I attach a small jpg with this phenomenon.

The question is - how to 'repair' them? I tried uninstalling all the programs I have installed recently - did not help.

Thank you for any clues!
 

I scanned the external seagate hdd with avg..it detected two viruses which i moved to the vault. Then i typed the command attrib -H -R -S /S /D I:\*.* in comand prompt and pressed enter.But still the icons on my hdd are shortcuts although my hdd shows free memory available

I'm using office 2000 in windows XP, and the graphics on the icons of the office shortcut bar are really crappy. Is there an explanation for this?
 

I just finished downloading the new update today and was playing a few games of Warcraft 3. But after I closed that I realized that a majority of the shortcuts on my desktop have reverted to basic icons. I thought it might be the new update so I used the sticky and was about to make the changes to my registry but I checked and the Verclsid.exe program that the windows help tells you to do here http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/918165? is missing. So I haven't done that yet because I didn't want to screw up my registry in case the d word value screws something up if the file isn't there. As I used my computer, a few of the icons reverted back to the correct image but some are still the same. I know it seems like a minor problem but I'm afraid it could be the tip of the ice burg to a larger problem. And it is still fairly aggravating. I would appreciate any help at all. Here is my Hijack this log incase you need it.

Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
Scan saved at 5:28:25 AM, on 4/26/2006
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\Ati2evxx.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\Program Files\Symantec\LiveUpdate\ALUSchedulerSvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\... Read more

I have been using Windows 8 for a while now and I have noticed a strange problem.
It appears that the shortcuts on my desktop keep having the icon changed (the arrow).
Here is what it should look like normally (I think):
Here is it with a different icon:
Here is it with another icon (from sync center?):
And another (notice the two UAC Shields on the second one):
And here with nothing at all:

What do you think could be causing this? I'm pretty sure I re-installed once and still had the problem. It seems absolutely random and rebooting doesn't really change it. Also I am not sure if this is the right thread, couldn't really figure out what fit.

Is that possible to add  shortcut icons to page as a button on my browser.I can add shortcut icons to page  on my desktop  but i want to know is that possible to add it on my browser. I have using internet explorer 6

help please when I start a program using icons after I close the program the shortcut icon remains lit up till I click anywhere on screen how to fix this problem please

Since installing IE7, I've found that some of the icons of my Internet Shortcuts are getting changed on the fly.Not only is it annoying that Microsoft allows websites to change things that I have specifically set-up (i.e. the icons), but I have the problem that, on the Quick Launch for example, several shortcuts now have the same icon ('cos they point to different parts of the same website). It's no good just changing them back to what I had before as the next time I visit the site they just get overwritten again.Is there a setting somewhere that I can use to prevent my choice of icon being overriddden?

hi, im kinda young and new to vista so i need some help..

the thing is... i want to change the overlay text for my shortcut .. something like this.

\
/
\
V

so.. yeap. thats all for now. please help me .. thank you. ^^

So I know how to do this: Shortcut - Change Icon

But I want to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qIAa0YyRoI


Add some other icons then the default ugly boring window icons.

Any ideas on how to do that? For some reason I don't trust the video on youtube to be the right idea.


But know of any program that helps you with this? Resource Hacker maybe?

Also is it shell32.dll or imageres.dll that is the right file to edit?

Since I started using Firefox (set as default browser) several weeks ago, some of the Internet Shortcuts on the desktop have changed to the Firefox icon, while some remain showing the old IE icon.The ones that have changed to FF have done that on their own, I haven't done it.I don't get the FF icon choice in the "change icon" dialog for the IE shortcuts, so how can I get them all changed to the FF icon.Is it something to do with the IconCache, which I've read about, but don't know enough about to proceed.

I am running XP Home and have created shortcuts to my DVD Rom and CD writer from the My Computer Icon onto my desktop, however after a couple of uses the icons refuse to change to the icon that is on the CD and when clicking them, windows gives the error message that it is searching for the Q:\ drive, or that the icons target has changed and would I like to delete it. If I delete it to the bin then open the bin, the icon is displaying the CDs icon picture! If I then restore it to my desktop the Icon reverts back to the normal CD icon but still won't connect to the CD. I can make a new Icon from My Computer, but then it all starts again after a couple of uses. I have checked for viruses and found none using Symantec antiVirus 2002. Please can anyone help sort out this annoying problem

My shortcut icons (which I created on the websites) are empty. When I go into their "properties" the target is a google app. When I try to change the target to the appropriate web address I get an error message that target is invalid. Is something interfering with me?

