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Every few days, all the icons on my Win7 desktop rearrange themselves. Usually they move to the left edge of the screen. I laboriously move all the icons back to where I like them, and 3-10 days later, they all shift left again. I've found no pattern or event that might cause this -- but it's very annoying!
I've got Win7 build 7100 running on a Dell Latitude D830 laptop. Totally standard hardware and very little non-Microsoft software. In short, it's a pretty clean system.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
To supplement Reyas.M.I.'s answer, Under View is the option to select the icon size, Auto arrange icons and Align icons to grid. The Sort by option includes Name, Size, Item type and Date modified. I suggest you check both View and Sort by.
Corrine, Microsoft MVP (Consumer Security). This posting is provided "AS IS" without warranty, and confers no rights.
Check whether "Auto Arrange" checked. To check this, right click on desktop and select "Arrange icons by".
I hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards, Reyas...
Why does every "solution" involve auto-arrange and snap to grid? Both destroy exactly what we seek to preserve. I do not want Snap to Grid or auto-arrange or anything like it... Trashing my intended arrangement with some "feature" does not make it virtuous. I put my icons precisely where I want them, grouped as I want them, with no extra noise on the screen. This approach on my desktop allows me to rapidly navigate hundreds of apps and logical groupings using minimal screen real estate... I want one approach that respects my hard work - the primary monitor layout should not be destroyed in Windows "we know best" fashion. It does not even do it intelligently... it often places icons completely off-screen for example. What does Windows need? A way to say "leave them alone". Simple. I hate to keep fixing what windows breaks - its my computer, not theirs. And I hater "solutions" that do not even try to understand the problem. I want my icons not only to stay put... I need to be able to logically and precisely arrange them... and have THAT stick.
With the help of some answers in this topic, and some playing about I've cracked it.
It was really annoying me.
No icons have moved in over a week.
Windows will then remember them. This is better than un-checking 'snap to grid', then trying to manually place them tidily.
kb2396571 - "Icons are changed unexpectedly in Windows" worked for me, even though it appears to be describing a different problem.
