Desktop icons move- multiple monitors

Anonymous
2010-04-12T12:20:13+00:00

I am using Windows 7 64-bit on a laptop that I connect to an external monitor each day at work. Because the external monitor is higher resolution, the desktop extends beyond the area of the laptop monitor. When I arrange my icons on the external monitor desktop, and then later restart my computer without the external monitor, my icons get completely jumbled around. When I then plug in the external again, I have to spend 5 minutes rearranging my desktop. This is getting very aggravating. The only partially successful solution I've found so far is to hit F8 to change the monitor selection and then put the computer to sleep, rather than shutting down. This works sometimes, but is not optimal and occasionally fails. What I want to do is lock the icons in place so they don't move around when I change monitors. Any suggestions?

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Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2010-04-13T12:10:07+00:00

Hi Genefreak,

This issue might occur if the “Auto Arrange Icons” option has been checked.

Step 1: Let’s try to uncheck this option first and then arrange the icons by grid and check if the issue persists.

Follow this step to do the same.

1.     Right click on an empty space on the Desktop-> Click on View.

2.     Uncheck the option “Auto Arrange Icons”.

3.     Check the option for “Align the icons to grid”.

Check if the issue persists now. 

Step 2: Also I would suggest you to reduce the resolution of the monitor so that it will not extend beyond the display area.

Change your screen resolution

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Change-your-screen-resolution

Additional reference on:

Work and play better with multiple monitors

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/work-and-play-better-with-multiple-monitors

Regards,

Divya R – Microsoft Support.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-06-22T17:39:54+00:00

    Neither of these resolve the issue.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-06-09T19:54:56+00:00

    I read this thread and have tried just about everything.  I tried this program I found searching for this issue with Windows 8.1 and I found this that has worked for me ever since.  My icons don't move and it allows you to save it and restore.  http://www.softwareok.com/?seite=Freeware/DesktopOK

    It's not necessarily an application but it is an executable.  It's called DesktopOK_x64.  You just launch it after you've arranged your icons how you want them and it will stay that way or at least it has for me.  I attached to a secondary monitor at work everyday and now when I do, my icons stay. 

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks,

    Lisa

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-06-09T17:45:54+00:00

    Well heck and darn.  I tried the SecurityGuy 14's solution and it doesn't hold.

    As soon as I "undock" my computer, or plug it into a docking station, MS Windows 7 Enterprise scrambles all the icons as usual. 

    Amazing that Microsoft, after this long, hasn't found a simple solution to maintaining icon order on the desktop.  What a waste of time -- reordering the icons over and over and over.  

    I see where this solution has worked for some people...  Maybe it doesn't work on the Enterprise version, or maybe we have a conflicting setting somewhere else.  sigh...

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-04-15T10:21:33+00:00

    OK.  SecurityGuy 14's  Solution as Implement by me and a couple of others REALLY works in Windows 7 Professional

    In regedit go to [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies

    Then create Key "Explorer"

    Add new DWORD value "NoSaveSettings" and set to 0

    To be safe, I exported HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ and called it noSaveSettingsRestore.reg

    Now Reboot and the problem was solved for us. 

    This worked for me as well Win 7 Pro and has reduced stress levels to merely unacceptable :)

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