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How to Remove the "Learn About This Picture" Icon From Your Desktop

Steven
Mar 29, 2024
2 min read

Updated: Sep 27

If you use Windows Spotlight for your desktop background, you get a new photo every day, which is nice. You also get a "Learn about this picture" icon stuck on your desktop, which isn't. You can't delete it like a normal shortcut, and there's no obvious setting to hide it.


Windows desktop with the Learn about this picture icon
The Learn about this picture icon on the desktop

Here are three ways to get rid of it, depending on what you want to keep.



Option 1: Keep Spotlight, Hide the Icon (Registry Fix)


This is the one I use. It removes the icon but keeps the daily Spotlight backgrounds. It works on Windows 10 and 11.


  1. Open Notepad.

  2. Copy and paste these lines exactly:


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}"=dword:00000001

  1. Click File > Save As, change Save as type to All files, and name it something like Hide Spotlight Icon.reg.

  2. Double-click the file you just saved.

  3. Click Run, then Yes on the security prompt, then Yes and OK to add it to the registry.

  4. Right-click the desktop and choose Refresh (or press F5).


The icon disappears and Spotlight keeps changing your background.


To bring the icon back: make the same file but change the last 1 to 0, run it, and refresh the desktop.



Option 2: Turn Off Windows Spotlight


If you don't care about the daily photos, switch to a regular background and the icon goes away on its own.


  1. Right-click the desktop and choose Personalize.

  2. Click Background.

  3. Change Personalize your background from Windows Spotlight to Picture, Solid color or Slideshow.



Option 3: Hide All Desktop Icons


If you like a completely clean desktop, right-click the desktop, go to View and untick Show desktop icons. This hides everything, including the Spotlight icon. Your files are still there, just hidden, and you can turn icons back on the same way.



Still Stuck?


If you'd rather not edit the registry yourself, IT-Tech can connect remotely and take care of it in a few minutes.


Book a remote support session and we'll get you sorted out.

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