You can remove shortcuts from your desktop without deleting the important files they point to. Here's how to do it on a Mac or PC.

Shortcuts are a convenient solution for quick access to folders you use frequently, but if you've gone overboard or installed a lot of new programs recently, your desktop can quickly become cluttered.

William Beaver asked for “a simple, safe” way to remove the arrows from the shortcuts on his desktop. Shortcuts point to files–usually but not always programs–that are stored elsewhere on your drive.

When you install new programs on your computers, they may display a message asking if you like them to store an icon on your desktop. If you move through your installation screens quickly, you may ...