This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable using drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop for your account in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Windows uses drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop by default.
Depending on if your desktop background is light or dark, using drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop may make reading the icon label easier or harder.
If harder, then you can turn off use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop to remove the drop shadows.
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop in Visual Effects Performance Options
- Option Two: Turn On or Off Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop using REG file
- Option Three: Turn On or Off Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop in Registry Editor
EXAMPLE: "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop" turned on and off
Turn On or Off Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop in Visual Effects Performance Options
1 Run (Win+R) SystemPropertiesPerformance.exe to open Visual Effects Performance Options.
2 In the Visual Effects tab, check (on - default) or uncheck (off) Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop for what you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
This option will not work when Administrator protection is turned on.
1 Do step 2 (on) or step 3 (off) below for what you want.
2 Turn On Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop
This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_on_use_drop_shadows_for_icon_labels_on_the_desktop.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewShadow"=dword:000000013 Turn Off Drop Shadows for Icon Labels on Desktop
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_off_use_drop_shadows_for_icon_labels_on_the_desktop.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
"ListviewShadow"=dword:000000004 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
7 Either restart the explorer.exe process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.
8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
1 Open Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2 Navigate to the key location below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 3)
HKEY_USERS\<SID>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Substitute <SID> in the key path above with the actual SID for the account you want to apply this to.
For example:
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2498639629-3946114050-4100787084-1001\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
3 In the right pane of the Advanced key, double click/tap on the ListviewShadow DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below)
4 Enter 0 (off) or 1 (on - default) for what you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
5 Either restart the explorer.exe process, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.
6 You can now close Registry Editor if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
