How to Customize Details of Shortcut Infotips in Windows
When you hover over a shortcut of a file, folder, or drive in Windows, a infotip (pop-up description) will show displaying basic property details (metadata) such as a shortcut's target location.
A prop: value indicates a individual property or metadata within the Windows Property System that can be set for shortcut infotips. You can customize the prop: value for shortcut infoips to show any property details you like in the infotip. The details you set to show in the infotip will only show if the property or metadata is available for the shortcut.
This tutorial will show you how to customize shortcut infotips to show any file and folder property details you want in the infoltip for all users in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to customize what file/folder property details show in shortcut infotips.
Contents
- Option One: To Customize Shortcut Infotip Details using a REG file
- Option Two: To Customize Shortcut Infotip Details in Registry Editor
EXAMPLE: Custom and Default Shortcut Infotip Details
This option does the same thing as Option Two below, but automatically sets shortcut infotips to show details using the prop values in the order below:
System.Comment
System.DateCreated
System.Link.TargetParsingPath
System.Image.Dimensions
System.Size
System.Media.Duration
1 Do step 2 (custom) or step 3 (default) below for what you would like to do.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Show_custom_shortcut_infotips.reg
Download
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Show_default_shortcut_infotips.reg
Download
4 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 Restart explorer, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.
8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
If you need any help with this option, then please feel free to post what you need help with in this tutorial thread. I'll be happy to help.
1 Do step 2 (default) or step 3 (custom) below for what you would like to do.
A) Use the Show_default_shortcut_tooltips.reg in step 3 of OPTION ONE above.
A) Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.
B) If prompted by UAC, click/tap on Yes.
C) In Registry Editor, browse to the key location below. (see screenshot below)
D) Right click or press and hold on the {00021500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} key in the left pane, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below step 3C)
E) Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)
F) In Registry Editor, browse to the key location below. (see screenshot below)
G) In the right pane of the lnkfile key, double click/tap on the InfoTip string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3F)
If you don't have the InfoTip string value (you don't by default), then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the lnkfile key, click/tap on New, click/tap on String Value, type InfoTip, and press Enter.
H) Type the data value below for the property values you want with each separated by a semicolon ; in the order you want them to show, click/tap on OK, and go to step 4 below. (see screenshot below)
prop:value 1;value 2; etc....
Substitute value # in the value above with the actual property details you want.
The link below at Microsoft will give you a full list of Windows properties that you can use. Click on a property type (ex: System) link at the link below to see a full list of individual properties (ex: System.ItemNameDisplay) for that type to use.
Windows Properties (Windows)
For example: The Show_custom_shortcut_infotips.reg file from Option One above uses the data value below.
prop:System.Comment;System.DateCreated;System.Link.TargetParsingPath;System.Image.Dimensions;System.Size;System.Media.Duration
4 Restart explorer, sign out and sign in, or restart the computer to apply.
5 When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
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