Hi guys,Have been with Win 7 since release and had a small niggle with shortcut icons being slow to appear. For example the shortcute in my start menu - More programs. Also I have a folder on my desktop with my game shortcuts in, the folder opens imediately with the game nems but the pictures are slow to appear. Mayb a second or two, is this a clow hard disk? My WEI shows my Hard disk as having a low rating.Thnaks

Original Plan: Change IE Icon Ver 6 SP3 and all Updates
(I like 6 and kept it)

Action Taken: Opened Regedit

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut - Modified EditFlags
Changed Value from 2 to 0

Changed IconHandler Name From:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut\shellex\IconHandler
To:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\InternetShortcut\shellex\IXconHandleXr

Finally, I opened Explorer\Tools\Folder Options\File Types\Internet Shortcut and chicked on the "Advanced" button to get to the "Change Icon" button. Changed the Icon but did not make a note of the existing location. After changing, all my self created Internet shortcuts are the same as well as icons in "Favorites".

Also cannot replace icons in self created shortcuts as they still point to the ICO files I created for them. Do not want to take additional actions until I recieve some guidence. Thank You for the assist.

Stefan

2011dec20: Our 5 workstations and 1 server are hard wire networked. 4 of our workstations and the server are running XP something. My system is XP Pro and is about 5 years old. Couple months ago, I had just opened My Network Places, where there are 4 or 5 shortcuts to folders on our server, then went to the other room to get a number for a drawing I was going to look up in the Drawings folder on the server. When I came back, the window was still open but all the shortcut icons, even the window itself, everything was gone - nothing but white was left in their place. I tried opening and closing the window a couple times which didn't help, then I rebooted a couple times and that didn't help either. About an hour later I opened MNPs again and the one connection I needed at that time, Shared Documents, was the only connection that came up. After a bit I closed the MNPs window and reopened it. This time 3 icons came up. By the end of the day everything was back to normal. Maybe twice since then not all icons would show, but everything would return to normal very shortly. This morning I had the MNPs window open, had one of the connections open and was working in one of the folders when everything simply disappeared. No one else here seems to be experiencing this issue.
2012feb02: All but one of the shortcut icons have been gone from my MNPs for two days now. All the rebooting and window opening and closing does no good. From another workstation similar in age and manu... Read more

I am running XP sp1 my computer is virus free as far as I know, but some of my short cut icons have started not to work, if a make a shortcut for the desk top for my A Drive (floppy) or E Drive (dvd/cd) or my F Drive (cd/rw) they will only work for that session ie once the computer is switched off then on again they will not work any more, however I also have a D Drive (zip) and that always works ok as does the C Drive (hard drive) shortcut. Can anyone help ?

Vista 32-bit Ultimate... Rig in sig...
My icons on my desk all have the little arrow stating it's a shortcut. Is there a way to get rid of this?
 

Today i clean installed windows 8.1 [again] because every time i booted up, it will not show the desktop shortcut arrows until i hover over it with my mouse?
Once i boot up, this is what all my icons look like



Then when i hover over them-

When I select a shortcut icon and go to change it by right clicking on it, then clicking on properties,and then in web document, I click on change icon and on some of the icons I only get five icons to pick from and not the usual larger amount of icons.

This is the address shown for the five icons shown for the five icons.

C:\Windows\System32\url.dll ................................. Only five icons

And on some shortcuts, I get the normal amount of icons
　
%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll................ This one has all the icons which is normal.

Please help. Thank you.

All non shortcut icons on my desktop and windows explorer windows are showing a check mark image on the lower left side of the icon.
How do I eliminate these unwanted check mark images on the icons? I'm running Windows 7 Home Premium.
Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Hi,
I've a system (win 7 Pro) which is mamber of a domain (server-win 2008).
In this PC,user making shortcut icons in the desktop to access directly files/folders stored in the server.

But problem is those shortcut icons to the server disappieared suddenly.
And its happened few times. Is it a bug of win 7 or anything else?

But no problem with default/regular shorcut icons.

Thanks in advance.

All of my desktop shortcut icons have turned black.

