One of our readers wrote telling that in Windows Explorer some files are shown with tick mark in a green box and some with chevron in a blue box regardless of the file type. Here is a screenshot explaining the situation.

I inspected the ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers registry key which is located at:
(Note that the Icon Overlay handlers are registered under the ShellIconOverlayIdentifiers registry key.)
It showed the following GUIDs registered under it.
Subkey : OverlayExcluded
GUID : {4433A54A-1AC8-432F-90FC-85F045CF383C}
Subkey : OverlayPending
GUID : {F17C0B1E-EF8E-4AD4-8E1B-7D7E8CB23225}
Subkey : OverlayProtected
GUID : {476D0EA3-80F9-48B5-B70B-05E677C9C148}
After Googling the GUIDs, it was noted that the entries were added by Norton 360. Norton 360 v2 adds a feature called "Backup Status Indicators" which clearly identifies which files have been backed up, which files are pending backup and which are excluded from backup. This feature is responsible for the Tick mark (green box) and double arrow (blue box) overlay icons.
Quoting PCMag:
A check in a green box means the file’s backup is current, while a chevron (ยป) character in a blue box indicates a file that’s been changed since its last backup. Files excluded from the backup set display a slash in a gray box.
If you don’t need the backup indicators feature you can turn it off by clicking Settings in the Norton 360 main window, disabling the Backup Status Indicators check box and clicking Close.

Norton 360 Main window
No Norton 360, but have MozyHome Backup installed?
MozyHome Backup program adds a green checkmark overlay icon for files which are included in your backup list. To disable the overlay, select the following checkbox in Mozy Options:
Enabling this option hides the icons that displays next to files and folders in Windows Explorer when a file is included in your backup list.
Bookmark this Page!
Related Posts
- Fix: Overlay Icon (With Blue Arrows) Missing for Network Folders Which Are Available Offline in Windows XP
- Favorite Links Area in Windows Vista Explorer Is Empty
- Mysterious Case of Icon Overlapping in Vista
- Error “This File Does Not Have a Program Associated With It” When Launching a Game From Games Explorer
- Printee for Internet Explorer Makes Printing Web Pages Easy
- Add “Export to Microsoft Excel” To the Right-Click Menu in Internet Explorer
- Vista Help and Support Unstyled
- Change the Open Folder Icon in Windows Explorer and Registry Editor
- My Pictures, My Music and My Videos Namespace Extensions for the Windows Explorer Folder Pane
- Show Hidden Files and Folders Option Missing or Does Not Work
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed! We feature Tips, Troubleshooting information, Scripts and Utilities for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems!
Prefer an E-mail subscription?

› 
Great work! First hit in Google too! Thanks.