How to Customize Shortcut Infotip Details in Windows 10

Go beyond the basic property details of shortcuts on Windows by adding your own custom infotip set.

When you hover over a shortcut in the Windows environment, a pop-up appears showing some data related to the shortcut. This is called an infotip, and by default it is set as the shortcut’s target location, which is not very useful.

You can customize the infotip for any shortcut in Windows 10, adding such things as target file size, date created, image dimensions, and media length. This method of creating custom shortcut pop-up descriptions involves using the registry editor, so a bit of caution is advised.

But First, Back Up Your Windows Registry

Adding custom infotip details to shortcuts involves changing and even deleting registry items. Fiddling with the registry can have unexpected results, especially if you accidentally change or delete something that is crucial to the running of Windows.

As such, it’s best to back up your registry before you begin and log all the changes you make, so you can roll them back if needed.

How to Customize Shortcut Infotip Details Using the Registry

To give you the information you want to see at a glance when you place your mouse cursor over a shortcut, perform the following steps.

1. Click on the Start menu and type “run.” Hit Enter.
2. In the Run box that opens, type “regedit” and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor. You may need administrator privileges to access the Registry Editor.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following location:

   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.lnk\ShellEx\

4. You’ll need to delete the {00021500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} key, so it’s a good idea to back it up first. To do this, right-click it and select Export; then save it on your computer.
5. Once you’ve deleted the specific key, head over to the following registry location:

   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile

6. You’ll need to modify the string named InfoTip, but you will probably need to create it first. To do this, right-click on the empty space in the lnkfile key and select New > String Value. Rename it “Infotip.”
7. Open the InfoTip string value by double-clicking on it.
8. In the Value data field, type “prop:” followed by the names of the property values you want Windows to show you when you hover over shortcuts, each separated by a semicolon, in the order you want them to show.
9. 
   A few common and interesting property values you can use are given in the table below. You can find more at Microsoft’s Windows app development page for individual properties within the Windows Property System.
10. Click OK.

You’ll need to restart Window Explorer for the changes to take effect.

The Infotip Details You Can Add and What They Do

Here’s a handy list of a few infotip details you can add to a shortcut and what each one does.

See More In-Depth Details About Shortcuts

If you want to see customized information when you hover over shortcuts in Windows 10, you’re going to have to manipulate the registry, which can be tricky. However, if all goes well, you’ll soon have infotip details displayed with all the information you want from shortcuts.