I first deleted my Explorer thumbnail cache and then my icon cache. I did not get the icons back to normal until after I deleted the icon cache.

But after I shut down and restarted the black icons were back. I went through this twice and both time they came back after I shut down and turned the laptop back on.

How do I get rid of these black icons permanently?

Hey all, just got Office 2010 TP, and was wondering how I go about changing the icons of the shortcuts, in the start menu.

I took ownership of the folder them and it didn't help. Any thoughts? I want to use this icon pack I found


This is what I get..


Attachment 25565

How do I get my homepage shortcuts for websites icons back?When I used to connect to Mozilla Fox internet, my homepage would come up. With my homepage, were a row of icons. Large Icons, down the middle of my screen. There was one for Facebook, Yahoo, Youtube, etc. Well, now they're gone and I don't know how. I can't get them back and it was really convenient. Help!

When i insert my Kingston 2.0 pen drive i couldn't find my data instead i got shortcuts of my folders. I successfully retrieved my folders but the problem is even after i formatted my drive i still get the shortcut of my folders...so i appreciate any tips as how to get rid of the shortcuts....

Hi. I have a problem that's been driving me nuts for a few years.

I have a desktop and netbook that are both running 64-bit Windows 7. Each computer has a 'Games' folder that I keep my installed games shortcuts in. I like to turn up the icon size to around the 'large icons' option in the folder bar, making the icons larger than the standard 64x64. I like how the large icons look and it's pretty handy to have larger icons on my netbook's 11.6" screen.

The problem is that Windows seems unable to keep all the shortcuts locked in at the same size. It doesn't matter if I'm using a custom icon that's 256x256 or using the game's base shortcut icon that scales larger than 64x64 -- Windows will undoubtedly shrink some icons to 64x64 the next time I open the folder.

What's really annoying is that it's completely random what icons it resizes. There will be days where a certain icon is 64x64 and then suddenly it scales back up to 256x256.

How can I lock my icons to a certain size and not have Windows decide to mess with them? I've tried rebooting, reassigning new icons, changing a shortcut's name (this will sometimes take care of the problem until I reboot), and saving my Windows theme. I would think this would be pretty stuff for the OS to handle correctly.

Here's a screenshot so you can see what I'm talking about:
http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/491/foldericons.jpg Guaranteed the icons will be sized differently next time I access that folder.

Cheers... Read more

On two occasions, several of the shortcut icons have disappeared from my Desktop for no apparent reason or action on my part. Any thoughts?

 :PI feel embarrased to ask this question but I cannot find a solution to removing the desktop shortcut icons attached to my screen without removing the shortcut from the application or removing the application itself. I have spent an exorbitent amount of time trying to locate an method for doing this thatdoes not includeusing the registry,ordeleting the icon from the screen. I have used the Show Desktop in the context menu, Hide Desktop, etc. The icons remain on the screen. Ultimately what I am seeking to do is have a clean screen with only the Startup Button showing in a taskbar that shows only the Desktop>> bar next to the hidden icon bar containing the time. Thanks for listening.

how can i enable/disable the ability to change the shortcut icons in microsoft office(97 or 2000) for "open office document" and "open new office document"? is this done in the registry?
 

Is there a way to remove the shortcut arrows on the desktop icons??
 

I don't know how I did it but I have some icons in my folders that have gained the little shortcut arrows and they are not giving me permission to access those folders now.
I don't know how it happened.

When I try and edit security permissions I get a message "an error has occured while applying security information".

Some of them already show full control in all the users on the list.

I have a three machine network, wired through a router gigabit switch. I guess I was doing some setup stuff and fat fingered something.

Many of my shortcut icons changed from the default to a small blue box with a double chevron type arrow. Looks like it changed icons in all directories as well as the desktop. I tried the Tweak UI but that only changed some. I've searched the net with no real luck. Any help on why or how to change them back would be appreciated.
 

I had some 20 shortcut icons on my screen and the last time I booted up they had all disappeared.

Going through IE/Desktop they are all there. I have tried dragging them from the desktop window to the desktop screen but that is not possible as the destination is the same.

I have tried right clicking the desktop screen and creating a new shortcut - the new shortcut is created but only in the desktop window and not on the screen.
It slows things down when there is no icon to bring up the Internet and other favourite programmes and there is no Recycle Bin.
Can anyone help please.