Windows 10: Change or Remove Compression Blue Arrows on Icons in Windows 10

How to: Change or Remove Compression Blue Arrows on Icons in Windows 10

Change or Remove Double Blue Arrows Icon on Compressed Files and Folders in Windows 10


Windows 10 supports compression for individual files and folders on NTFS volumes using NTFS compression.

When you compress a file or folder in Windows 10, its icon will have a double blue arrows overlay at the top right corner to indicate that it's a compressed file or folder.

If you encrypt a compressed file or folder, the file or folder will no longer be compressed afterwards.

If you compress an EFS encrypted file or folder, the file or folder will no longer be encrypted afterwards.

This tutorial will show you how to customize or remove the double blue arrows icon overlay on compressed files and folders for all users in Windows 10.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to change or remove the double blue arrows icon overlay.

*note If you have a custom 24x24 pixel .ico file you would like to share, then please feel free to upload and post it here.


EXAMPLE: Double Blue Arrows on Icon of Compressed File or Folder






Here's How:

1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit, and press Enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.

3. In Registry Editor, browse to the key at the location below. (see screenshot below)

*note If you do not have the Shell Icons key, then right click or press and hold on the Explorer key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type Shell Icons for the name, and press Enter.
*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Icons





4. Do step 5 (change/remove) or step 6 (default) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Change or Remove Double Blue Arrows Icon
*note Other than uncompressing the file or folder to remove the double blue arrow icon, you can customize the icon to what you like below.
A) In the right pane of the Shell Icons key, double click/tap on the 179 string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

*note If you do not have the 179 string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the Shell Icons key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type 179 for the name, and press Enter.

B) Type in the full path of the custom .ico file you want to use, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)


Tip If you like, you can download and use a 24x24 pixel transparent.ico file here that will remove the double blue arrows icon.

Be sure to unblock this transparent.ico file before moving it into your C:\Windows\System32 folder.






6. To Restore Default Double Blue Arrows Icon
A) In the right pane of the Shell Icons key, delete the 179 string value. (see screenshot below step 3)

B) Click/tap Yes to confirm, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)





7. Restart explorer to apply.

8. When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.


That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Enable or Disable NTFS File Compression in Windows
• How to Compress or Uncompress Files and Folders in Windows 10
• How to Change, Remove, or Restore Shortcut Arrow Overlay Icon in Windows 10
• How to Change or Remove Lock Icon on Encrypted Files and Folders in Windows 10
• How to Find and List Compressed Files and Folders in Windows 10

:)

 

Double blue arrows appear on top right corner in Windows 10.

The overlay can be removed by overriding the shell icon 179 using a blank icon. See:

Windows 10: Hide "blue arrows" compressed file icon - Nerdshack

Mysterious Blue Double Arrow Icon on Files and Folders in Windows 10?

Mysterious Blue Double-Arrows Added to Windows Desktop File & - Microsoft Community

 

Mysterious Blue Double-Arrows Added to Windows Desktop File & Folder Icons

The fact that Microsoft released something like this with no documentation, no notice, no off-switch, etc... shows that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

The fact that the solutions for this involve either registry hacks or widespread decompression of files is idiocy.

The fact that people putting themselves forward as "experts" without doing even a cursory google search is asinine.

DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU PROVIDE AN ANSWER!

• norton has nothing to do with this
• it involves compressed files
• it is part of windows

Yes Norton is one of the worst pieces of software on the market but this situation cropped up after an update so the solution
obviously would not have been in lanedog33's 2010
post.

Anyone with an IQ over room temperature should be able to deduce this quickly enough.

2 example posts of what is out there:

Windows 10 and the Double Arrow icon of death

Windows 10 and the Double Arrow icon of death - Nerdshack

November 29th, 2015

"Somewhere in the recent TH2 builds a new overlay was introduced to indicate compressed files/folders."

“TH2” or “the real Windows 10”

Change or Remove Double Blue Arrows Icon on Compressed Files and Folders in Windows 10

Change or Remove Double Blue Arrows Icon on Compressed Files and Folders in Windows 10

03/01/2016

the compressed folders will display blue arrows at the top right corner of the folders

 

Hello Axims, and welcome to Ten Forums.

I'll certainly see if I can. *Smile

 

thanks, my money's on you!

oh and by the way, I've been with you guys since seven forums , you've been helping way more people than you'd think *Biggrin

 

I'll try not to let you down. *Smile

 

@Axims,

Here you go. Happy New Year. *Smile

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...dows-10-a.html

 

You're the Man, Shawn!
many thanks, and happy new year to you too! *Party *Party

 

You're most welcome. *Smile

 

Brink, I followed the instructions of your guide to a t and now instead of blue compression arrows I have blank white pages. Did I do something wrong?

 

Hello Drak, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

Did you use the transparent.ico in the tutorial, or a custom .ico of your own?

Did you unblock and save either one in the C:\Windows\System32 folder?

 

I did use the transparent.ico from the tutorial but I did not unblock or save it into the System32 folder. I kept the downloaded transparent.ico in my downloads folder on my C:/ drive. (I'm running 64-bit, if that matters.)

 

As test, unblock it, copy it to the System32 folder, and change the path in the registry to see if that may help.

I find that if the .ico file is not saved in a location that all users can access, it could sometimes cause issues displaying properly.

 

Okay, I unblocked the file in my download folder, copied it into my System32 folder, went back to the registry and put in the new path and still no dice after restarting windows explorer. *Sad

 

I need help i can't find the shell icons folder in regedit ? Screenshot