Windows 10: How to Remove the Blue "Quick access" Icon from the Desktop

In Windows 10, how do I permanently remove the 'Quick access' icon from my desktop? Here's what it looks like on my desktop:





Hopefully the following additional details will make it easier for someone to answer my question:

• I'm not asking how to remove the Quick access icon from File Explorer; I'm asking how to remove it from my desktop.
• The icon in question does not have a delete entry in its right-click menu, and dragging it over the Recycle Bin doesn't remove it.
• The icon does not appear in Settings > Personalization > Themes > Desktop icon settings, so it can't be de-selected by that method.
• While I am using Google Chrome, I don't have the Visualization extention, and the icon in question appears even when all extensions are disabled.
• I'm asking how to remove the icon permanently, because pressing the F5 key removes it temporarily. It comes back.

I don't know this for a fact, but it does seems that Microsoft is trying to force users to at least notice the Quick access icon.

:)

 

How can I remove icons from the File Explorer navigation pane?

The icons I want to remove are not in the quick access section,
here is a bigger picture. The quick access section is at the top I want to remove icons from the bottom Desktop section. My desktop folder is empty as described above and in
this picture so the icons should not appear in the navigation pane.

 

Desktop/ Quick Access

Ah okay I think I understand now. The desktop icon you have there isn't showing all your expected desktop items. Here's how to get it to be more complete.

1) Under Quick Access, right-click the existing Desktop icon and choose "Unpin from Quick Access"

2) In the "address bar", click the left-most arrow icon (it will drop down) and choose Desktop. You'll notice that this one is a special desktop link that
does show your recycle bin and picasa.

3) Take the icon in the address bar (the blue desktop icon) and drag it down into Quick Access. Now you'll have this "more complete" desktop shortcut in your Quick Access.

Is that what you're looking for?

 

Hi Bulldog

It would appear this question has been asked before and no real solution was found.

Here is that thread for reference. Maybe a member has since discovered a method.

Removing Quick Access

This member was out to remove it fully, I understand you were thinking just desktop.


Ken

 

Thanks very much for replying to my question. I appreciate the reference to the earlier post here, of which I was l already aware. I was hoping that in the months that have passed since that time, someone might have had the same issue as I and discovered a solution.

I do not have Quick access in File Explorer. I already removed that. (For some reason Microsoft doesn't capitalize the A.)

My question concerns the appearance of a Quick access icon on the desktop. To my knowledge Microsoft has exposed no control to remove this.

 

Agree and I think that is what the other member was trying to do. Hopefully another member will join with a real solution.

 

Hello Bulldog, *Smile

If you like, you might see if downloading and running the .bat file below may help.

*Arrow Remove_Quick_Access_desktop_icon.bat

Contents of .bat file:

Code: REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel" /v "{679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6}" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f taskkill /im explorer.exe /f & explorer.exe[/quote]

 

Hi and thank you as well for your advice.

Before I apply your suggested solution, I just want to be sure of one thing: The GUID used in your suggestion {679f85cb-0220-4080-b29b-5540cc05aab6} has been commonly cited in solutions used to remove the Quick access icon from File Explorer while I am trying to remove it from my desktop. I just want to check with you, that you feel this registry edit will remove the Quick access icon from my desktop. I've already removed it from File Explorer.

 

It's the same GUID reference for Quick Access, but the registry location in the .bat is only for Desktop icons. It won't affect Quick Access in the navigation pane of File Explorer.

The .bat file sets to not show Quick Access on the Desktop. I'm hoping this may stop it showing for you.

 

Ah yes, I understand now. Well, alright, here goes. I'll know in a few days whether this does the trick and of course I'll let the group know.

 

I've never had that icon on my Desktop.

I have set up a Windows 10 Installation Notes document to set my preferred settings whenever needed after a computer format, or when a big update happens (when a big update happens, many of my custom settings go back to default). So I can paste any of my notes that refer to "Quick Access" on here if necessary.

Yet hopefully the above solution, provided by Brink, solved the issue.

 

Two days have passed and no Quick access icon has appeared on my desktop. I'll call that a victory - for now; you never know what the 'softies are cooking up - and say my thanks to Brink for providing the fix.

 

Great news. I'm glad it could help. *Smile