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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...
I consider it mind-boggling that Microsoft does not even understand the issue and that the issue has stood so long. Suggesting auto-arrange and snap to grid, etc. misses the point. Its a PERSONAL computer... I should be able to arrange the way I want it and have it STAY THERE. If you have a primary monitor and you fix the icons in a specific location they should STAY THERE... The primary monitor is not up for grabs... I bothered to establish EXACTLY what I wanted and Windows should just plain leave it alone after that. WHATS THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO ARRANGE THINGS MY WAY IF WINDOWS IS GOING TO RE_ARRANGE? I do not sort, auto-arrange, or snap to grid FOR A REASON!
Don't give us a non-solution... address the defect.
I used Stardock Fences for Win 7 and liked it very much. The software allowed you to group the icons into different boxes and the icons never re-arranged themselves. When I upgraded to Win 10, my old Fences did not work. And I had to put up with the icons re-arranging themselves once in a while, very annoying!
Recently I turn my attention back to Fences and installed the latest version on Win 10. So far, so good.
Good response. Still feel like they should be able to save this type of setting under a user's profile so that it can be easily restored.
