How To Remove shield icon from Windows 10 desktop shortcuts.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sep 22, 2020
11
18
515
Visit site
You may have noticed some annoying ugly yellow-and-blue shield icons on your desktop shortcuts. This is how to get rid of them.

There are at least a few different ways to do this, which you can find easily on Google search. Some pose security concerns or require you to wreck files. The easiest is to add cmd /c start “” to the shortcut target, but it doesn't always work. There's also a method using scheduled tasks, which I haven't tried because it looked like a hassle. This is what I do now, which I haven't seen suggested anywhere:

Open the directory where your game executable is located. Create a new text file and name it [executable filename].bat . . . game.exe would be game.bat. In the BAT file, put this text:

START X:\\path\"folder name with spaces"\executable.exe

Create a shortcut for the BAT file and place it on your desktop. Change the shortcut's icon.

If that's not clear . . .

Easy method from second paragraph:

My method:

The BAT file method would also be good if you use any other programs, like streaming or macro software, when playing games, because it enables you to launch multiple programs with one shortcut.
 
Last edited:
An alternative method is just to right click the shortcut, click properties, and in the shortcut tab add this line before the target path...

C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c start ""

... you also need to put a space between it and the original target path.

This makes Command Prompt open the executable, so you'll see CP flash onscreen before it launches.

An even simpler way, if it doesn't cause problems (sometimes apps need to be run as admin to avoid such problems), is just to right click the shortcut, click properties, and on the compatibility tab, uncheck Run this program as an administrator. Only programs that are set to run as admin have this shield.

Finally, yet another way, and one that also greatly reduces desktop clutter, is to make custom Taskbar Toolbars, in which you can categorize and alphabetize all your desktop shortcuts. I have 5 on my taskbar, Net (browsers), Apps (various utilities and such), Media (editors, media files, etc), Security (CCleaner, Malwarebytes, etc), and Games. This will make basically a tree of all the shortcuts you put in it, each having their own smaller original shortcut icon, but without the shield. You can also of course launch them with a single click once the tree is opened.

To do this you first make your categorized shortcut folders in a suitable location, place the shortcuts in them, then just right click the taskbar, click toolbars, new toolbar, then browse to the folder, and end by giving the toolbar an appropriate name. Then you'll see the toolbar appear on the taskbar with that name and a small arrow tab to the right of it you can click to open it.
 
Last edited:
Sep 22, 2020
11
18
515
Visit site
Finally, yet another way, and one that also greatly reduces desktop clutter, is to make custom Taskbar Toolbars, in which you can categorize and alphabetize all your desktop shortcuts. I have 5 on my taskbar

That's pretty cool. It's like adding as many start menus as you want.


I tried just now to see, and you can name folders with emoticons. It takes some trial and error to find one that looks good, because they don't display in color like they do on websites.
 
Sep 22, 2020
11
18
515
Visit site
Finally, yet another way, and one that also greatly reduces desktop clutter, is to make custom Taskbar Toolbars, in which you can categorize and alphabetize all your desktop shortcuts. I have 5 on my taskbar, Net (browsers), Apps (various utilities and such), Media (editors, media files, etc), Security (CCleaner, Malwarebytes, etc), and Games. This will make basically a tree of all the shortcuts you put in it, each having their own smaller original shortcut icon, but without the shield. You can also of course launch them with a single click once the tree is opened.

This site is perfect for finding the best high-visibility symbols for folder names: https://copychar.cc/symbols

I'm using those taskbar toolbars from now on. Great tip!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ysusanti1
Status
Not open for further replies.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts